NEW members have joined the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board as it renewed its commitment to delivering the ambitious scheme that will help the area to thrive for generations.

Barrow secured £25m in funding from the Government’s Towns Fund in 2022 for seven projects designed to ensure the town is a great place in which to live, work and visit.

Now, three new members have been welcomed onto the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board to reflect a major change in local government in the area – the creation of Westmorland and Furness Council – which provides all local authority services across the area.

The new members are Councillor Jonathan Brook, the Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, Councillor Derek Brook, Chair of the Westmorland and Furness Council Locality Board for Barrow, and Gareth Candlin, Assistant Director for Inclusive and Green Growth at Westmorland and Furness Council.

Each of the three new members represents the public sector on the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board which also includes representatives from the private and third sectors.

Councillor Jonathan Brook said: “The new authority is absolutely committed to overseeing the delivery of the Town Deal programme and the many positive and life-changing impacts it will provide for the area for years to come.

“Barrow has the potential to drive forward the economy of Westmorland and Furness in a very significant way. This can’t be understated and I’m delighted to join the Town Deal Board as it moves closer to delivering these exciting projects.”

Barrow was among 101 towns across the country invited to bid for a share of the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund in 2020.

The Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board was established to bring together representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors who advised on the development of the #BrilliantBarrow programme and are overseeing its delivery.

The seven projects included in the programme, which is currently in the delivery phase, are:

• Barrow Learning Quarter – the creation of a university campus on Barrow Island offering both further and higher education courses with 1400 places annually. In addition, improvements to Furness College’s Rating Lane campus will increase the number of college places available to 800.

• Community Wellbeing Hubs and Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre – Hubs at The Forum, in Barrow Town Centre, at Bram Longstaffe on Barrow Island and in Ormsgill will provide a home for activities and services for people in all stages of their lives. A new outdoor learning centre will also be created at Earnse Bay, on Walney.

• Business and Enterprise – A programme of bespoke business support available to residents, potential entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses, including community businesses and social enterprises, to harness economic opportunities in Barrow including those that exist within the supply chain.

• Brilliant Barrow Place Development – Improving event spaces in the town centre and at The Dock Museum to allow a calendar of activities and events to be developed, attracting both residents and visitors to the area.

• Housing Renewal – Homes and a number of commercial properties in Rawlinson Street will undergo works and carbon reduction measures to improve the lives of residents as well as the overall perception of Barrow as a great place to live.

• Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure – Dedicated routes for cyclists and pedestrians will link key areas to make it easier, safer and more enjoyable to travel by bike or on foot, cutting the number of short car journeys to improve health and wellbeing, reduce carbon usage and contribute to cleaner air.

• Barrow Waterfront – This project will help bring forward remediation and development of the derelict waterfront site. The work will unlock the potential of the site allowing the private sector to construct a mixed range of new homes bringing people and families back into the heart of the town.

All projects will be completed by March 2026.

Steve Cole, Chief Infrastructure Officer at BAE Systems and Brilliant Barrow Town Deal Board chair, said: “We very much welcome the new members to the board at what is an exciting and crucial stage in the programme.

“Barrow and the wider Furness Peninsula are entering a new era in terms of their economy and placemaking with job creation, investment and new opportunities all coming forward now and over the course of the coming decades.

“We are committed to maintaining the level of focus and attention that we have always had to bring these projects to the point of delivery so that they can provide huge benefits and positive outcomes for people across the area for years to come.”