Funding secured for Carlisle Station Gateway

Barrow Council, Lancaster City Council and South Lakeland District Council would be replaced with a single-tier unitary authority, under the plans revealed in October.

Carlisle Lake District Airport is to receive a Government grant of up to £8m, a sum that would effectively wipe out its business rates bill for 2020-21.

Blackpool, Barrow-in-Furness and Warrington are among the first seven locations to have funding bids accepted as part of the Government’s much-vaunted levelling-up programme.

The local authorities of Barrow, Lancaster and South Lakeland have confirmed their support to progress a process that could lead to a formal bid for a new unitary council governing Morecambe Bay.

A Cumbria County Council cabinet report has asked that chief executive Katherine Fairclough be authorised to submit a business case to Government that would see it and six district councils replaced by a new body.

This year will see fresh services launched including a development map to complement news stories and branded content production for partners.

Whitehaven Harbour is set to receive £2.45m for a water sports and recreational activities centre as part of the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund.

Although a decision was originally due to be made this month, a fresh timetable for the delivery of the leisure centre in Carlisle has been pushed back beyond May’s local elections.