BAE Systems has been given the green light to build a major new steam generation facility (SGF) for the testing of submarines.

Barrow Borough Council has approved the application, submitted in April 2022, to build the 14,000 square-metre facility at its complex on Bridge Road and close to the residential Stanley Street.

A planning statement submitted with the application said the development would be "critical in supporting the ongoing operations of BAE Systems in Barrow."

"The application will support the continued employment generation and economic investment provided by BAE Systems, both towards the local area and nationally," it said.

The development will be permanent and will replace the existing mobile facility.

The new building would comprise the main hall - containing the boiler - as well as support accommodation 'including control room, amenity, workshop and plant accommodation'.

The design statement says: "The internal configuration places the boilers furthest away from the southern site boundary and the neighbouring residences, with buffering offered by the ancillary accommodation.

The Mail: An image showing the design of the proposed facility An image showing the design of the proposed facility (Image: Darren Shield, Newsquest)

"This arrangement also enables the height of the building to be reduced towards the site boundary and residential area."

Further measures to mitigate the impact on neighbouring residential areas, including in relation to lighting:

"Existing lighting on the BAE Systems operational site will be replaced with modern lighting, four to five metres lower than the existing and with far less light spillage.

"It is considered that there will be an improved lighting environment in the area.

"The facades are designed to be simple and consistent with no exaggerated features, with an emphasis on simple, robust details which will prove reliable in the coastal climate and keep maintenance to a minimum.

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"The section and curved roof help to reduce the visual impact when viewed from outside the site, and in particular from the houses along Stanley Road.

"Located to the north of the residential buildings, the SGF will not cast unwanted shadows."

The application cited from Barrow Borough Council's Local Plan in support of the application: "Barrow is known throughout the world as a centre of excellence for marine engineering and the construction of sophisticated military ships and submarines, with BAE Systems continuing to be the main economic driver for Barrow."