A TEAM of specialists has been appointed by Cumberland Council to progress plans for making travel around Millom and Haverigg safer and easier.

Connected Millom and Haverigg – one of four projects being developed as part of Millom Town Deal – aims to improve access to sustainable forms of transport for all, boost levels of community health and wellbeing and encourage more people to visit the area.

Technical experts from WSP UK Ltd are now to further develop the project which will include meeting the standards and requirements of the Department for Transport and National Highways.

However, before moving further forward, Cumberland Council would like to understand whether any of the existing concept designs need to be revisited in light of feedback received at the last round of public engagement held in June 2023

A new programme of engagement with key stakeholders is being planned with a public engagement event to be scheduled in early in 2024.

David Savage, Chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, said: “The public engagement sessions held earlier this year proved valuable in terms of the level of interest shown toward the Town Deal and its projects by members of the community, but also in terms of the constructive feedback provided, specifically in relation to this project – Connecting Millom and Haverigg.

“By revisiting some of the concept designs with stakeholders and the wider community, we can help to fine tune the plans and make sure the Town Deal investment leaves a long-term positive legacy which will be supported by those who live, work and visit both Millom and Haverigg.

“Details setting out how people can feed into the revised plans will be communicated  early next year and I would encourage everyone to share their views.”

Millom Town Deal secured £20.6 million from the Government’s Towns Fund in November 2022 with an additional £8.7 million in match funding to help the town and its communities to thrive in the future.

Once completed, the Connected Millom and Haverigg project will make it easier and safer for people to move around Millom and Haverigg on foot, by bicycle and by incorporating the needs of those with limited mobility.

It will also provide essential links between the other three Millom Town Deal projects; The Iron Line, a new arts and enterprise hub in St George’s Road for Reactivating Heritage Buildings and a new leisure facility for Activating Community Health.

And Cumberland Council’s project team will work closely with Northern Rail to develop the railway station as an attractive and welcoming gateway into the town.

Councillor Mark Fryer, the Leader of Cumberland Council, said: “This is an important project so it is good news that specialists are in place to take it forward.

“The feedback received about Connected Millom and Haverigg during the last engagement sessions was invaluable.

“It is now the right time to seek further information and views so that the design of this important scheme can be refined for the next stage in its development.”

For more information on the Millom Town Deal, visit millomtowndeal.org.uk