Tender cast out for Cumbrian tourist spot

The contractor would prepare the construction management plan and design and build Millom’s £10m Iron Line project.

Cumberland Council’s scheme will improve the sea wall and enhance the coastal lagoon that the town looks out across.

Layer.Studio won a global competition to become design partner for the development of the Cumbrian tourist site.

The development will improve more than 3m sq ft of existing greenspace, as well as delivering around 1.5m sq ft of rehabilitated land.

The Iron Line includes the construction of a welcome centre with 3,800 sq ft of commercial space for events, receptions, as well as retail opportunities – such as a bar or café are part of the project.

There will also be more than four miles of walking and cycling routes stretching out into the surrounding eight-acre Hodbarrow RSPB nature reserve.

View the tender at procontract.due-north.com.

The deadline for responses is noon on 21 October.

IC planning was the agent on behalf of Cumberland Council, while Layer.Studio and Gargarin Studio drew up the plans for the Iron Line. Others working on the Iron Line include Curtins, One Environments, Greengage, and Appletons.

David Savage, chair of Millom Town Deal Board, said: “We are witnessing another big step forward with the Iron Line Scheme as we encourage Contractors to get involved and deliver this exciting project.

“Momentum is building across all the Town Deal projects and we need to be mindful that each of the four projects will evolve at a different pace in line with its delivery schedule.

“Today, we are focussing on the Iron Line as we start to transform plans into positive change for our community.”

The Millom Town Deal programme, of which the Iron Line is a part, secured £20.6m in 2022 and an additional £8.7m in funding from the government.

The external funding will be used to deliver four projects alongside The Iron Line. These include the Activating Community Health programme, which calls for the building of a leisure hub with a community swimming pool, with the potential to attract 260,000 visitors a year

Additionally, the Reactivating Heritage Buildings Town Deal initiative targets the restoration of vacant town centre buildings. Connecting Millom and Haverigg seeks to improve transport links in the area.

To view this application, use reference number 4/23/2249/0F1 on Cumberland Council’s planning portal.