Allerdale Borough Council submit bid for Workington

The council submitted the bid to support the delivery of the Workington Gateway Project, a £9.1m scheme.

As part of the Workington Gateway Project there would be improvements through road widening at Ramsay Brow and Hall Brow (A596/A66) – the aim of this is to address two pinch-points for HGVs accessing employment sites at the north of the town and Port of Workington and provide increased road capacity to support the growth of the town.

The council also hopes to build a new ‘super crossing’ on Washington Street as part of the town’s public realm improvements which intends to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to move from the shopping centre to Curwen Park and Workington Hall.

The third vision would be to provide a new cycle path in Curwen Park which runs parallel to Ramsay Brow and connects to the National Cycle Network.

It is hoped by doing these improvements and making the connections, Hall Park will be opened up to a wider audience of people who wish to use the park.

The bid to the Levelling Up Fund follows on from the successful bid from Workington to the Government’s Towns Fund last year, which has secured £23m.

Cllr Mike Johnson, leader of Allerdale Borough Council, said: “There are a number of fantastic initiatives being planned for Workington thanks to the Towns Fund and we hope for more success in the Levelling Up Fund to further improve the town.

“This entrance to Workington, and the route to the port, are vital for the town’s economic fortunes and I think we can all agree the schemes outlined in the Gateway Project are very much needed for a variety of reasons.”

Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “The proposals outlined in this bid reflect the vision and ambition for the future of Workington and the wider area. I am pleased to support the bid and will continue working alongside our partners and colleagues to ensure we present the strongest case possible."