A £750,000 investment in Barrow through the Government's towns fund will be spent on new pop up stalls, regenerating the waterfront and new outdoor exercise facilities.

The substantial investment is part of a government pledge to support jobs and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and will help deliver three schemes in the town by March 2021.

The projects form part of the borough’s #BrilliantBarrow and Future High Streets proposals, which councillors hope will transform the town.

Barrow Borough Council Leader Ann Thomson has outlined how the money will be spent.

She said: "We are always ambitious for Barrow and everyone who lives, works and visits our borough.

“The vision and schemes set out through #BrilliantBarrow and our Future High Streets Fund proposal are clear evidence of that.

“It’s excellent that this accelerated grant funding has been awarded to Barrow so that we can make immediate progress towards our longer term vision for the borough.

“The money will be used to kickstart three projects that are deliverable in this financial year, as stipulated by the government, and that will provide benefits for residents in terms of improved health and wellbeing as well as a boost to the recovery of our economy after the pandemic.”

The investment will be spent on the following projects:

- Acquiring sites to support the regeneration of the Barrow waterfront and enhance gateway access to a new neighbourhood featuring 550 homes as part of #BrilliantBarrow

- Revitalising and repurposing key spaces in the town centre through a programme of acquisition, demolition and site clearance. Investment will also be made in outdoor infrastructure such as pop up stalls to encourage footfall in town centre and to support Covid 19 recovery as set out in Barrow’s bid to the Future High Streets Fund

- Tackling health inequalities through the enhancement of Barrow’s outdoor activity offer through investment into new outdoor exercise facilities.

Steve Cole, chief infrastructure officer at BAE Systems and chair of Barrow’s Towns Deal board said: “This funding will give Barrow a head start as it moves to recover from the global Covid-19 pandemic.”

Furness MP Simon Fell called the funding a ‘real boost’ for Barrow.

Alongside this funding, Millom will receive also £500,000.

The latest projects come following bids submitted for millions of pounds worth of funding for the Brilliant Barrow initiative.

That scheme is seeking a total of £25 million from the Future High Streets Fund to renew and regenerate Barrow’s town centre to increase footfall and draw people in.