Plans in for remainder of Carlisle station revamp

Full approval is sought for the redevelopment of retail and associated parking at Station Road, the second phase of the southern gateway scheme at Citadel station.

BDP and Eric Wright Civil Engineering are key partners of Cumberland Council on this part of the project, which has long been seen as a priority for Carlisle.

The station gateway project as a whole saw £28m of contracts awarded in October for the southern and northern parts, with the Department for Transport then committing £13.5m in December on top of funds secured through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.

Full permission was secured in April last year for southern gateway phase one – public realm improvements at the southern gateway/George Square side of the station. That consent saw outline consent given for the second phase, for which detailed proposals are now offered.

The redline development area includes a now-demolished Staples, a Matalan and parking for both stores. There is a new replacement substation on the site, while a roundabout at the junction of Water Street and James Street has been removed, replaced by a toucan crossing.

A grade two-listed sandstone wall is included, and is proposed to be rebuilt with reduced height and length by the development team. Listed building consent has now been granted for this.

Reserved matters for phase two essentially looks to build on phase one by furthering the Southern Gateway works eastward following the demolition of the Matalan building, with the overall goal of enhancing access and connectivity across the whole gateway area.

Features within the detailed design proposals show the extended and modernised parking provision, plus a dedicated bus/coach lane for rail replacement services. The plans set out locations for planting, street trees, cycleways and crossing points.

The proposals can be viewed in full with reference number 25/0701.