Carlisle and Workington are set to receive more than £40m in Government funding, it has been confirmed.

It was announced yesterday that Carlisle and Workington were two of the 45 towns and small cities set to benefit from the latest round of funding from the Government's £3.6bn Towns Fund investment pot.

The news came as part of the Chancellor's 2021 budget announcements, which set out the Government's tax and spend plans for the coming year.

Yesterday's announcement that Carlisle was to receive £19.7m of Towns Fund investment comes just a few months after the news the city will receive more than £9.1m in Future High Streets Fund investment - another Government funding programme intended to help encourage economic growth in towns and cities across the country.

Workington will receive a total of £23m of Towns Fund investment, which is set to finance a number of schemes intended to boost economic growth in the town and the wider area, including a project to create a "clean energy and logistics hub" at the Port of Workington.

The project would develop land at the port and on the adjacent Oldside site, with a view to attracting logistics and clean energy businesses to set up operations in a bid to grow the economic power of the Port of Workington.

The bid submitted on behalf of Carlisle by the city's Town Deal Board, chaired by Story Contracting's Emma Porter, laid out plans for a number of schemes the funding could finance, including plans to better connect the city's railway station to the Citadels, Devonshire Street and the former Central Plaza site.

The investment plan also outlined an ambitious plan for developments at Tullie House, and a refurbishment of Carlisle Library, among other projects.

John Mallinson, Conservative leader of Carlisle City Council, the lead authority for Carlisle's Towns Fund bid, hailed the announcement as "great news for Carlisle" that will "result in even more investment for the city.

"We have also secured funding from the Towns Fund, as well as the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, Future High Street Fund and St Cuthbert’s Garden Village.

"Together these provide opportunities for the most significant levels of investment that Carlisle has seen for a very long time. The investment plan will help drive Carlisle forward in the future.”

Carlisle's Town Deal Board chairperson, Emma Porter, said she was "delighted" that the city had been successful in securing £19.7m of investment for the city.

She added she was "looking forward to getting on with the next stage of developing some of these exciting projects".

Carlisle's MP and a Town Deal Board member, Conservative John Stevenson, described yesterday's announcement as "another huge investment by Government into Carlisle".

"There are a number of projects within the Towns Deal that will hugely benefit our city and my constituents."

Mr Stevenson added that the delivery of accelerated funding from the Towns Fund late last year meant that two projects in the city had already begun.

These are preparation works for homes on the Caldew Riverside Site, close to Victoria Viaduct, and the creation of a temporary "modular village" in Bitts Park, intended as a home for small businesses and creative enterprises.

The city council's Conservative portfolio holder for economy, enterprise and housing, Paul Nedved, thanked all those who had been involved in putting together the Town Investment Plan.

"It was put together by a group representing key public and private sector organisations in the city," he said.

"It is a blueprint for growth. We’re delighted that this hard work has resulted in another funding boost for the city.”

Workington's Town Deal Board has been chaired by John Coughlan, managing director of TSP Engineering.

Mr Coughlan said that the projects set to be funded by this £23m investment will be "really transformative", for both Workington and the wider west Cumbria region.

"I can’t wait to see them come to fruition," he said.

Allerdale Borough Council was the lead authority for Workington's funding submission.

Deputy leader of the council, Conservative councillor Mike Johnson, said the confirmation of Workington's successful bid was "absolutely fantastic news" for the town.

"We’ll now work with Government and our partners to bring these projects to life and make the town an even better place to live, work and visit.”

Workington's Conservative MP, Mark Jenkinson, added that yesterday's announcement was "fantastic news", and said it was a demonstration of the Government's commitment to the "levelling up agenda", addressing economic imbalances between the north and the south of England.