A new chair has been appointed to the Millom Town Deal Board.
Existing chair Robert Morris-Eyton has resigned from the role and David Savage has been appointed as his replacement.
Mr Savage – who undertakes a number of community based roles and who has former HR and commercial experience at Sellafield – has been on the Town Deal board since its inception, said: “I’d like to reflect on Robert’s hard work, tenacity and leadership, without which it would have been difficult to achieve what we have for our town.
“He has been instrumental in securing significant funding for the projects that form our ambitious town deal and I now look forward to continuing his excellent work.
“We have four detailed business cases and are working hard to make them a reality. This process will not be without its challenges, but as a board we are committed to delivering.
“Millom has a strong community, distinct culture and a proud history. It is time to build on that and through our Town Deal projects deliver growth, prosperity and opportunities to residents of Millom, Haverigg and the surrounding communities.”
The Town Deal Board works alongside the lead authority to deliver the projects that will have a transformative impact on the town.
The ambitious bid to deliver a once-in-a-generation financial boost to Millom was awarded £29.3 million in November 2022. The Government pledged £20.6million, with a further £8.7 million coming from match funders.
Mr Morris-Eyton, who is managing partner of the family farm Morris-Eyton & Son and a chartered surveyor and agricultural valuer with over 30 years’ experience, was appointed as chair in May 2020.
He said: “What we have achieved for Millom is a testament to the incredible dedication and efforts of my fellow Town Deal Board members and our colleagues at Copeland Borough Council.
“I was delighted to be asked to take on the role of chair in the summer of 2020; the prospect of working towards something that had the potential to be transformational for Millom really appealed to me.
“The town has some fantastic assets, in terms of people and place, which allowed us to put together four very compelling business cases around themes that aligned with government requirements.
“I was elated when we received news last November that we had secured almost £30m in government and match funding. It was the pinnacle of more than two years of hard work on the part of so many people. The funding, and the projects it will support, will act as a catalyst for further investment into Millom in the years ahead and I find that very exciting.
“We have now reached a natural break point in the process as we move into the delivery phase and it felt like the right time to give somebody else the opportunity to lead our Town Deal Board. I know David will make an excellent job of it.”
The four projects in the Town Deal are:
- The Iron Line – A proposal to sensitively 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.
