£16.66 million funding approved to overhaul Barrow housing

Westmorland and Furness Council has approved £16.66m in funding to build new homes and improve existing housing in Barrow.

The authority rubber-stamped the cash from Team Barrow’s £200m Transformation Fund to accelerate housing delivery as BAE Systems continues to expand of BAE Systems.

About £11.38m will go towards delivering 1,350 homes, a nature conservation area and new public spaces at Marina Village off Salthouse Road.

A further £2.56m will respond to exceptional opportunities related to BAE’s operations, while £2.71m will fund additional housing enforcement officers.

These officers will tackle existing poor quality housing and bring long-term empty properties back into use.

The Liberal Democrat cabinet met in Ulverston yesterday, Tuesday September 8 and approved the scheme.

Councillor Judith Derbyshire, cabinet member for housing and community safety, stated the case for the proposals.

Coun Derbyshire said: “Housing is one of the most critical challenges facing Barrow as we respond to the unprecedented growth associated with the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and the continued expansion of BAE Systems.

“If we are to attract and retain the workforce required to support that growth we must ensure that the right housing is available at the right pace and in the right locations.”

Coun Derbyshire said the money would establish an accelerated housing delivery team to provide expertise in planning areas like highways and ecology to speed up the process.

She added that improved housing standards was the part she was really pleased about.

She said: “A few years ago when I started I met with Barrow councillors and I was very grateful that they gave me a lot of information on how housing worked, or didn’t work, in Barrow.

“One of the things I remember them saying was Barrow went up and down with the fortunes of the BAE shipyard. It was how do we, in the long term, help those residents of Barrow who are needing more help and ensure they get all the benefits of the improvements going on at BAE.”

Coun Derbyshire added housing in Barrow was some of the worst in the country on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

She said homes in Barrow rated at the highest hazard category were at double the national standard.

Councillor Andrew Jarvis, deputy leader, said: “Over the next decade we will need thousands of new homes in Barrow. That’s a challenging number but the need is pressing, those houses are needed as soon as possible.”

Councillor Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and ICT, said old tenement buildings were a problem in Barrow and particularly Barrow Island.

He added that the council did not have the finances to address the issue fully, and that the £2.71m would not touch the edges.

Coun Thornton said: “We can’t carry on with the most advanced manufacturing in the world, right next to some of the worst housing conditions in the country.”

Councillor Beverly Morgan, deputy leader of the Westmorland and Furness Labour group, raised concerns during the meeting that the project needed to be done quickly.

Coun Morgan said: “Can you provide reassurance that, should this funding be approved today, the recommendations to support the delivery of Marina Village, housing expansion for BAE and housing standards will be accelerated at pace with no bureaucracy, and the benefits to Barrow be realised sooner rather than later?”

She also asked for reassurance that any new officers appointed with the funding would be solely focused on the recommendations, be based in Barrow and not swallowed up into other Westmorland and Furness housing activities.

Coun Derbyshire said she would respond to Coun Morgan with confirmation on the staff.

The cabinet voted unanimously to approve the proposals.

£16.66 million funding approved to overhaul Barrow housing – cumbriacrack.com