Council publishes draft planning document for Marina Village

Those are the words of the council's draft supplementary planning document (SPD) outlining its vision for the Marina Village, which involves opening up a Buccleuch Dock promenade and the creation of hundreds of homes.

The 52-page document is now subject to public consultation until Thursday September 19.

Once it passes the public consultation period, it will set out Westmorland and Furness Council's development, design and infrastructure requirements for the residential opportunity site, located off Salthouse Road to the southeast of the town centre. 

The site plan for the Barrow Marina Village (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

The SPD will be a material consideration in determining future planning applications in the village. 

It aims to 'support high-quality development on the site that will transform perceptions of central Barrow as a place to live.' 

It says it will offer a 'full outdoor lifestyle offer – coastal walks, nature reserves, birdwatching, golf courses and kite surfing'.

The site is 27 hectares in total, with 17 hectares of land to be developed. It will provide panoramic views towards Piel Island and features 'two unique dockside addresses with over 920 metres of waterfront environments.' 

The current site, which has been cleared for development (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

There is the potential for over 1,500 new residents across over 800 new homes, according to the SPD. 

The development objectives outlined for the site are, in brief, as follows: 

• Deliver high quality and aspirational homes
• Enhance perceptions of Barrow as a place to come and live
• Make the most of its waterfront settings and proximity to the natural environment 
• Establish a mixed tenure community
• Create legible and well-connected movement framework which supports active travel and access to nature 
• Create a new vibrant destination space for Barrow, set along the Buccleuch Dockside
• Establish a sustainable neighbourhood 
• Respect local heritage within St George's Conservation Area, bringing listed buildings back to life 
• Create a holistic and cohesive residential community with physical infrastructure coordinated and delivered in an integrated manner

In the land use parameters section of the document, it states that there 'may be a requirement' for small-scale convenience retail provision to support the residential development but this should be justified in line with local needs and the economic sustainability of the town centre is supported as a priority. 

Key stakeholders at the Marina Village site (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

The SPD supports the creation of a Buccleuch Dockside events space which is 'flexible in its design' to allow for activities to be hosted for the benefit of the wider town. 

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A section of the plan also supports 'sensitive and creative' proposals to bring the Grade II listed former Railwaymen's Club back into use to form a 'positive arrival landmark' into the site along Cavendish Dock Road. 

In the streets and movement section of the SPD, one of the key principles is that Buccleuch Dock becomes an 'attractive and comfortable' promenade and that residential streets 'should be designed as social, multifunctional spaces and not simply designed to accommodate the car's needs.' 

Visit consult.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/planning-policy/marina-village-draft-spd-survey/