A chance to find out more about Millom’s Town Deal as it reaches a key stage will take place next week.
The latest plans for each of the four projects will be available to view at drop-in events with residents and businesses in the area invited to attend.
The informal sessions will be held on Wednesday, June 28 at:
- Haverigg Lighthouse Centre, in Atkinson Street, Haverigg, from 3pm to 4.30pm
- Millom Baptist Church, in Crown Street, Millom, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Working with Copeland Borough Council, the Millom Town Deal Board was awarded £20.6 million from the Government’s Towns Fund in November 2022, attracting an additional £8.7 million in match funding.
Now, alongside the newly formed Cumberland Council, work is underway to ready each of the projects for development and completion before March 2026.
David Savage, chair of Millom Town Deal, said: “We are proud to have secured £29.3 million for the projects through the Town Deal, which brings significant opportunities and new facilities to both Millom and Haverigg.
“Now, we are delighted to be able to invite residents across Millom and Haverigg to come along to this event to see how things have been progressing and to chat to
those working on the projects. We have listened to past feedback, and we are running this event in separate venues both in Millom and Haverigg.
“While each one of the projects are at a different stage of development, we are encouraging as many to attend as possible to find out the latest position of the projects and offer your views, as we now move steadily towards formal planning.”
The projects were selected to meet both local need and strict Government criteria.
Each one was subject to an expert business case to prove it is deliverable within the funding available, will provide long lasting economic and social benefits to the area and will be financially sustainable going forward.
The four projects that make up Millom’s Town Deal are:
- The Iron Line – a scheme to sensitively transform RSPB Hodbarrow into an inspirational and fully inclusive visitor attraction featuring new walking and cycling routes, a visitor centre with cafe/bar, events room and parking for around 80 vehicles.
- Activating Community Health – The creation of a new, multi-purpose leisure hub on land at Millom School to provide a range of facilities including a community swimming pool and 3G pitch.
- Reactivating Heritage Buildings – A project to significantly enhance Millom Town Centre to increase vitality and footfall by bringing derelict, vacant and underused heritage buildings back into active use, including the former Natwest Bank building in St George’s Road.
- Connected Millom and Haverigg – Improving Millom’s transport network to create a gateway to the town at the railway station, while improving ways to move around both Millom and Haverigg on foot or by bicycle.
Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, said: “The Town Deal represents a once-in-a-lifetime level of regeneration investment and has the ability to transform the future of Millom.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to speak to those involved in the development of the four projects and to find out the latest position with each of them.”
