"THE feedback has been that businesses have had a really positive start to the summer."

That is what the chair of Barrow Business Improvement District Paul Hodgson said in reaction to the news that the UK economy has seen unexpected growth in the last quarter. 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published figures which show that GDP has grown by 0.2 per cent between April and June, and then by 0.5 per cent in June in the UK.

The ONS pinned this growth of May's extra Bank Holiday on the King's Coronation and the fine period of weather. However, economists are still wary of the impact that the NHS workers' strike and a possible future recession will have on the UK's longer-term growth. 

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Mr Hodgson agreed with the ONS that the weather helped. He said: "I think particularly all those businesses that are at the end of Dalton Road. I'm aware that there's an increase in businesses applying for pavement licences to allow people to sit and drink outside.

"The feedback has been that they have had a really positive start to the summer. There have been a number of tourists and people in outside areas in the town."

However Mr Hodgson raised some issues that Barrow will have to address if it wants to see trade continue. 

He said: "There's quite a few concerns about the anti-social behaviour in the town. I think that is something that is a problem in the town centre.

"Outside that, it's parking. The new local authority covers what was South Lakeland and their parking prices were different from Barrow council's. We are hoping that comes down in the future." 

Cumbria Tourism described the serviced accommodation occupancy figures in the county as 'fairly buoyant' and that self-catering holiday lets are doing better than before Covid, but not as good as last year. 

For touring caravan and camping pitch occupancy, June's occupancy rates of 69 per cent were high, but in the overall year to date, figures are 12 per cent down compared to 2019 and 6 per cent down on 2022. 

Labour town councillor and Ulverston BID leader Michelle Scrogham offered a different view.

She said: "While it was unexpected, such low growth is not something that many will be excited by. It’s not enough to help businesses suffering right now, and was attributed to the good weather in June along with the Coronation.

"The poor weather we’ve had since has certainly impacted sales, and no doubt the next quarter figures, with many households seeing any disposable income they had being swallowed by huge hikes in food and mortgage costs.

"Ulverston BID has focussed on attracting visitors to our town, delivering floral displays, town trails, country-wide advertising and grant funding for events to help boost trade as much as possible.

"Our town trails are incredibly popular, bringing hundreds of local families into the town and showcasing the many independent businesses we have here."