Ambitious plans to build a multi-million-pound University of Cumbria campus in Barrow have progressed. The University would build a site in the town off Buccleuch Dock Road. It is believed that the campus will provide the borough with “immense social and economic benefits.” It will also retain and attract young people to work in Barrow.
Earlier, the borough council’s planning committee met to discuss the plan. It was proposed for approval “in principle.” However, there were concerns about plans for sustainable transportation and flood mitigation.
A spokesman for Cumbria County Council‘s highways department recommended the refusal of the application ‘with regret’ in a pre-meeting report. According to the spokesman, insufficient information was provided. Furthermore, additional thought was needed to improve pedestrian and cycle routes to the site.
He said, “we have requested that a robust car parking strategy and green travel plan be required to better understand these figures. This is due to the current parking issues and the proposal that most of the students will be coming from BAE. It has been calculated that 71% of staff come to the area via a car.”
Electric vehicle charging stations and secure cycle parking are among the measures he believes should be added to the travel plan. The University of Cumbria campus in Barrow would be built on operational BAE Systems land near the waterfront. A BAE storage building would be partially brought down. Thus, it will help make way for the new structure.
A county council spokesman, speaking in its capacity as the lead local flood authority, said more information was needed to remove the possibility of flooding.
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The economic and social benefits of the University of Cumbria campus in Barrow
Case officer Maureen Smith, on the other hand, stated that the economic and social benefits scored highly in the planning balancing exercise. She stated that the campus design was of high quality. Furthermore, it would stand out as a unique, modern structure along the waterfront. This is in contrast to the surrounding anonymous industrial sheds. However, she admitted that drainage and a lack of “adequate” cycling and walking infrastructure remained unresolved issues.
She suggested that members of the planning committee support the scheme in principle. This is subject to the resolution of issues about drainage, parking, and pedestrian and cyclist accessibility. She also suggested that the borough council’s head of development management be given the assigned authority to decide on the application.
The University of Cumbria is working together with employers and academic partners. Thus, they would co-create course programs that will support long-term higher-skill needs. This as well as upskilling and reskilling the workforce now and in the future.
The University of Cumbria campus in Barrow will create a new academic division, the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Computing. It will be led by a director and two professors. Initially offering university-level programs in these areas, plans are in the works to expand into other areas to support the area’s skill needs. The main construction work on the university campus is expected to begin next year. Afterward, it will be completed in the summer of 2024.
