IT IS one of the longest-running sagas in Barrow's recent history and next week work finally gets going on it again.

Work at Barrow Waterfront - a plan to regenerate this iconic part of the town off Ramsden Dock Road - starts on Monday (August 22) when workmen will move in to begin work including site clearance and leveling, decontamination work, the removal of industrial debris, provision of utilities, landscaping and raised earthworks for flooding protection measures.

This project aims to completely redevelop the derelict site, which covers an area of approximately 400 acres, by building multi-million pound business premises and manufacturing facilities.

Potentially, it could bring between 1,200 and 1,600 jobs.

The scheme was first announced back in 2003 as part of a series of measures designed to refresh the entire marina in the town with a combination of public and private funding worth £100m.

The plans included a 650-home marina village, a 350-berth yacht marina and a yacht entrance canal as well as a new business park on Barrow Island.

In 2010 though the incoming Coalition Government pulled the plug on a lot of local government funding and this scheme was one of the projects affected by this change in policy.

It is now back on the table following an injection of cash from Cumbria's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) of more than £8m.

This new work is designed to effectively clear the area up so that development can take place.

It is hoped that any businesses that are interested in moving to the area will be able to construct the units they want to operate from, which would in turn bring jobs to the town.

David Haughian, the project lead for Cumbria County Council, who is in charge of bringing it to fruition, said though that the authority had not ruled out having to build these.

Mr Haughian is pleased to see work getting underway.

He explained: "The whole area was called Barrow Waterfront and when the North West Development Agency was around quite a lot of investment was thrown at the port area and Cumbria County Council acquired quite a bit of land from British Ports and Barrow Borough Council acquired some of the land for housing."

Since the scheme was first announced, BAE Systems has moved its logistics facility to the area and two new roads have been built there - Harding Rise and Dova Way.

Mr Haughian is from Barrow and is delighted to be working on a project in his home town. "It would give the area a real lift," he said.

This new work has been backed by the borough and county councils and the LEP.

"We are going to go from a situation where nothing has happened for a number of years and then suddenly there is going to be a real surge of activity."

The business park area of the development covers about nine hectaresm slightly more than 22 acres.

Councillor David Southward, the county council's cabinet member for economic development and property, has responsibility for this scheme.

He said: "I am delighted that this exciting phase of the Barrow Waterfront development project is soon to be underway. The investment will provide a platform on which to construct advanced new manufacturing facilities and accommodate new businesses premises which are vital for enhancing the local economy and revitalising the area.

"The work starting at the end of August will remove the derelict allotments, building rubble, site contamination and the footprints of former industrial buildings, giving local residents a cleaner and safer environment to live and work in. New footpaths, cycle ways and improved seating areas will also be provided around the site for the benefit of the local community and future occupiers of the business park."

Graham Haywood, director of the LEP, said: “This is an important step forward in our plans for Barrow’s Waterfront Business Park and the development of this site will play a key role in meeting our strategic priority of achieving faster growth in the county’s advanced manufacturing capabilities."