Plans to redevelop a vibrant cultural centre in Barrow that supports disadvantaged people have been given the go-ahead.
Westmorland and Furness Council has approved plans submitted by Signal Film and Media to carry out an essential refurbishment and reconfigure the internal layout at Cooke’s Studios on Abbey Road.
A design and access statement submitted by the applicant said: “The project will turn the disparate buildings of 102 and 104 Abbey Road into a safe and supportive multi-purpose community venue; a space for our town’s most disadvantaged people to come together, learn and grow through the enjoyment of multidisciplinary arts and their shared heritage.
“The proposed development will secure the long-term viability of numbers 102 and 104 through the funding of essential and timely refurbishments that will enable Signal Film Media to diversify their activities and revenue streams and make Cooke’s Studios a sustainable community asset.”
Signal Film and Media is a digital arts charity dedicated to providing inclusive, creative digital media experiences.
The company is the lead tenant in the two adjoining Grade II-listed buildings at 102-104 Abbey Road which are owned by the council.
The proposed work includes alterations to bays one and two to improve the ground floor space and provide a more open-plan café as well as reinstating former openings between bays one and two to provide better public connections.
The addition of new high quality shop fronts on bays one, two and three is also proposed.
According to the design and access statement the existing shopfronts do not provide cues the venue is a public cultural facility and reinforces an unwelcoming appearance which is at odds with the aims and ethos of its tenants.
The proposals will also seek to address the current rabbit-warren like internal layout and the lack of communal spaces for tenants and visitors to relax.
Cooke’s studio is home to The Theatre Factory, Freespirit Academy of Dance and Acrobatics, Furness Multicultural Forum & Youth Club as well as the Sir John Fisher Foundation.
The design and access statement added: “The community engagement that happens in Cooke’s Studios makes a positive difference to thousands of residents’ lives each year.
“Signal Film and Media and all the community groups based at Cooke’s Studios are determined to provide their beneficiaries with support, mental and physical stimulation, escapism and hope in a worrying time where the escalating cost of living on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic is severely impacting on people’s mental health.”
