A plan setting out how £3 million in Egremont could be spent has received the backing of county councillors who believe it will make the most of the town.
Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Copeland met yesterday to discuss the area’s issues and approve funding for worthy community projects.
And councillors were asked to approve the Egremont Place Plan, put together by officers.
The document sets out how the county council would use a share of £18million in funding in Egremont from The Borderlands Partnership Board.
The board has approved a £50 million place programme which includes £18 million for six Cumbrian towns.
Release of funding is subject to the approval of a town’s Place Plan. Councillors gave their backing on Tuesday to Egremont’s plan.
Presenting the report, area manager Gillian Elliott said: “We have had some stakeholder engagement events in Egremont, we’ve worked with the town council, the school, with a range of partners, the borough council has been involved in this.
“And they have come up with five things that they feel will help to develop Egremont and to push it economically and socially into a better place than it is at the moment.
“Their aim is they want to attract more businesses to the area, they want to attract more tourists to the area.”
The stakeholders identified five factors as key to achieving their vision for Egremont. Ms Elliott said: “The five things are to create a vibrant town, a heritage town, a connected town, a healthy town and a safe and secure town.
“They feel that in doing that they will be able to galvanise a lot of the community, a lot of businesses and seek investment that would go beyond the Borderlands investment.”
If approved, funding for Egremont would be around £3 million.
A community hub is proposed in the place plan to repurpose some of the attractive but unused buildings in the town. Investment in Egremont Castle would position it as “the centrepiece of a wider place effort of storytelling, events and bringing a rich history to life.”
Plans for the funding include maximising the benefits of Egremont’s proximity to the Lake District World Heritage Site with investment in infrastructure.
Copeland-based county councillors endorsed the plan and supported the recommendation and handed authority to the Executive Director, chair, vice-chair and councillors for Egremont to agree the final version.
Cllr Graham Roberts said: “I welcome the report, very comprehensive and I’m glad to see such a pretty town as Egremont is being included in such a vital project.
“I had the pleasure a few years ago of showing an MP friend of mine from East Sussex around Egremont and he said there is a lot of potential to be unlocked here. Across the board, these two towns, Whitehaven and Egremont, have a lot of potential.”
Cllr Emma Williamson asked if the project could be done without additional funding. Ms Elliott said that the plan sets out a 10-year vision for Egremont and the £3 million is one part of that. Other funding streams are available including from the National Lottery.
