OVERGROWN weeds, smashed glass and abandoned vacuum cleaners now blight the site once earmarked for an ambitious housing development in Barrow.

A large section of terraced properties in the Sutherland Street, Arthur Street, and Marsh Street areas of Barrow was demolished back in 2012 as part of the North Central Renewal Area programme.


The Barrow Borough Council scheme to acquire and demolish the homes was carried out to revamp the rundown neighbourhood and lift demand.

However, progress on the development has since stalled, with the council struggling to find a developer to take the project forward.

Copperplane Ltd, which has owned around 50 privately rented properties in Barrow for around 10 years, approached the council in 2015 – and that August was given a three-month exclusivity period to work up some proposals.

The council later extended the the exclusivity period by a further six months but negotiations were brought to an end without an agreement being reached.

Councillors previously agreed to grant Leck Construction an exclusivity period to devise a development, but Leck decided last year that it was not viable and pulled out.

The site now remains vacant and abandoned with an industrial metal fence guarding the land, five years after the terraced houses were demolished.

Last August, leader of the council Dave Pidduck maintained said: "We had disappointment from the private sector. At this moment in time we're trying to market the site again."

The Evening Mail will be approaching Barrow Borough Council for an update on the site.