LEADING councillors will be asked to approve the submission of a cash bid to the Government’s Levelling-Up fund for a major development.

Copeland Borough Council’s executive will meet in Whitehaven on Tuesday to discuss the re-submission of a bid for funding for the area's so-called Industrial Solutions Hub (ISH).

ISH is an initiative to prepare for the contraction of jobs at Sellafield as more operations are complete.

The redevelopment of Leconfield Industrial Estate into an 'enterprise and innovation hub' forms one part of the ISH project.

Councillors will be asked to support the re-submission of a bid to the Government’s Levelling-Up Fund Round 2 to drive future phases of the ISH Enterprise Campus at Leconfield.

Copeland Council submitted a bid to the UK Government’s Levelling-Up Fund in June of last year to finance the extension of the ISH campus through the development of the Industrial Estate and adjoining land.

The application was unsuccessful but the Government has recently announced a second round of funding which the executive hopes to submit a revised bid for by the July 7 deadline.

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A report prepared for senior councillors states that ISH “will deliver new economic activity and job prospects for Copeland and Cumberland residents, reducing the reliance on the Sellafield site as an economic driver but utilising the skills and expertise in the nuclear supply chain workforce to stimulate economic diversification.”

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Executive members will also be asked tomorrow to make a recommendation to council that funding of £2.329million from the social impact fund is accepted.

These funds, from Sellafield, cover the first year of ISH operations and site planning for the Phase 1 Town Deal development programme.

They will also be asked to recommend the acceptance of £7million from the NDA socio-economic fund, supporting the redevelopment of Leconfield Industrial Estate as the ISH 'Enterprise Campus'.

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