A PLANNED £10.9m university campus in Barrow is expected to have 1,400 students within a decade, a meeting heard.

The ambitious project for a University of Cumbria site at the end of Buccleuch Dock Road was put to the borough council's planning committee on Tuesday.

Councillors heard the scheme described as a 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity for young people in Barrow.

However, issues had been raised prior to the meeting over sustainable transport and the mitigation of flood risk. 

In a pre-meeting report, a spokesman for Cumbria County Council's highways department recommended refusal of the application 'with regret'.

The spokesman said that 'further consideration' was required to improve pedestrian and cycle routes to the site.

Kayleigh Dixon, associate director at DPP Planning, spoke on behalf of the University of Cumbria at Tuesday's meeting. 

She said the proposed university campus would have a dedicated car park, but that this would be exclusively for the use of staff, visitors and students with exceptional requirements. 

"They [students] will either use car parks within the town centre or other, sustainable forms of travel such as buses, walking or cycling," she said. 

Case officer Maureen Smith said that most issues over sustainable travel had been resolved 'by ourselves working together with the agents'.

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Proposals put forward include introducing improved cycle facilities at the site and extending the pedestrian footway along Buccleuch Dock Road.

In the pre-meeting report, a spokesman for the county council, commenting in the council's capacity as the lead local flood authority, said 'more information is required to remove the possibility of flooding'. The spokesman recommended the application for refusal.

Ms Smith said further information had now been provided by the application agent.

She recommended that planning committee members support the principle of the scheme subject to the resolution of issues around drainage, car parking and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

She also advised delegated authority to determine the application be given to the borough council's head of development management.

Planning committee members unanimously supported her recommendations.

"It [the university campus] is long overdue," said Cllr Bill McEwan.

"It's a great thing for the town and I'm really looking forward to it going ahead."