THE regeneration and development of Cleator Moor took another step forward this week as senior councillors gave their stamp of approval to major plans.
A series of documents explaining the latest ambitious regeneration plans for Cleator Moor were given the seal of approval of Copeland Council’s leadership on Tuesday.
The executive agreed to recommend that council agrees the submission of the plans to the Department for Levelling-Up Housing and Communities for the £22.5million Towns Fund already marked out for Cleator Moor.
Councillors also agreed to recommend that Copeland accepts potential match funding for the projects.
The recommendations will now be put to the full council next Tuesday for final approval.
READ MORE: 'Exciting plans' to revitalise Cleator Moor town centre revealed
Mr Starkie said that Cleator Moor Town Deal Board, Copeland Council officers and councillors have put 'blood, sweat and tears' into the production of the plans.
“Over the course of this next 12 months I anticipate a steady stream of fantastic news as these plans take shape and come to life and it will be absolutely transformational for Cleator Moor as will all the funding streams that’s coming into other parts of the borough,” he said.
READ MORE: Cleator Moor Town Deal Board secure £22.5 million investment
Plans involve four projects: Enterprising Town, Revitalised Town, Healthy Town and Connected Town.
Enterprising Town involves the redevelopment of Leconfield Industrial Estate into a thriving hub of innovation, subject to its own bid to the Levelling-Up Fund.
Revitalised Town will bring empty buildings back into use, increasing footfall into the centre of Cleator Moor.
The council has separately requested a project adjustment, asking that funds marked-out for a now scrapped University of Central Lancashire campus are redirected to the remaining four projects.
Copeland Council and the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board were advised in March that the campus would not go ahead.
UCLan had concluded that even with grant funding, the business case was not viable long-term.
READ MORE: Major step forward for Cleator Moor Industrial Solutions Hub bid
Cllr David Moore said: “We’re making some fantastic announcements around the work that’s going on in Cleator Moor.
“One thing that the weight of this document did do when you look through it is, these things don’t come easy and it’s recognising the amount of work that’s done by our officers on this, the Town Fund Board and councillors here.
“The amount of work that has to go into getting these funds forward, it sounds great when we announce these big numbers but I think we do need to recognise the work that goes into producing these documents that Government will sign off.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here