Plans to make Cleator Moor a thriving hub of business, enterprise and industrial innovation have taken an important step forward.
A planning application has been submitted outlining plans for a new 4,000 square metre hub building at Leconfield Industrial Estate.
The building will be the central focus of a wider expansion and redevelopment planned by Copeland Borough Council and Sellafield Limited.
Ultimately the plans will transform the estate into the home of Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter – a new nuclear and clean energy business cluster.
Developments at Leconfield aim to make the most of Cleator Moor’s economic potential and phase one of the redevelopment is funded by a share of £22.5 million from the Towns Fund.
The central hub building will serve as a meeting place for the various businesses and teams working around the site.
In a planning application now submitted for approval by the council’s planning department, Avison Young, the agent said: “The design is proposed to be landscape led, to ensure a pleasant, quality environment is provided for users, and is one that also benefits nature.
“Around the hub building, it is intended that the design will enable a series of spill out areas for café and community uses and will clearly identify connections to the town centre and beyond.”
The development of the Industrial Solutions Hub in Cleator Moor is motivated by the borough’s unique economic circumstances.
The redevelopment of Leconfield Industrial Estate is a response to this challenge led by Copeland Council with the support of Sellafield Limited, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and private sector supply chains.
If approved, the central hub building will accommodate links to future developments and allow for several different pedestrian approaches.
The designs have been drawn-up taking inspiration from CABI Headquarters in Oxford, the iHub in Derby and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow.
A consultation event was held in March to give Cleator Moor residents an opportunity to have their say on the proposals.
Avison Young said that overall support for development at the industrial estate and the proposed design was shown by respondents.
However, concerns were raised about the impact on existing businesses, in particular from the inclusion of café facilities.
Traffic was a key area of concern, particularly related to Bowthorn Road, the existing roundabout access junction at Leconfield Street and Birks Road.
