Barrow to adopt Local Plan

The council is expected to sign off its Local Plan at a meeting tomorrow, covering development across the borough up to 2031 and including a masterplan for regenerating the town centre.

The Local Plan was first brought forward in 2014, and sets out development opportunities, job creation, and housing targets across the borough for the next 12 years.

This includes developments around Barrow Marina, Cavendish Dock, and a waterfront business park; a potential masterplan to cover the town centre to improve its retail and leisure offering; and brownfield sites that can be brought forward for development.

These include possible housing sites, such as a 22-acre plot at Salthouse Mills, a site at Channelside covering six acres; and a former golf driving range at Walney Road over 17 acres.

In total, the borough is expected to deliver 1,785 homes over the plan period. The borough currently has a supply to provide 2,848 homes.

As well as housing, other sites are earmarked for employment use, covering a combined 78 acres, including around 30 acres at the Barrow Island Local Enterprise Zone.

The largest site is at Waterfront Business Park covering more than 40 acres, while a further nine sites are identified, including plots at Billings Road in Dalton; a plot west of the County Park Industrial Estate; and the remaining undeveloped part of Furness Business Park.

The council is expected to adopt the Local Plan at a meeting on 4 June.