Bid submitted for Cumbrian Investment Zones

Council Leaders have taken the next steps towards securing Investment Zones in Cumbria by submitting an Expressions of Interest bid to Government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is inviting places to put forward sites for inclusion in their Investment Zones programme in England as part of their 'Growth Plan 2022' which was launched on 23 September in a bid to unlock economic growth and speed up development.

These zones could benefit from a variety of tax incentives, regulatory innovations and planning flexibilities within specific site boundaries. 

Cumbria is one of 38 areas in the country that has been identified as a potentially suitable location to establish the new Investment Zones. The sites that are now being put forward for consideration in Cumbria are:

Cumberland: Land at Oldside and Port of Workington; Land at Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone, Carlisle; Land at Leconfield Industrial Estate, Cleator Moor.

Westmorland: Land at Barrow Waterfront, Barrow Port and Barrow Waterside; Land at GSK, Ulverston; Land at Junction 41 (Inspiring Eden).

The Expression of Interest will now be subject to assessment by the Government who will confirm which sites they wish to take forward to the next stage for development of an Investment Zone delivery plan.

On 1 April 2023, Cumbria County Council and the six district councils are due to be abolished and replaced with two new unitary councils, Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland. Should the Investment Zones progress, it will be the responsibility of these two councils to further develop and implement the plans for the Investment Zones in their areas.