Penrith town centre needs a “clear regeneration plan” rather than millions being spent on an enterprise hub at Stoneybeck Roundabout, a meeting heard.
Councillor Danny Smith, who presented a motion about the proposed Inspiring Eden Enterprise Hub to a meeting of Penrith Town Council on Monday, said the proposal — which had been allocated more than £7 million as part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda — had caused concern for residents and business in the town due to the potential impact it could have.
“I consider that investment needs to be spent on regenerating the town centre to bring people into it, not on a project removed from the town that would take people away from it,” said Mr Smith.
He added: “Businesses and enterprises need to be accessible to as much of the public as possible (and vice versa). This has environmental, climate and health implications, as well as accessibility impacts.”
Westmorland and Furness Council, which is spearheading the Eden enterprise hub project, had been given until 2nd February to respond to the government as part of a second stage request for information. This required an update on the project and its deliverability, including site location, revised costings and an updated programme.
Town councillor Scott Jackson said: “With Levelling Up and Borderlands (funding in the offing) we are approaching an eight figure sum that is available to Penrith and there doesn’t seem to seem any sense that there could be a holistic, thought-out plan to regenerate the town.
“I think (with) baubles around the side of the town and a hollowed out centre an awful lot of residents would find that unconscionable when the heart of the town is not being looked after.
“We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to really make a difference.”
Mr Jackson added that it could be a really exciting counterpoint in Penrith’s history and future.
Dave Knaggs, who is also a town councillor, said a strategic approach was needed to regenerate the town centre.
“A strategic approach doesn’t mean fitting projects around money that is available, it means devising a strategy and then seeking the funding to make the strategy work.”
Town councillor Hillary Snell said: “We are trying to make Penrith a really vibrant place where people want to come and live.
“But if we don’t fill up the empty spaces in the town centre, and it doesn’t have to be with retail it can be all sorts of things, I think we will not actually encourage people to come and live and work in Penrith.
It was agreed that the town council would write to Westmorland and Furness Council and request a feasibility study be done on the prospect of using some of the Levelling Up Fund money to create an Enterprise and Business hub in the town centre. In addition, a request was made for Westmorland and Furness to collaborate with the town council as part of its ongoing work reviewing the business case (for the project) and for the development of any future regeneration plans.
Patricia Bell, a Westmorland Furness councillor for Penrith, said: “The enterprise hub is to encourage and support rural enterprise creation, development and growth in the Eden Valley.
“The Levelling Up Fund submission (made by the former Eden District Council) stated that the facility would provide 36,500 sq ft of new high quality managed business space and a focus for business support services outreach.
“The Government have requested we complete a project validation exercise to reassess and update the proposal. The council has therefore sought to review a range of sites and reassess current latent demand within the former Eden area.”
Mrs Bell told the meeting that, following consultation with local property agents, there was “more demand for workshops than office space”.
“Agents feel that options are currently limited in the Penrith area and that public sector intervention is required to provide a solution to the lack of available property.
“It was suggested that Penrith could accommodate more than one enterprise hub without oversupplying property,” said Mrs Bell.
