With a multimillion-pound development in the offing, the fortunes of Barrow's waterfront look to be on the up. David Casey takes a look at the ambitious regeneration programme that will transform a former brownfield site into a high-quality business location.
The relationship between Barrow-in-Furness and its coastal location has always been fundamental. Before the industrial revolution its rural community relied heavily on the sea as a source of food and trade, while the discovery of iron ore in the Furness Peninsula led to the town's rise as a centre for steelworks and shipbuilding. The dockland therefore became the focal point for prosperity in the region, providing jobs, supporting manufacturing and creating a vibrant import and export culture.
Although it still exists today, it was hit hard when the UK's manufacturing industry underwent a gradual spiral of decline. The emergence of cheaper, high-quality overseas alternatives saw large-scale industry disappear, along with the thousands of jobs that supported it.
But Barrow has remained somewhat resilient, continuing to buck the trend of manufacturing decay. Multinational company British Nuclear Fuels continues to use the Port of Barrow as a docking facility and BAE Systems, based at Devonshire Dock, continues to produce world-class ships and submarines. Indeed in May 2007 BAE received a £3200m order from the Ministry of Defence for a fourth Astute class nuclear submarine, while Navantia SA also ordered key parts for the Spanish Navy's new S80 submarine programme from the company.
It's an indication that Barrow still has a role to play in the maritime industry, signalling a confidence in its ability to attract highly skilled graduate engineers. But while some manufacturing prosperity is evident, vast areas of the dockland stands idle, visible remnants of industrial decline.
Reconnecting the town with the sea has therefore become a vital component in regeneration organisation Cumbria Vision's Economic Plan, published in September 2007. The plan aims to "shift from small-scale, fragmented interventions that arise as responses to local problems to strategic transformational projects required to make a sustained impact on the economic well-being of the county".
The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness is one such project. Although a scheme long talked about, the wheels were finally set in motion in 2006 when a £35m investment enabled Barrow and Cumbria councils to acquire around 90 acres of the dockland from Associated British Ports. Plans for the ambitious £3200m mixed-use development were then put in place, marking the first stage in a project that is hoped will breathe new life into Barrow's waterfront.
"The masterplan is a flagship scheme and vital in ensuring that the town develops into a place where people want to live and work," says Stewart Swift, policy and partnerships manager for the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) in west Cumbria. "The project will benefit local people by providing new jobs, helping to diversify the town's economy and, importantly, raising private sector confidence in Barrow as a place to invest."
Urban regeneration company West Lakes Renaissance is leading the charge, backed by various public and private sector partners including NWDA, Barrow Borough Council, Cumbria County Council, Furness Enterprise and Cumbria Vision. The first phase of development will see the construction of Ramsden Business Park, a key resource designed to attract business and investment in the area.
Ramsden will form part of the Barrow Waterfront Business Park, a scheme that also includes the creation of St Andrews and Anchor Line business parks on the 60-acre brownfield site. The entire park is being developed over 15 years in three separate stages to maximise private sector engagement in the area. It will eventually accommodate up to 59,000 sq m of office, industrial, storage, warehouse and distribution space, create around 1,500 jobs and seek to broaden the number of knowledge-led companies in the town.
An £38m funding package from the NWDA was secured by West Lakes Renaissance in August 2007, paving the way for main contractor Alfred McAlpine to start land reclamation and infrastructure work on the first stage of Ramsden. West Lakes Renaissance is now looking for a developer to move in at the site, which has been designed by Capita Symonds. It's hoped that the 18-acre project will be completed before the end of 2008.
"The Waterfront Business Park will undoubtedly raise the profile of Barrow and will have a knock-on effect for other development projects in the area and the future economic development of south Cumbria as a whole," says Danny Pinkus, partner at property consultancy Robert Pinkus & Co. "Barrow has quietly been climbing the desirability stakes in recent years and ongoing investment into projects such as the business park is a much welcomed development, putting Barrow back on the map as a serious place to do business."
Indeed, attracting private sector investment will be vital to carry the project forward. The signs so far are positive, with development agency Furness Enterprise reporting that it has already had more than 50 enquiries from companies wanting to settle in Barrow. It is hoping Ramsden will be able to repeat the success of Furness Business Park, built on a site formerly occupied by Barrow Iron and Steelworks and reclaimed with the aid of a £315m derelict land grant from the government under Cumbria County Council's land reclamation strategy.
"Furness Business Park has been pretty strong in terms of incoming companies from outside the region and indigenous business growth," says Swift. "Ramsden has had similar interest from both inside and outside the county and if that interest translates into business take up, then I'm sure the Waterfront Business Park scheme will be a great success."
The Waterfront Business Park forms just one part of Barrow's masterplan, however. Also on the agenda is Marina Village, a second scheme designed to revitalise the town's redundant docklands area. Located at Buccleuch Dock, the 90-acre development will cost £3120m and seek to address Barrow's need for better quality housing and improved leisure facilities. It will boast 650 new homes, a hotel, shops, leisure facilities, restaurants, bars and a sports ground. An £38m, 350-berth marina for privately owned boats will also be constructed.
"Marina Village will see the creation of a vibrant, active and safe neighbourhood that will secure Barrow's reputation as a great place to live, work and relax," says Bob Pointing, chief executive of West Lakes Renaissance. "Barrow is very much on the up with the fortunes of local manufacturers beginning to turn and significant investment in our world-class naval industry and in off-shore energy technology. These are combining to create new prosperity and employment opportunities that will only be fully exploited if we provide a better choice of housing and better leisure facilities."
Improving housing provision is a major priority for Pointing. He says that in addition to the new accommodation being provided by Marina Village, the rest of the town can expect a boost. "There is recognition that Barrow now has probably too much terraced housing. We need more family housing in the town with gardens, better quality flats and there is demand for owner occupation," he says.
"What in regeneration jargon is called "housing market renewal' means is that Barrow is getting resources from central government to buy up terraces in the town that either need substantial investment to transform them into homes for this century, or will be demolished so the sites can be recycled for new housing."
But despite such initiatives, is there the necessary private sector interest that is required to carry the masterplan forward? Pinkus certainly thinks so. He points to the success of the Pennisular Gateway scheme, located on the A590 approach road into Barrow. Having already attracted national retailers such as Homebase, Pizza Hut and Tesco, Pinkus says that Robert Pinkus & Co is in discussions with "two high-profile end users" for future development plots. He also believes that a recent extension at the nearby Travelodge from 40 to 59 rooms is as a result Barrow's increasing popularity as a business location.
NWDA's Swift agrees that the town's fortunes as a business destination are changing. "There's no denying that the contract wins by BAE have been a major boost - it now means that the waterfront development is being built on success, rather than propping up decline," he says.
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