Innovative #BrilliantBarrow housing renewal scheme to take step forward

An innovative project to help rejuvenate properties in a Barrow street - boosting the whole area - is to take a step forward. Housing Renewal is one of seven ambitious projects that make up the…

An innovative project to help rejuvenate properties in a Barrow street - boosting the whole area - is to take a step forward.

Housing Renewal is one of seven ambitious projects that make up the #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal - an initiative which has secured an offer of £25 million from the Government’s Towns Fund to help transform the area for generations.

Rawlinson Street was selected as part of the project which aims to help make sure properties match the needs of businesses and residents for the future while also enhancing the attractiveness of the neighbourhood.

Now, letters have been sent to a number of properties in Rawlinson Street to confirm the type of improvements that will be included as part of the scheme.

Councillor Derek Brook, Barrow Borough Council’s Lead Member for Community, said: “This is an exciting project that has the potential to provide a wide range of benefits for the community.

“Now we want property owners to help feed into the proposals so the scheme can move even further forward and the potential of the Housing Renewal project can be realised.”

Rawlinson Street sits within the Barrow Borough Council’s priority North Central Renewal Area.

Overall, the enhancements will improve the look and feel of the street which will impact positively on the wellbeing of local people while also raising perceptions of Barrow overall as a great place to live and work.

Residents and owners of properties covered by the scheme - which include commercial properties and homes between odd numbers of 151-283 - have been invited to attend a special meeting about the Rawlinson Street Housing Renewal Project at 7pm on Thursday, March 23 in the Rydal Suite at The Forum.

Here they will be able to find out more about the improvements on offer, to provide feedback on the initial proposals and to ask any questions they may have.

Councillor Brook added: “The way people live has changed over the decades so it’s important that we make sure the properties we have here in Barrow change with the times too.

“This programme is a one-off opportunity to invest in changes that will bring positives to our communities for years to come.”

Barrow was one of the first towns in the country to submit a successful bid for grant funding from the Government’s £3.4 billion Towns Fund in 2021.

Its seven projects range from The Learning Quarter - featuring a new university campus for Barrow and additional opportunities in further education - to a network of community hubs including an outdoor community space at Earnse Bay and infrastructure to improve walking and cycling routes in the town.