There has been a significant amount of economic development activity across the county in the first half of 2017, with transport and infrastructure developments high on the agenda for Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

March saw the completion of the multi-million pound infrastructure improvement scheme at Durranhill industrial estate. The works included a new road link from Eastern Way linking into the existing estate road network via Stevenson Road and also accessing the vacant land adjoining Cavaghan & Gray’s Riverbank Site.

The investment project was undertaken by Carlisle City Council with funding provided by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (£2m), the Homes and Communities Agency (£0.25m) and its predecessor The North West Development Agency (£1.8m).

The scheme has included a new access road from Eastern Way linking into the former Cavaghan & Gray riverbank site (which will release a further 3.3 ha for development), widening of Brunel Way, improvements to the electrical infrastructure and landscaping.

Durranhill is one of the LEP’s major projects in Carlisle and an important Growth Deal investment which is contributing to economic priorities to support infrastructure improvements and exploit the strategic connectivity of the M6 corridor.

The £2m invested by the LEP for access improvements and site servicing will help boost the local business economy, opening up opportunities for growing SMEs and for new businesses to be created here or attracted to the area.

Another infrastructure project confirmed in the Spring was for further improvements to the A590 in South Cumbria, in the shape of a new roundabout on the A590 at Cross-a-Moor, near Ulverston.

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has provided an additional £1.7m investment for this key arterial road connecting Barrow to the M6 corridor. The proposed £6m junction is seen as essential if land allocated for new homes nearby is to be developed.

It is also another key milestone in the development and improvement of the A590 as part of the overall transport infrastructure strategy for the area.

Graham Haywood, director of Cumbria LEP, said: “Road improvements like this are crucial for safety and for keeping key routes between business and employment hubs fit for purpose. The A590 is of major importance to employers like GSK Ulverston and BAE Systems to ensure better strategic connectivity to the M6 corridor, attract new investment and support business growth.”

Plans to improve the Cumbrian coastal railway are set to open up greater accessibility and freight and passenger capacity and capability for businesses and residents in West Cumbria.

Cumbria LEP is spearheading a consortium of parties and developers with vested interests in moving forward with upgrades to the coastal railway.

The Rail Programme Board, chaired by Cumbria LEP, involves NuGen, Sellafield, the Low Level Waste Repository, National Grid North West Coast Connections, West Cumbria Mining, Network Rail, Northern Rail and others as key partners.

It aims to drive forward the improvements needed on the coastal railway and increase capacity to make the line suitable to serve existing and future industrial developments.

The plans are aimed specifically at modernisation and improving line capacity and reliability, with increased passenger and freight services including Sundays. Signalling changes, station upgrades and better access will also help increase capacity, usage and resilience to protect lines from flooding and coastal erosion, as well as meeting demand from new developments.