Sign-off secured for 30,000 sq ft Cleator Moor R&D facility
As well as the Industrial Solutions Hub being advanced by Cumberland Council, yesterday’s planning committee approved updated outline plans for up to 480 homes at Newhouse Farm, Carlisle.
The Industrial Solutions Hub – iSH – is intended to support start‑up and early‑stage businesses working in advanced manufacturing, robotics and AI. Now approved, it forms part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal and is also supported by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Norr is the architect and Avison Young the planning consultant.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “This is great news for Cleator Moor and the wider Cumberland economy. We want our area to grow and to thrive. Developments of this type support the foundation for future investment.”
Beyond this specific site, the iSH programme is taking forward a wider regeneration push across West Cumbria to explore economic growth opportunities in robotics, manufacturing and digital.
Gary McKeating, managing director of iSH, said: “Approval for the iSH hub marks a significant milestone for us. The hub will create a collaborative environment where industry, academia and innovators can come together to solve real-world challenges, while driving long-term economic growth and high-quality jobs in the region.”
The hub will provide flexible workspaces, shared facilities and collaborative areas. Sellafield and NDA have committed £10m to the project.
Documents relating to the application can be seen in the Copeland section of Cumberland’s planning portal, reference 4/26/2132/0F1.
Persimmon, for its part, now has outline consent for up to 480 homes at Newhouse Farm Carlisle, including 144 affordable homes. Another party had taken the scheme through planning close to a decade ago, securing a resolution to grant approval in 2018.
A Section 106 was never agreed, and in the intervening years York-headquartered housing giant Persimmon has entered the affair.
As set out in planning documents by advisor WSP, pre-application discussions with Cumberland officers showed that the scheme remains acceptable in principle, and that the new application could seek to “invigorate” the live application with an updated Section 106 proposal. Committee agreed.
Documents can be seen in the Carlisle section of the Cumberland portal, reference 17/0883.
