Millom's £29.3m Iron Line Visitor Centre Moves Forward with Contractor Approval
Cumberland Council has taken a significant step forward in the development of a proposed £29.3 million visitor centre in Millom, with Story Construction confirmed as the contractor for the Iron Line project. Councillors are set to debate the planning application this week, potentially granting permission for the major development.
Progress Report and Contract Award
At a meeting held on Tuesday, February 17, at the Civic Centre, members of Cumberland Council's executive committee received a progress report and approved the procurement to award the contract for operating the Iron Line visitors' centre to Story Construction. This decision marks a crucial milestone in advancing the project, which is part of the broader Millom Town Deal initiative.
Planning Committee Meeting Scheduled
On Wednesday, February 25, the planning committee will convene at Allerdale House in Workington to consider the planning application for the Iron Line visitors centre. The application pertains to a site on land at Hodbarrow Nature Reserve in Millom, covering an area of 57.60 hectares. This location is situated immediately next to the Duddon Estuary, approximately 0.6km south of Millom and 0.8km east of Haverigg.
Design and Features of the Visitor Centre
The proposed visitor centre is designed as a rotunda structure, featuring locally sourced stone and metal rain screen cladding on the walls, topped with a standing seam aluminium roof. With a width of 21.2 meters and an overall height of 10.2 meters, the building will provide 412 square meters of internal floor space.
Key facilities include:
- A café and shop on the first floor, accompanied by a balustraded viewing platform.
- Operational and volunteer facilities, a group room, and toilets on the ground floor.
- A car park with 63 spaces, including five accessible spaces, a motorcycle space, and secure bicycle storage for 44 cycles, including adaptive cycles.
- Eight electric vehicle charging points, with five standard and three accessible spaces, all of which will be chargeable.
- A drop-off point for coaches located to the east of the building.
Site Enhancements and Recommendations
In addition to the visitor centre, the project involves several site enhancements, such as the consolidation, repair, and installation of interpretive sculpture at Towsey Hole Windmill, refurbishment of an existing tern hide, new bird hides and viewing screens, pathways, gateway features, street furniture, and demarcation of spaces at the existing car park.
The report recommends that members authorise the service manager for development and implementation with delegated authority to approve the application, subject to conditions. This approval would pave the way for construction to begin, bringing the Iron Line visitor centre closer to reality and boosting local tourism and economic development in Millom.
