Plan to buy out Barrow town centre units for regeneration

Plan to buy out town centre units for regeneration Image source, Team Barrow Image caption, The regeneration plan of Barrow is expected to take 10 years By Federica Bedendo North East and Cumbria Published 1 hour ago Properties in a town centre could be bought from owners without their consent under plans to redevelop the area. Westmorland and Furness Council is expected to start preparing paperwork for what is known as a compulsory purchase order, to buy properties in Barrow town centre as part of a regeneration programme.

A report prepared ahead of Tuesday's cabinet meeting, where the proposal will be discussed, said the Liberal Democrat authority would look to negotiate any purchase with owners in the first instance. However, the council said several parcels it wants to use as part of its plans may be difficult to acquire "due to absentee landlords" or "unrealistic expectations of land value". The report said: "Without a mechanism to secure all required land, the regeneration scheme risks delay or failure."

Aspects of the plan are not made public due to commercial sensitivity and the council declined to disclose how many properties it wanted to purchase and how much money was available for it. Barrow's regeneration programme, known as the Heart of Barrow, looks to address long-standing issues in the town, including "declining commercial vitality". It would include a new theatre venue, market, commercial space and public areas built over 10 years, with the first phase expected to cost about £23m.

The council is looking to acquire property in the area around the Forum venue, which has been closed for two years due to asbestos issues. The area includes the land between Market Street and Cornwallis Street, and Dalton Road and Portland Walk. Image source, Westmorland and Furness Council Image caption, The red line shows the area of Barrow town centre which is part of the regeneration scheme, with the blue line showing the first phase During public consultation events held last month, the team behind the regeneration said they had started having conversations with property owners and preparing for the eventuality of compulsory purchase would mean avoiding delays.

The report said: "Negotiated acquisition will be pursued as where advantageous however, compulsory purchase order powers may be required to ensure timely delivery and to aid negotiations, reduce property acquisition costs and delay." It added compulsory purchase would only be authorised if it was in the public interest to complete the regeneration scheme. Follow BBC Cumbria on X , external , Facebook , external , Nextdoor and Instagram , external and listen to Radio Cumbria on BBC Sounds.

Get in touch Do you have a story suggestion for BBC Cumbria? Contact form Contact form Related topics Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria Westmorland and Furness Council Regeneration Urban planning More on this story First look at town's regeneration plans Published 2 October New theatre 'ambition' deemed not good enough Published 13 July MP criticises council over town rebuild plans Published 9 July Town's skyline set to change as project develops Published 5 August 2025 Related internet links Westmorland and Furness Council