A new report has been published to help guide Barrow’s £200 million transformation project.
Team Barrow – a partnership of Westmorland and Furness Council, the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government and BAE Systems – has been set up to spend the cash over 10 years in the town.
As part of the project, the Historic Places Panel, which provides independent expertise and advice to help local authorities and others engage in the regeneration and revitalisation of historic places, visited Barrow in November.
The report said: “The panel encourages Team Barrow to highlight and promote this opportunity to other Government departments and partners, which would certainly help to drive social and economic value across all sectors, especially in health, education and skills.”
This week, it published its report with recommendations for the town.
It said: “The panel’s proposals are designed to maximise opportunities for people living in Barrow, making Barrow an attractive and sustainable place to live, work and invest.”
The recommendations were:
Heritage-led regeneration
Key recommendations from the panel include transforming the Town Hall, Forum, and Market into an integrated cultural hub at the heart of the town.
It also recommends connecting and developing public spaces in the town centre, improving accessibility, connectivity, and the environment.
Sustainable transport and housing
The panel made the case for a comprehensive transformation of Barrow’s transport infrastructure, calling for an integrated framework that encompasses road, rail, water, and air connections to improve the town’s accessibility and resilience.
Central to the recommendations is reducing car dominance in the town centre through traffic calming measures and the introduction of park-and-ride schemes.
The panel emphasised the importance of creating new waterside routes to better connect key locations, while developing sustainable housing solutions that carefully conserve the town’s rich architectural heritage, ensuring future development enhances rather than diminishes Barrow’s distinctive character.
Ben Derbyshire, chair of the Historic Places Panel, said: “What struck us most powerfully during our visit was the tremendous pride Barrow’s people have in their town.
“There is a real opportunity here to harness the town’s rich industrial heritage and significant government investment to create a truly sustainable future. The combination of BAE Systems’ expansion, the new Barrow Transformation Fund, and the community’s passion provides a unique moment to reshape Barrow’s destiny.”
Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “We welcome the recommendations and thank the Historic Places Panel and Historic England for their time and sharing their expertise, knowledge and insight, which will help inform our joint work with the Team Barrow partnership.
“It was interesting to note the panel highlighting how combining our industrial strength with community-focused development and Barrow’s rich heritage can be a positive driver of transformation and be used as a catalyst to change perceptions and build a positive identity for the town.
“There is much in the report which backs up our emerging plans, aims and ambitions, especially around making Barrow a better-connected place and improving the town centre, and much to give us food for thought as we move forward.”
Phil Drane, Team Barrow programme director, added: “The Panel’s vision aligns with our ambition to create a thriving, sustainable future for Barrow while celebrating our unique identity and history.”
Michelle Scrogham, Barrow and Furness MP said: “I would like to thank the panel for the work they have done in producing these recommendations which will feed into the plans for the transformation of our town.
“We have an opportunity with the Barrow Transformation Fund to do something game-changing which strengthens our local economy, makes the town an even better place to live and work, and sets the area up for a very bright future. It is important that as these plans take shape that they build on our proud local heritage and history.
“This is about more than just high street regeneration. This work will deliver improvements in housing and our local health, education, and transport services so that we transform living standards and opportunities for local people.
“We are still at early stages, and we will make sure that local people are involved and their views are heard as these plans are developed.”
The recommendations build on existing investments, including £17.5m Levelling Up funding and £25m Towns Fund support, alongside BAE Systems’ expanding presence in the town.
The Barrow High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, established in 2020 with £1.1 million of Government funding from Historic England complemented by over £500,000 in council match funding, successfully transformed the Duke Street area before concluding last year.
