UKREiiF | Barrow Rising: town pins growth hopes on defence

Team Barrow, chaired by Simon Case, the former head of the civil service, launched its 10-year regeneration strategy at UKREiiF off the back of a £220m funding package from central government, which centres around a bid to drastically increase the UK’s defence industry’s output.

Heavy emphasis will be placed on Barrow’s role in national security as the only place in the country with the infrastructure, license, and skilled resources necessary to design and build nuclear-powered submarines at the Royal Port of Barrow.

In addition, BAE Systems, a cornerstone for the British defence industry and Barrow’s largest employer, will work in lockstep with the town and Westmorland and Furness Council to aid its regeneration.

Will Garton, director general for local growth, communities, and devolution at the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, said Downing Street is “absolutely committed” to the town’s revival and quipped “the King has lent [the Royal Port of Barrow] his name – we must be doing alright”.

He added: “It is the defence need that has sparked a determination in central government like no other.

“It’s blindingly obvious for anyone that looks at it for more than 10 minutes that in order to secure our nuclear deterrent, we must regenerate, reinvigorate, and grow the town, otherwise, there’s no serviceable nuclear deterrent.

“[Barrow] represents the perfect example of the need to join up services, be they transport or education or health, culture, and defence policy in a place.”

The establishment of a mayoral combined authority in Cumbria next year, with the election of a mayor, will give new powers to Cumbria, ultimately leading to an integrated settlement from the UK government and subsequent CPO capabilities.

Sam Plum, chief executive of Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “We cannot spend £200m in Barrow over 10 years, and at the end of that still have crippling poverty and poor educational entertainment.

“This has to stick. All of Barrow has to rise, and we all need to rise together.”

She added: “We know £220m won’t even touch the sides, we know how expensive a lot of the stuff is – but some of the big transport infrastructure projects, like the A590, the Furness Line, the Coastal Line, and the A595, are essential.

“If that won’t be part of the £220m investment, it will be used as an enabler to work with the private sector to draw other funding as well.”

Westmorland and Furness Council is set to begin developing business cases for such infrastructure improvements to submit to the Department for Transport.

Plum said: “We need to recognise that some of the things we do won’t be the right things, but we’ve got 10 years to make this work for us.”

Janet Garner, future workforce officer at BAE Systems, stressed that recent recruitment drives in an attempt to grow its workforce to 17,000 over the next few years have put extra pressure on the town.

She said with the resulting effect on the local economy, BAE “simply cannot sit by and watch”, without “playing our part”, to help, support, and diversify the local economy.

The company’s town centre investment would aim to open up opportunities for local independent businesses to move in next door to a facility with a footfall of around 6,000 people daily.

For business, there is an active strategy to engage with the area’s firms. Janet Garner said in addition to major employers, work in the other direction, attracting small entrepreneurial individuals, allowing such companies a chance to flourish.

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Plans for Barrow’s redevelopment are already in motion. Marina Village, a residential scheme offering 800 homes across 64 acres on the town’s docks is one of the town’s flagship projects. Redstart Northwest has been appointed to remediate the site.

Homes England has committed £25m to the second phase, with the Towns Fund ‘Brilliant Barrow’ also contributing.

Improvements to Furness College and a fresh campus for the University of Cumbria are due complete this year, with courses tailored to local mechanical or manufacturing needs.

Barrow Rising also includes the Heart of Barrow, a town centre improvement plan centred around remodelling the market.

BAE has acquired three town centre shop units as part of the overall plan, one of which will house Team Barrow.