The Carlisle projects set to be financed by the multi-million-pound Future High Streets Fund investment package have been chosen.
The projects that will be carried out using the funding include £4.7m of repurposing work on the site of the former Central Plaza Hotel on Victoria Viaduct, in order to allow for the site to be redeveloped.
Demolition of the former hotel was completed early last year, after the crumbling building was deemed unsafe.
It was confirmed on Boxing Day that Carlisle was set to receive £9.1m in Government investment, as part of its Future High Streets Fund scheme, which seeks to inject cash into projects across England that will help boost the economic development of town and city centres.
This £9.1m was in addition to the £1m in accelerated funding, provided in a Government bid to help kickstart economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The £1m is funding works on the Caldew Riverside site, close to Victoria Viaduct, which has long been unused land.
The £850,000 preparation works being carried out on this site will then allow the area to be developed for housing.
A further £150,000 of accelerated funding is also financing the development of a temporary hub in Bitts Park for use by small businesses and artists.
From the main £9.1m Future High Streets Fund allocation, a total of £4,749,645 will go towards the Central Plaza works, with a further £2,381,768 funding a “re-imagination” of the city centre Green Market and Market Square areas.
Another £1,133,473 will go towards the renovation of empty properties on Castle Street, and £490,928 will fund improvements for pedestrians along Devonshire Street.
Carlisle City Council’s leader, Conservative councillor John Mallinson, provided an update to fellow councillors on the progress of the Future High Streets Fund allocations at last Tuesday’s full council meeting.
“Members will know that we’ve been working closely with civil servants over a period of time,” he said.
Mr Mallinson noted that the original bid from the city council for the fund was for just over £13m.
“In January it was announced that to meet the funding available, bids were all being top-sliced by 69 per cent,” he said.
“We needed to let the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government know which projects we were going to include.”
Mr Mallinson added that the combination of projects chosen was deemed “the most effective use of the money available”, and city council officers have been in discussion with other organisations on “partnership funding which may be available”.
Mr Mallinson described it as a “difficult decision to make it fit”.
“However we feel that we have chosen a mix of projects that will be a first step towards supporting the high street during these difficult times.
“We continue to work with the Government on funding packages, including the Towns Deal and any initiatives we can to be included within the new levelling up fund, which is also available to bid for.”
The city council’s Labour Party group leader, Colin Glover, said that the awarding of £9.1m to Carlisle was “very welcome”, but he asked for further details on any changes that had been made to the council’s plans for the Future High Streets Fund in light of the lower final settlement.
Mr Mallinson noted that proposed work on repurposing the former Hoopers building on Castle Street, which has stood empty for a number of years, had been withdrawn from the project.
“It is in new ownership, by a new company,” he said.
Mr Mallinson explained that it had initially indicated an intention to pursue the project, but that the recent economic “turbulence” had resulted in the firm not being able to “commit within a timescale that fit” the requirements for the Future High Streets Fund allocations.
