Modular buildings are set to be delivered to a South Cumbrian site as work progresses to create a community hub.
Walney’s Earnse Hub is aimed at connecting people to open spaces, nature and education.
It is funded by the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal and delivered by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Phase one of the development will offer people the chance to experience Earnse Bay.
Enevate Homes Limited will start delivering the modular buildings for a community café, activity space and campsite support building and changing block this weekend, and the centre is scheduled to be operating before the summer.
Built on land owned by Westmorland and Furness Council, the 3.37-hectare site will see the creation of a space focused on outdoor activities, free-to-access trails and opportunities to camp overnight in a purpose-built and sensitively sited area.
Play equipment will be spread across the site, rather than positioned in one central area, to encourage people to explore.
Steve Cole, CIO and operational improvement director at BAE Systems and chair of the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board, said: “There has been lots of progress on the site with groundwork and preparation — but the buildings starting to arrive is a tangible demonstration of progress. It really is exciting.
“I’m proud to be chair of the Brilliant Barrow board, seeing our projects come alive after so much hard work planning and developing them.
“The Earnse Hub will be a fantastic asset and act as a gateway for residents and visitors to enjoy and benefit from this special place.
“There is a real momentum in Barrow at the moment, our work on the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal was the start, and the Barrow Transformation Fund coming along means that momentum can be sustained over the next decade or more.”
The community campsite will be separated from the park and supported by a camping barn, providing WC and shower facilities, kitchen facilities, simple camping pods and family tents for hire, as well as areas for small camper vans.
There will also be a community garden, with scope for further community-led development.
Quieter, wilder spaces will be created in the north eastern part of the site, close to residential properties at West Shore Park.
Landscaped mounds planted with wildflower meadows and scrub will act as a buffer between park activities and nearby homes.
Planning permission for the scheme includes a Beach School and base for the North Walney Nature Reserve volunteers, which will be delivered in partnership with Natural England, funded by the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.
Construction on the second phase of the development will start later in the year ahead of a decision from the National Lottery Heritage Fund this autumn.
The council worked with Natural England, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and Art Gene on the development project in support of The Earnse Project application.
People accessing Walney over the next week are advised that there may be short delays on the roads, as the modular units are transported onto site.
