Representatives from councils, businesses and projects across the north of England and south of Scotland attended a conference in Penrith on Thursday 22 June, to celebrate and discuss the progress of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, signed in 2021, is a 10-year, £450 million programme of investment ‘to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic benefits’ to the Borderlands region.
The funding is made up of £265m from the government, £85m from the Scottish Government, and £100m contributions from local partners.
Progress on Carlisle railway station and University of Cumbria projects
The conference featured seminars and discussions from a number of council leaders and directors involved in delivering the Borderlands Deal, including an update on the progress of the £20m Carlisle Railway Station Redevelopment Project and the new £77m University of Cumbria Citadels Campus in Carlisle.
Jane Meek, assistant director of thriving places and investment at Cumberland Council, said: “The Citadels project is incredibly exciting not just for Carlisle but for the whole Borderlands region.
“The station is a gateway to the area – from Carlisle to the Lake District and the west coast of Cumbria.
“The University of Cumbria campus that will occupy and utilise the Citadel towers will include the development of a new medical school in partnership with Imperial College in London.
“This will bring world class academics, training and research facilities into the heart of the city, more students into Cumbria and will significantly boost the local economy, with more people and more resources.
“The expanding university will serve the whole region and will benefit communities all over Cumberland.”
Digital Borderlands
Elsewhere the Digital Borderlands programme has seen 3,353 homes and businesses secure faster and more reliable broadband connections in areas previously suffering from slow internet speeds.
It is hoped that the enhanced connectivity will help tourism and hospitality businesses drive profitability and recruit the seasonal staff they need.
Calls to reopen Waverley rail line between Carlisle and Edinburgh
The conference also heard about the cross-party support for the proposed reinstallation of the Carlisle – Edinburgh Waverley train line.
Euan Jardine, leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: “All of the Borderlands partners agree that the Waverley line to Edinburgh should be reinstated and that this will help drive significant economic benefits, as well as more sustainable transport solutions, for communities up and down the line.
“The reopening would be transformational, and we continue to work with Scottish Rail to complete the feasibility studies required.”
Borderlands Deal to benefit communities across Cumberland
Leader of Cumberland Council, Mark Fryer, was keen to stress that the benefits of the growth deal would impact communities across the Cumberland district, not just in Carlisle.
“I am a West Cumbrian, from Workington and I can assure you that we all have a commitment to making the deal benefit our communities across the whole area. It is called the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, and inclusive is exactly what it will be,” he said.
Jack Stopforth, Chair of the Borderlands Economic Forum, said: “We are now in year three of this ten year deal and it is great to be able to showcase the successes we have achieved since the signing in March 2021.
“Working in partnership the five councils have already made exceptional progress, but today is as much about looking forward as well as back.
“Whether it’s significant capital projects on both sides of the border, or programmes to encourage green growth and enable infrastructure, we have lots we want to make happen to improve the region for residents, businesses and visitors.”
Delivering change for communities
Dehenna Davison MP, UK Government Levelling Up Minister, said: “We want to breathe new life into areas which have long been overlooked, so it’s exciting to hear that this deal is providing jobs and boosting prosperity for people on both sides of the border.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this deal continue to deliver exciting new projects over the next few years, helping to support a thriving local economy and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to flourish.”
Other local projects included in the growth deal will see the creation of an ‘energy masterplan’ for the whole region to develop sustainable technologies to reduce carbon emissions and help the area to become more environmentally friendly.
A plan to increase visitor and investment in the western (Cumbrian) end of Hadrian’s wall and a cycling initiative in the Lake District, See More lakes, is also proposed.
Analysis by Business Reporter, Adam Lewis
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is not just about regenerating the area; it aims to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
According to the government website, Borderlands Partners predict that the proposed schemes and projects included in the growth deal across the region will collectively generate around £1.1 billion of Gross Value Added uplift and deliver around 5,500 jobs to the region.
If successful, this will be a significant boost to businesses across the region, with an increase in available labour, and more money being spent within the local economy by a growing population. Improved infrastructure across public transport, road networks and digital technology will all help drive profitability and remove barriers to growth.
The university development could provide a major boost for Carlisle and the wider region – the expansion plans and the introduction of a first-class medical school operated in partnership with Imperial College is a potentially huge new market and revenue stream.
Students will provide a skilled part time workforce to fill the many vacancies in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors, whilst spending their money in and around the city.
Redeveloping the tired and outdated city centre immediately outside the railway station will also provide a more attractive and inviting setting for people to want to come and learn, work and live in the region.
The station redevelopment will help facilitate improved accessibility to the station, the city centre and the new university campus, making the aea a destination in itself, and not just a ‘gateway to the Lakes.’
Digital infrastructure is now recognised as the fourth utility due to its importance to modern life and the connectivity it provides to services and markets. Ensuring digital infrastructure meets the needs of the modern world is crucial to making Cumbria a more attractive place to run a business.
Improved connectivity will help to facilitate more efficient and innovative ways of meeting the needs of businesses, whether that be for data transfer, creating efficiencies through streamlining online tasks, communication with customers and clients, or showcasing a product or service on a global platform.
