THE first step on the road to bringing a new university campus to Barrow is due to be made.

An application has been submitted to planners ahead of potential construction of the new University of Cumbria campus next to BAE on Barrow Island.

The Learning Quarter is among a number of projects funded by the Government's £25 million Town Deal.

An application has now been submitted for a screening opinion on the land where the new campus will sit.

It will help determine what environmental impact the new development would have.

Revealing details of the campus development, the application said: "The site is currently operational as a storage and confidential storage unit for BAE Systems.

"It is bound to the north by the dock, to the west by the SASK (the BAE System's Submarine Academy for Skills and Knowledge) building and to the south and east by allotments and open green space.

"The site is mostly located within Flood Zone 1, with parts of the site which front the dock sitting within sections of Flood Zone 2.

"The site does however benefit from flood defence measures; the water level is under a controlled system that has been manufactured for the departing of sea vessels, therefore placing the site under a very low flood risk.

"The site is not located within a conservation area, and is not located within close proximity to any listed buildings."

The new campus is promising to increase employment and education opportunities.

The University of Cumbria vice chancellor, Professor Julie Mennell, said previously: “A new Learning Quarter in Barrow will see the creation of a new university campus at its heart and help transform the town for future generations.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform education in Barrow."

It is expected that the main construction work on the Learning Quarter project will begin later this year, with completion forecasted for late spring 2024.