Barrow requests £16m from Levelling Up Fund
The money would go towards improving Barrow Market, the town’s transport infrastructure, and access to the Forum Theatre.
Barrow Council worked with economics consultancy Hatch Regeneris to draft the proposal.
Barrow is the only authority in Cumbria to earn a priority one status from the Government’s list of applicants for the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund. That fund’s goal is to regenerate town centres in the country, assist cultural and heritage institutions, and build up transport projects.
The projects proposed in the bid are:
- Adding a food hall, more stall spaces, and a soft play area to Barrow Market
- Repairing the roof of the market hall
- Creating a new exterior and façade on Duke Street, thus creating a link between The Forum and Barrow Market
- Improving connectivity in the town through transport infrastructure and public realm works
It is hoped that more people will visit Barrow as a result of the projects and that civic identity and local pride will be boosted.
“We know that the way people use town centres is changing and that Covid has accelerated this change further,” said Cllr Ann Thomson, the council’s leader. “This proposal would help to reshape the way people see our town centre – encouraging them to visit more often and to stay longer than before.”