Next steps set out for Heart of Barrow

A business case for pursuing the town centre’s £200m regeneration will go before Westmorland & Furness Council’s cabinet next week, along with the demolition of the Forum and market hall.

The Heart of Barrow town centre regeneration programme is a critical part of the Team Barrow-led vision for the town’s transformation, and is to include cultural and leisure offers, community facilities and new housing and employment provision.

Heart of Barrow is being led by W&F Council, on behalf of the wider Team Barrow programme – a partnership between the council, BAE Systems and national government.

Cabinet will be asked to approve the outline business case for phase one and for enabling works ahead of phase two.

The phase one OBC is seeking approval for:

Demolition and site clearance costs

First phase of land assembly

A package of meanwhile uses and cultural activity for the town centre

Professional fees to support the procurement of a development partner for delivery of phase two

The total cost for phase one delivery is £35.4. This will be funded with close to £23m from Barrow Transformation Fund, £10.9m from the Local Regeneration Fund (former LUF and Town Deal) and £1.56m from capital receipts from W&F Council.

If agreed by Cabinet, the £35m funding for phase one works would then be subject to confirmation by MHCLG and the Team Barrow delivery board.

The proposed ‘meanwhile use’ programme under the Phase 1 OBC has been shaped by feedback. The proposals include introducing a market village, a flexible temporary venue and a coordinated programme of cultural activity.

Activities already embarked on to prepare the way include deep cleaning across important streets, community litter-picks and community planting schemes, along with improved signage and CCTV.

The phase two works could include the site of the Forum and indoor market hall.

The meeting will be asked to sign off the appointment of a contractor to demolish the Forum theatre, along with the market hall – a proposed redevelopment of the matter having now been ditched.

The design & demolition contract is worth £6.6m.

A well-attended protest was held at the weekend pleading the case for a way forward to be found for the theatre, closed since last summer due to asbestos.

While the council said it has received representations from user groups, and understands and is listening to all concerns and suggestions on the buildings’ future, “the need for demolition is borne from clear indicators of physical, functional and economic obsolescence.

“The report to Cabinet concludes that demolition is an operationally necessary step, required to eliminate material and foreseeable risk, rather than a discretionary or aesthetic choice.”

Phase two of the Heart of Barrow programme would be subject to a separate business case and funding approval from Team Barrow.