Heart of Barrow

On behalf of all partners in Team Barrow, we want to make clear our ambitions for the future of Barrow town centre – and address concerns regarding a replacement for the Forum. We are very aware of the community’s growing frustration at the lack of a definitive answer to this very important question.

For us to succeed and deliver a town centre that the people of Barrow deserve, arts and culture must sit at the heart of any future plans. We are very clear about this and our position hasn’t changed, which is why we are prepared to commit a significant amount of the £200m Barrow Transformation Fund towards this scheme.

This includes a shared ambition to build a new theatre.

First, though, we need to ensure the whole programme is financially viable – not just now, but in the long term. It would be irresponsible to do otherwise, especially in a climate of reduced public spending.           

Westmorland and Furness Council, a key partner and the delivery lead for this programme, has been open about its financial context. Like many local authorities, this is likely to influence the extent to which the council can solely take on the direct responsibility for any new major venues in the future.       

In light of this, we are exploring alternative options for the future operation of any new facilities, and we are engaging with other regeneration projects across the country to understand their approach and find a solution that works for Barrow. 

As the design work for the town centre progresses over the coming months, we will gain a clearer understanding of how a theatre and other cultural facilities could be accommodated, and how they might best be delivered and operated.

It’s the community’s town centre and that of future generations, so it’s vital we provide residents with the opportunity to help shape the programme’s direction. Once more detailed proposals have been developed, residents, businesses and other stakeholders will be actively engaged before we seek a delivery partner to help bring these to life.  We anticipate being able to do this in early autumn.

Successful regeneration takes many years and inevitably comes with a level of disruption. There is no avoiding this, so in parallel we are developing a programme of exciting, temporary interventions that will bridge the gap between now and when the full scheme is completed.

We’ll be sharing these shortly and look forward to hearing the community’s feedback.

Thank you.

Simon Case

Chair of Team Barrow

On behalf of partners: Westmorland and Furness Council, BAE Systems and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.