A SECTION of Barrow Island will be closed to vehicles for up to five months while work is carried out on an ambitious regeneration scheme.

Starting from next month, road closures will begin on a section of Barrow Island's flats while work is carried out on the Maritime Streets landscaping project.

In 2013, Barrow Borough Council lodged a brief with the Landscape Institute for a competition to improve the public areas in and around the flats on Barrow Island.

The design has been drawn up by Farrer Huxley Associates and James Smith, the team selected by Barrow Borough Council to lead the project after £1m was secured from the government’s Clusters of Empty Homes Fund.

The project will include creating a number of unique sensory spaces connected by paths, paving, planting, lawns, a play area and growing areas.

The plan also involves creating a restricted parking zone for residents only. Parking spaces will fall from 146 to 98.

The nature of the work, and access to the public areas in and around the flats, means that vehicles will be banned from using a series of roads while the work is carried out.

Brig Street and Barque Street will be closed for 25 weeks while Ship Street, Steamer Street and Sloop Street will each be closed for four weeks.

The road closures are due to come into force from March 6 but will be staggered to reduce the impact on residents, and diversions will be in place.

However, the closures are likely to add further frustration to Barrow Island residents who already struggle to park close to their homes because of BAE workers taking up parking spaces and even leaving their vehicles in resident-only bays.