FUTURE funding decisions surrounding the previously committed £220 million for Barrow are expected to be made shortly.

A decision is expected to be made in the coming months and no later than the next spending review, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In March the previous Conservative government committed an immediate £20 million and a further minimum of £20 million a year over the next 10 years to make Barrow an attractive place to live, work, and build a nuclear career.

Westmorland and Furness Council documents prepared for a recent meeting say the general election has caused a ‘delay’ in the appointment of a chair for the Barrow Delivery Board and added the council was ‘working to confirm the funding commitment with the new Government’.

At the time of the funding announcement, chief executive of Westmorland and Furness Council Sam Plum said: “The announcement today of the creation of the Barrow Transformation Fund of over £200m over 10 years is fantastic for the town and wider area.

“Barrow is already a great place to live, work and thrive, but it faces challenges, and it still needs significant investment in its infrastructure and communities to really grow.”

Council documents prepared for a recent corporate overview and scrutiny meeting say following the funding announcement, progress has been made in planning the governance arrangements for the oversight and management of this investment under a new Barrow Delivery Board.

According to documents, the Barrow Delivery Board will include a government appointed chair and the establishment of a programme management office (PMO) to provide leadership and capacity respectively for the new board.

The report adds: “The General Election has caused a delay in the appointment of a Chair for the new Barrow Delivery Board and we are working to confirm the funding commitment with the new Government to enable the PMO to be established and the governance to be put in place.”

A MHCLG spokesperson said: “We are committed to the future of Barrow and we are working with local partners to establish the independent, locally-led Barrow Delivery Board which will soon be operational.”

When asked by the local democracy reporting service in April last year whether the Labour Party would provide the funding if elected into government, leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Yes absolutely, it’s very important.

“It’s come up time and again this morning, the vital tying together of the future secure jobs and work here in the yard, with the secure future that we want for Barrow.

“We’re fully supportive of this and we would see our role in government, if we’re privileged enough to come in, to roll up our sleeves and put our shoulders at the wheel to support that work.”