Plans are well underway for the creation of a new hotel on the former Central Plaza site - as part of an ambitious vision said to be set to transform Carlisle into a “different city”.

The construction of a new hotel in place of the now-demolished Central Plaza on Victoria Viaduct could soon receive significant Government funding, as the city council awaits news on whether its vision for £25m from its Future High Streets Fund has been given the green light - news that is expected "imminently".

But, as Paul Nedved, economy, enterprise and housing portfolio holder for the Council explained, this forms only part of a grander vision for Carlisle.

With the final proposals for the £25m Towns Fund now also having been submitted to Government, and other major projects such as the Borderlands and St Cuthbert’s Garden Village moving rapidly forward, Mr Nedved summed up the new ambitious vision for Carlisle as follows: “this will be a different city in five years’ time”.

Jane Meek, director of economic development for Carlisle City Council, confirmed there is still developer interest in the Central Plaza site.

She explained that the council envisions a new hotel as "filling a gap in the market that we have at the moment, especially given its prime location close to the station and where we hope the university will have a presence."

This links to the plans for the redevelopment of the Citadels into a new campus for the University of Cumbria, as well as to revitalise it as an "innovation hub" designed to provide a space for new businesses to begin and to grow.

The potential redevelopment of the Central Plaza is also closely aligned with the plans to transform the city's railway station directly opposite - given a major recent boost by the launch of a Government consultation into the prospect of equipping the station to handle HS2 services.

"HS2 is really important to us as a city," Ms Meek said.

"That whole regeneration of the area, the Central Plaza, the Citadels, the station, it will all support each other and will help the viability of each project."

City Council leader John Mallinson added that projects now beginning to fall into place for the city will help it be in "as good a place as anywhere" to move headfirst into recovery following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We had a lot of these projects in the pipeline prior to Covid. The Government has chosen to use these funds as vehicles to try and kickstart things again, to get the economy moving.

"This will give Carlisle the chance to jump ahead in a sense. We're in as good a place as anywhere else to come out in a strong position."