A government minister visited Cleator Moor and Millom to learn more about their respective Town Deals.
Neil O’Brien, Minister for Levelling Up in the Department for Housing, Levelling Up and Communities, met with Copeland MP, Trudy Harrison, Conservative candidates in the upcoming local election and Mike Starkie, Copeland Mayor.
Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Neil O’Brien, Levelling Up Minister at DLUHC, on the Copeland leg on his visit to Cumbria today.
“We spent time in Millom and Cleator Moor, where we visited key sites earmarked for transformational Town Deal funding that is heading to each of the towns – including the site of the proposed leisure facilities and the Square in Millom, and Leconfield Industrial Estate and the Square in Cleator Moor.
“We also had the opportunity to visit Egremont, where the minister and I spoke about the potential further regeneration opportunities including the former Red Lion site, and together with Mike Starkie, elected Mayor of Copeland, we discussed the success of the Pride of Place scheme which has seen over £1 million of investment in the appearance of shops and buildings in Whitehaven and across the borough.
“The minister and I are very much in favour of the ‘plant, paint and renovate’ approach to rejuvenating our towns and villages, and I am confident that the £22.5 million and £20.6 million that are heading to Cleator Moor and Millom respectively is just the start of the Levelling Up agenda for Copeland.
“Many thanks to Mike, our borough and county councillors, Cumberland Council candidates, Town Board representatives and supporters for helping make the Minister so welcome in Copeland.”
The minister also visited Barrow, Workington and Maryport today.
Workington MP, Mark Jenkinson, gave the minister a tour of Workington and Maryport to demonstrate the projects that will be delivered as part of the £23 million Town Deal in Workington and the £11.5 million Future High Street Fund in Maryport.
Mr Jenkinson visited Borough Park with the minister and met with members of the stadium project board, which will deliver the new sports village – providing a new stadium for Workington Reds and Workington Town as well as a community pitch and other facilities as part of the wider regeneration of the lower Derwent Valley.
The minister also visited the Wave Centre in Maryport to discuss plans for a new swimming pool there to serve Maryport and the surrounding areas.
