Views sought on redevelopment of Salthouse Mills, Barrow-in-Furness

At an event held in the Town, local young employees of Barrow were invited to share their thoughts and ideas for what they would like to see on the new mixed-use development planned for Salthouse Mills. A New ECO Village, overlooking Cavendish Dock and the Irish Sea, is proposed with around 700 homes, together with supporting commercial leisure and retail facilities, including cafes and restaurants.

John Burrell, from Burrell Foley Fischer, architects and urban planners said 

“It’s so important to hear what people want from an opportunity site as we start to form ideas of mix and type of apartments to create. It was abundantly clear that there is a dearth of high quality one and two bed, even studio apartments around and I’m confident we can create something truly unique and very high spec, especially given the Green, Eco brief.” 

Will, a local 18 year old apprentice was very clear in his aspirations from the new proposals

“There are no clubs around here … if you want a night out, you end up having to plan a trip and often a stay over in Manchester. It would be better to spend money in Barrow”

The ability to have decent restaurants, several bars and at least one club would be a major boost. Leisure activities to include a football pitch, sailing on Cavendish Dock and a decent gym would all go towards making Salthouse a desirable place to live and work.

Other participants said that a major draw in moving to a new village with the aspirations of near zero energy use would be the prospect of constant low energy bills, coupled with a ‘feel-good’ factor of doing the right thing for the environment.

Some concerns included an electric vehicle policy only, but as Geoff Pyle, BFF’s Project Manager for the Salthouse project said  

“Petrol and diesel cars are being phased out nationally, so the scheme will include a substantial number of electrical charging points. The team is looking at how to maintain the best air quality in Salthouse during this transition period, through the design of pedestrian areas and managing parking in the scheme.”

Another worry was the security aspect, given a history of anti-social behaviour at Salthouse. However John Burrell believes that places designed with proper residential streets and liveable places have built in passive overlooking and safety and a sense of ownership and pride in the place. One key definition of ‘liveable cites’ is that all ages feel comfortable. BFF have done lots of ‘design out crime' work. A security expert from Manchester came to discuss proposals for 24hr remote monitoring of the site from numerous vantage points across the Village.

Helen, who has recently started working in Barrow, has only just bought her first home in Lancaster, but would be keen to move to Salthouse if the proposals and overall vision gain approval from Barrow residents and councillors 

“I love the idea of living green, travelling to work on an e-scooter or electric bike and being part of new cultural place with coffee bars and amazing views over the Dock. I think it could be something of a game changer if it all goes ahead”.

Hamza Kadeen from Hiltongrove, one of the senior members of the Team said he was delighted at the turnout and feedback given

“If you don’t engage early on, you don’t gain the invaluable local insights that are key to developing something that the local community truly want. This event was an initial data collection and feedback exercise but we are planning larger events for all local residents to attend to hear a much wider range of views. We are developing a dedicated Salthouse Mills app for interested parties to feedback directly to the Team and for us to share ideas as they progress. We are fortunate in having a very supportive Council with a very positive attitude and having dealt with a number of authorities over the years, that isn’t always the case!”

Kim Hubball, an artist who has been working with BarrowFull on her “Colours of Barrow" exhibition currently held at the Forum, was invited along to share her ideas of how art could be integrated into the streetscape to give Salthouse its own unique branding while building on the history of Barrow

“The opportunity to start with a blank canvas, and on a scale of this size, is every artist’s dream. My mind is already racing with ideas and I hope to be able to work with the Salthouse team over the next few months.”

Martine Moore, CEO of 6Tine who organised the event wanted to thank Cooke’s Studios and The Duke of Edinburgh Hotel for their help

“To hold an event showcasing the new vision ideas for Salthouse, against the backdrop of the current "Going Through the Mill" exhibition at Cookes was perfect timing - contrasting the industrial nature of the past against the new modern Green Living future being proposed. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm from those who attended and contributed ideas. The team and I are already planning the next Salthouse local engagement event in Barrow and looking forward to meeting more local residents and employees”.

The developer, Hiltongrove, hopes to progress plans to submit to planning before the end of the year and will announce further details of public engagement events within the next few weeks.