Cleator Moor and Millom awarded over £70 million in funding for Town Deal proposals
Cleator Moor and Millom will receive a combined total of more than £70 million in funding, it's been confirmed.
The money will be used to support the ambitious Town Deal programmes in each town.
In Cleator Moor, the government has confirmed an award of £22.5m, and an additional £18.4m has been secured from match funders - a total of £40.9m.
Meanwhile Millom has been awarded a total of £29.3m, made up of £20.6m from the government, and £8.7m from match funders.
The huge financial boost follows the submission of plans for four projects in Cleator Moor, and four in Millom to the Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing in July.
The projects aim to provide long-term benefits to the each town’s health and wealth, whilst boosting employment opportunities and inward investment.
Bob Metcalfe, chair of the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board, said: "This is a watershed moment for the town, made possible by the hard work, commitment and expertise of many people, whom I would like to thank for their input, passion and professionalism.
"Health, wellbeing, inward investment, jobs, skills, connectivity and much more will be positively impacted as work begins on these projects.
"It’s a great time to be a resident of Cleator Moor."
Robert Morris-Eyton, Chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, said: "A huge amount of time, dedication, energy and expertise has been required to get us to this stage and I would like to place on record my thanks, on behalf of the Town Deal Board, to everybody who played a part in the process.
"Notwithstanding the last 12 months, we are, in many respects, at the beginning of a very exciting journey for Millom and Haverigg.
"We can now move forward with each of the projects and begin the process of making them a reality."
Mike Starkie, the Mayor of Copeland, said: "Opportunities to access funding on this scale rarely present themselves for towns of this size.
"To have successfully secured the money required to deliver four exciting and transformational projects in each town is incredible, and a testament to the hard work put in by so many over the last year."
The four projects included in the Cleator Moor Town Deal are:
Enterprising Town: The redevelopment of the existing Leconfield Industrial Estate to provide employment and training opportunities for residents in Cleator Moor as well as helping to diversify the local economy. The proposal will create new buildings on site including an Enterprise Campus Hub, the refurbishment of existing units and extensive landscaping. The development of the site forms part of the wider regeneration programme being delivered across West Cumbria by iSH, the Industrial Solutions Hub.
Revitalised Town: To increase activity and footfall around the Town Square by bringing vacant and under-utilised buildings back into active use while creating an attractive new public realm. Uses will include a new cultural community hub and enhanced business space.
Healthy Town: To enhance existing sports and leisure provision to create a modern multi-purpose centre including an indoor sports hall, flexible studio space, gym and café, alongside wider health and well-being provision. This will improve population health and generate more reasons for people to visit and spend time in Cleator Moor.
Connected Town: This scheme will deliver a high-quality integrated and sustainable transport network which improves connections between employment, education, amenities and leisure and transforms the accessibility and attractiveness of Cleator Moor.
The four projects in the Millom Town Deal are:
The Iron Line: A proposal to transform the unique coastal lagoon into an inspiring visitor attraction which fuses ecology, heritage and art by creating an inclusive recreational route across Hodbarrow and around the sea wall.
Activating community health: The creation of a new, multi-purpose leisure hub to provide a range of facilities including a community swimming pool and 3G pitch.
Reactivating Heritage Buildings: A proposal to significantly enhance Millom Town Centre by bringing derelict, vacant and underused heritage buildings back into active use to increase vitality and footfall.
Connected Millom and Haverigg: Improving Millom’s transport network to create a gateway to the town at the railway station, while transforming cycling and walking infrastructure in both Millom and Haverigg.
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