Derwent Forest bought for high quality development

THE long-standing vision to transform the Derwent Forest site in west Cumbria into a prestigious leisure and commercial development has taken a huge stride forward.

Allerdale Borough Council and Cumbria County Council officially purchased the former armaments depot from the Ministry of Defence on 22 August.

Partners gathered at the site on 22 August to mark the milestone in the history of this ambitious project. Other partners in Derwent Forest are the Northwest Regional Development Agency, economic development agency Cumbria Vision and West Lakes Renaissance, the urban regeneration company for Furness and West Cumbria.

The five organisations have worked tirelessly with the Ministry of Defence over recent years to bring about the purchase of the 1,050-acre site – one of the largest brownfield sites in the United Kingdom. The site will now be marketed and proposals invited for a range of leisure and commercial developments.

Councillor Joe Milburn, Leader of Allerdale Borough Council, said: "The development of Derwent Forest has been a long-held vision for Allerdale Borough Council and I am delighted that this important milestone has been reached. Derwent Forest has immense potential to raise the profile of west Cumbria at regional and national level, attract inward investment to the area and create jobs and training opportunities, which will impact positively on local communities.

“We very much appreciate the patience and assistance of the Ministry of Defence in transferring the land to us and I now look forward to working with our partners to market this fantastic site to the private sector and attract investment that will bring a quality development to Allerdale."

Councillor Tony Markley, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet member responsible for economic development and regeneration, said: "Derwent Forest represents a massive opportunity to bring a former industrial site back into use and to create a thriving place boasting high quality leisure and business facilities in a unique and beautiful setting. Derwent Forest has huge potential to increase our economic prosperity and raise the profile of Cumbria to national developers.”

Geoff Dixon, Senior Estates Surveyor at Defence Estates, said: “The MoD is delighted that the sale of this site has finally concluded and that with funding support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency the councils will at last be able to progress the regeneration of the site. We believe that this is a further demonstration of MoD’s close co-operation with local authorities and regional development agencies in releasing a site and its inherent liabilities which can now be used to the benefit of the local economy.”

Ian Haythornthwaite, Executive Director of Resources at the Northwest Regional Development Agency said: “Derwent Forest represents a huge opportunity to remediate one of the largest areas of brownfield land in the country and transform it into a high quality leisure and commercial complex with an outstanding natural setting. Redevelopment of the site could make a significant contribution to regeneration in Cumbria, helping to attract more visitors and businesses to the area, as well as creating jobs. I am pleased partners have been able to work together to take this important step forward and the search for a developer can begin.”

Simon Sjenitzer, Strategy Director at Cumbria Vision, said: “The transfer of the land is fantastic news for all of the partners involved and an exciting step forward in utilising Derwent Forest’s massive economic potential for west Cumbria. We are optimistic that there will be widespread interest among developers in this unique and prestigious project. Our vision for the site is to see a vibrant mix of leisure, residential, business, outdoor and academic uses and we will be seeking an innovative approach to how these elements can be brought together in a sustainable way. Whatever is built will be of the highest quality, sympathetic to the environment and truly transformational in terms of the local economy.”

Bob Pointing, Chief Executive of West Lakes Renaissance, added: “The importance of the land purchase cannot be overemphasised as the first essential step in getting suitable development for this site. We are looking forward to engaging developers and getting from them inspirational proposals for what is simply the biggest and the best development opportunity in the whole of Cumbria, if not the north of England.”

Partners behind the project have moved strongly to reassure the local community that the site will be redeveloped sensitively and that coal extraction is not part of the development framework or vision for Derwent Forest.

Derwent Forest is a key regeneration project identified in the Cumbria Economic Plan, published by Cumbria Vision last year. It sits alongside other large regeneration projects that are deemed to have the broadest economic benefit in terms of investment, employment and education opportunities. Other projects include Britain’s Energy Coast™; The University of Cumbria; Carlisle Lake District Airport; and The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness.

ENDS

Notes
1. For more information contact Daniel Cattanach or Helen Murphy at Allerdale Borough Council on 01900 702526, corp.comms@allerdale.gov.uk or Gareth Cosslett, Media Manager at Cumbria County Council on 01228 226332, gareth.cosslett@cumbriacc.gov.uk
2. Derwent Forest is a 425 hectare site which stretches from Cockermouth at the edge of the Lake District to Workington and Maryport.
3. The NWDA will fund site maintenance, security costs and marketing of the site for three years. If after that time a developer has not been found, the two councils will either retain ownership of the site or sell it on the open market.

Legal
Privacy