Work to bring Millom’s ambitious Town Deal projects to life is underway following confirmation of a once-in-a-generation £29.3 million funding package.
Funding for the Millom Town Deal was formally secured last month, meaning four transformative projects – that will ensure the town and its communities benefit now and thrive into the future – can be delivered.
The Government has pledged £20.6million for the Town Deal with a further £8.7 million coming from match funders.
Now, Robert Morris-Eyton, the chair of Millom Town Deal, has confirmed the journey towards delivering each of the schemes has started.
“As you would expect, delivering schemes on this scale is a lengthy process, but work is already taking place behind the scenes to move the programme forward so we remain on track,” Mr Morris-Eyton added.
“The projects are being developed in more detail so that planning permission can be sought, where needed, from spring next year. There will also be the need to formally tender elements of the projects out to external firms.
“These things take time but I’m pleased to report that everything is moving forward towards our target of handing each of the completed projects to the community by 2026.”
Working with Copeland Borough Council, the Millom Town Deal Board secured a provisional offer for the funds from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative last summer.
The funding was offered subject to the successful completion of a business case for each project which confirmed the positive impact and long lasting benefits they are set to deliver.
In addition to the Government funding, significant sums have been contributed by Sellafield, the NDA, Copeland Community Fund and CGP Books with further contributions from Copeland Borough Council, Millom School and Millom Town Council.
The four projects in the Town Deal are:
- The Iron Line – A proposal to transform the unique coastal lagoon into an inspiring visitor attraction which fuses ecology, heritage and art by creating an inclusive recreational route across Hodbarrow and around the sea wall.
- Activating community health – The creation of a new, multi-purpose leisure hub to provide a range of facilities including a community swimming pool and 3G pitch.
- Reactivating Heritage Buildings – A proposal to significantly enhance Millom Town Centre by bringing derelict, vacant and underused heritage buildings back into active use to increase vitality and footfall.
- Connected Millom and Haverigg – Improving Millom’s transport network to create a gateway to the town at the railway station, while transforming cycling and walking infrastructure in both Millom and Haverigg.
Mike Starkie, Copeland mayor, said: “There might not be any activity to see at the locations in question right at this moment but that doesn’t mean things aren’t moving forward with the Town Deal.
“A huge amount of work is underway to prepare the projects for the planning process or so that they are detailed enough to begin to procure contractors to deliver them. The coming months are crucial to seeing the Town Deal rise from the ground up so the community can enjoy the benefits they will bring, something I’m very much looking forward to.”
