Specialist appointed for Millom Arts and Enterprise Centre

Millom Town Deal was awarded £20.6 million from the Government’s Towns Fund to help the town and its communities to thrive in the future. An additional £8.7 million was secured in match funding.

Cumberland Council has now appointed Day Cummins Ltd to provide a team of experts to progress the designs, carry out procurement of a contractor and oversee the construction works.

READ MORE: Update on Millom housing estate where bats delayed demolition

The project is part of the Reactivating Heritage Buildings project and has recently been granted planning permission for the £2 million scheme.

The former bank in St George’s Road plans to house a café, maker’s market, small retail spaces, workshops and studios.

David Savage, chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, said: "This represents another step forward for this project and starts the journey in transforming this redundant facility into a new community asset.

"We need to be mindful that each of our four projects will evolve at a different pace, noting they have their own unique regulatory and approval processes that must be met.

"For this project, with planning permission now secured and the appointment of Day Cummins Ltd, we can get on with the job of delivering this project as part of the whole Town Deal programme.

"We will of course continue to provide timely updates on the other projects as we reach key project milestones.

"The Arts and Enterprise Centre is an integral part of the town deal project."

Extensions to the property which are not in keeping with its architectural style or the setting of the building within the town centre conservation area would be demolished.

The ground floor would then become home to a cafe, maker’s market and small retail spaces showcasing the products of those operating from four start-up business spaces on the first floor and three workshops, studios and shared studio space on the second floor.