A major development in Carlisle is waiting for approval of £8 million-worth of funding.
Plans for the University of Cumbria’s £78 million Citadels campus are moving forward, the institution’s bosses said and Vice Chancellor Professor Julie Mennell welcomed city MP Julie Minns for a tour of the site.
The university said the lion’s share of the overall funding required – £50 million – is being provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal with an additional £5.2m from the Carlisle Town Deal Fund.
The university is also contributing to the cost of the scheme.
A formal request to the Borderlands Partnership Board is seeking an additional £8 million of funding and is awaiting approval from Government.
The process to appoint a contractor continues, with a decision expected by spring.
Once a contractor is appointed, the university said it was anticipated that construction will pave the way for the first phase of the Citadels campus to be ready to welcome students from 2027.
The Carlisle Citadels campus project is one of the city’s major regeneration schemes and is supported by the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
Professor Mennell led Mrs Minns on a tour starting outside the hospital wing, followed by the vacant retail units on English Street, which gave a view of where the Gateway Building will be located, the Woolworths/ Burtons building (Hub Building) and the former Armed Forces Careers Centre, location of the Carlisle Business Exchange.
Once inside the buildings a series of CGI images were displayed with QR codes that brought the space to life through the use of augmented reality.
Also on the tour were representatives from Cumberland Council, Borderlands Partnership, Day Architects and Identity Consult who are supporting the university with the planning and consultancy around the project.
Prof Mennell said: “We are happy to have this opportunity to update the city’s MP on progress made to date and the next steps of this major scheme.
“Work has continued behind the scenes, with asbestos removal and soft strip works preparing the site in readiness for when a contractor is selected – all with a view of building work starting in 2025.
“It is an exciting time for the university and the wider city as we move towards realising our vision and into the next phase of delivery for this transformational project.
“As we await a decision on our funding request, we continue to work closely with our partners including Cumberland Council and the Borderlands Partnership, to ensure that the project is ready to progress when the next milestones are reached.”
Mrs Minns said: “It was very helpful to visit the site earmarked for the University of Cumbria’s new campus – a development that marks another step in the development of our university and one that offers the potential to further transform for Carlisle and its historic city centre.
“Having thousands of students attending lectures and studying in the city centre will be a huge boost for Carlisle’s city centre, with local businesses set to benefit from having a large number of vibrant and diverse new customers on their doorstep.
“This new campus is being made possible thanks to Government funding and along with the new Pears Cumbria School of Medicine will further raise Carlisle’s profile as an exciting place to study.”
The firm said it wanted to concentrate on its other projects – and now the search is on for a new contractor.
McAlpine has been working with the university for two years on the Citadels scheme, but after winning tenders for two new large infrastructure projects, it has decided to focus on those.
