After a whirlwind 2019, Barrow’s Business Improvement District is gearing up for an action-packed new year.

The BID says it has big plans to help reinvigorate Barrow town centre.

“I am really excited for 2020,” manager Colin Garnett told The Mail.

“The Super Soapbox Challenge will return to Barrow on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 24th...The Festival of Transport returns on Saturday 11th July and we are aiming for it to be bigger and better again.

“As well as the returning events, we will be hosting some terrifying dinosaurs in the town centre on Saturday 4th April, when the public will be able to get up close and personal with a T-Rex and a pair of velociraptors...but don’t get too close.

“We are also working with local musicians and venues to facilitate a weekend of music in early October and we will be supporting other town centre events throughout the year, including a Santa Dash in December and more festive events at the end of the year.”

Mr Garnett said the BID is aiming to multiply 2019’s run of Visit Barrow leaflets - 11,000 in all - fivefold, as well as looking to put in place signs to welcome and direct visitors to the town centre.

A major loss to the Barrow high street next year will come with the closure of Marks and Spencer, which has traded in the town centre for over a century.

More broadly, he said of the challenges that lie ahead, amid years of decline for high street businesses:

“Barrow BID are under no illusion that we can wave a magic wand and make more people on the high street or save national chain stores from going into administration," he said.

“We understand that BIDs were set up to manage change on the high street and that change is going to be difficult. We will continue to lobby our new MP to lower business rates for all town centre businesses. We will also be creating a prospectus and plan of strategically important empty stores in the town centre, with the aim of attracting inward investment to the high street.”

“Barrow BID will work closely with Barrow Council to attract investment from the government via their Future High Street, Heritage Action Zone and Towns Fund and will aim to influence expenditure to impact the right areas of the town centre.”

“In addition to public sector funding, we aim to work with large businesses to draw down private sector funding to match the investment by the smaller businesses and organisations who make up the BID area.”