A MEETING of full council has heard concerns about transport connectivity to, the soon to be, Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter.

Copeland Council held an extraordinary meeting last week which was held to make key decisions on two major regeneration projects: Cleator Moor Town Deal and the Industrial Solutions Hub.

The council has bid for £22.5 million from Central Government's Levelling-Up Fund for regeneration projects covered by the Cleator Moor Town Deal business case. Further match funding for the projects is expected to bring the total investment to £17.8 million.

A funding bid was also agreed to support the Industrial Soltuions Hub project which will cultivate the innovation and skills in West Cumbria, preparing for the eventual ramping-down of operations at Sellafield.

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The iSH project and Town Deal proposals will involve the transformation of Leconfield Industrial Estate into the Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter.

An enterprise campus, which has already recieved interest from 35 businesses, is included in the proposals.

But Councillor Joan Hully, a member of the Labour opposition group raised concerns about the accessibility of the campus. 

She said: "Are we going to get better transport? As there is currently no bus from Egremont, through to Cleator Moor, through to the hospital.

"You can't even get to the hospital from Cleator Moor."

Cllr David Moore, the executive member leading on the project said: "Not technically covered under this agenda but obviously where there's a development going forward, how people access it will be looked after.

The Conservative councillor said: "There were opportunities to get funding for rural buses but unfortunately the county didn't claim it."

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Rural transport has been a point of contention between Cumbrian leaders across the political spectrum in recent weeks.

The Labour leadership of Cumbria County Council has said it is unable to provide the same support to providers as it used to due to the Conservative Government's budget cuts.

But Cumbrian Conservative MPs have asked why the county council did not accept funding for rural bus services.

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