Local residents, community groups and businesses are being updated on exciting plans for Cleator Moor.
Cleator Moor Town Deal has secured an award of £22.5m from the Government's Towns Fund along with an additional £18.4m from match funders.
Cleator Moor’s future is bright. The town has secured a once in a generation level of regeneration funding to help it thrive into the future.
There will be change that will make a positive difference to the lives of its residents for many years to come.
Four projects make up the Town Deal and progress is being made to progress on all of the exciting projects:
Enterprising Town
A project to develop an enterprise campus on the Leconfield Industrial Estate aimed at leveraging the economic growth potential of the Sellafield supply chain through a cluster approach to growing and diversifying the West Cumbria economy.
The Innovation Solutions Hub (iSH) Enterprise Campus is an £50m economic regeneration initiative led by Cumberland Council with funding and support from Government (DLUHC) through Town Deal and Levelling Up programmes, and other strategic partners including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.
The development of the site forms part of the wider regeneration programme being delivered across West Cumbria by iSH focused upon delivering economic growth opportunities around robotics, AI and advanced engineering and manufacturing.
Design work is well progressed and enabling works are due to start in early 2025.
Revitalised Town
The aim is to increase activity and footfall around the Town Square by bringing vacant and under-utilised buildings back into active use while creating an attractive new public realm. Uses will include a new cultural community hub and enhanced business space.
The Cleator Moor Community Hub will incorporate the library and currently empty old council offices. The two existing buildings will be joined by a new annexe that will house a café.
Public realm works will see improvements to the Town Square. Day Cummins Ltd. have been appointed as Principal Designer for the project.
The PEC Phase 3 building in Cleator Moor is owned by Cumberland Council and operated by Phoenix Enterprise Centre (PEC) under a long-term lease. The refurbishment of the building is being undertaken as part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal with around £1 million of works being undertaken. The design development for the PEC phase 3 building is now complete and works are due to start in early 2025.
Design development is still underway on the community hub and surrounding public realm works through Day Cummins.
Healthy Town
Enhancing existing sports and leisure provision as well as providing a modern multi-purpose centre including an indoor sports hall, flexible studio space, gym and café, alongside wider health and well-being provision and targeted youth activity.
The project is fully designed and the construction contract to be awarded subject to planning approval expected late November 2024.
Works to transform the current facility are set to start in January 2025 and will take one year to complete. While the works are ongoing the council and GLL will continue to operate the external all weather pitch. The new facility will house a new multi-functional four court sports hall, fitness suite, group exercise studio and a new home for COSC who will relocate from the town centre to the new facility.
Connected Town
This scheme will deliver a high-quality integrated and sustainable transport network which improves connections between employment, education, amenities and leisure and transforms the accessibility and attractiveness of Cleator Moor. A public engagement event on the plans was held during the summer. Works are programmed to start in spring 2025.
Bob Metcalfe, Chair of the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board, said:
“Progress is being made on all four of our Town Deal projects. Lots of work is going on behind the scenes to deliver them. Timelines are in place and a team is in place to drive forward the plans.”
For more information on the Cleator Moor Town Deal visit: cleatormoortowndeal.org.uk