Barrow's Marina Village development moves to phase two

Marina Village in Barrow is a project originated by Barrow Borough Council and now taken on by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Phase two of the project, which aims to turn the once industrial area into a thriving residential community, is now in progress, with a contract awarded to Redstart Northwest Ltd to continue the comprehensive planning and remediation of the site.

This phase includes assessments and surveys, the submission of a new planning application and Environmental Impact Assessment for an additional area not covered by the existing planning permission, the clearance and demolition of existing buildings, managing utility diversions, and the realignment of Cavendish Dock Road.

This part of the land's rejuvenation was made possible by a number of funding contributions, including £24.8 million pledged by Homes England earlier in the year to fund the remediation initiative.

Additional support came from 'Brilliant Barrow' – an initiative backed by the government's Towns Fund.

Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, said: "Marina Village was long an ambition of Barrow Borough Council, which did a tremendous amount of work to get this significant project to a point where Westmorland and Furness Council are able to take this forward."

Part of phase two includes a planning application submission for new land (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

Barrow’s broader rejuvenation objective indicates that this sizeable project is to be a crucial part of what's to come for the town.

It's expected to create a vibrant community in the heart of Barrow, within easy reach of schools, major employers, shops and businesses.

Richard Horsnell, director and founder of Redstart, added: "Redstart is delighted to have been awarded one of Westmorland and Furness Council's largest schemes and will work closely with the delivery team to make it a continued success."

The project consists of a total of six phases in all, with the end result to include 808 homes and a green space.

Phase one, which was the remediation of a slightly separate plot of land of six hectares, was completed in November last year.

Funding for phase one, which totalled £5.5 million, was secured from the government's Getting Building Fund, managed by Cumbria LEP.

Cllr Brook added: "This is a very exciting moment.

"I look forward to seeing phase two get under way. This will unlock this former industrial land and see it transformed into a thriving residential community in the centre of Barrow, close to shops, places of work, education and transport links."