• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Masterplan call for Newton Rigg broadband hub

by Andrew Keogh
10 May 2024
in News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Viberoptix has launched a new “fibre campus” at Newton Rigg

Concern has been raised about the “piecemeal” way in which planning permission is being sought at the site of the former Newton Rigg College, near Penrith, to facilitate the roll-out of super-fast broadband in Cumbria.

One of four retrospective change of use applications submitted by Leo Sawrij Limited came before Westmorland and Furness Council’s Eden local planning committee on Wednesday. Councillors were told that permission was being sought to use a former car park at the site as a storage area, surrounded by a 2.5m high fence, for a period of five years.

Newton Rigg College closed in June, 2021, and was sold in September, 2021, to the current owners, Leo Group and AW Jenkinson.

Planning officer Anthony Foster said: “The site has been operating without the benefit of planning permission and the application is as a result of neighbouring complaints of unsocial working hours and practices.”

There had been a number of complaints relating to noise and activity taking place at the site prior to 7am, including activities which had not been restricted to storage, said Mr Foster.

“These practices include the use of power tools, possibly on the site, and lots of noise being created by people banging or using equipment,” he added.

Information accompanying the planning application said the fenced area was needed to create a secure compound for civil engineering contractor Greyhill, which was working with Viberoptix on the Project Gigabit fibre optic network installation for Cumbria. 

In total, there were 12 full-time workers associated with the compound, which was being used to store vans, trailers and construction equipment for the contractor’s work on the broadband roll-out.

Mary Robinson (Ind, Alston and Fellside) said she was “uneasy” about the piecemeal way in which development was progressing at the former Newton Rigg College site, as opposed to there being a proper masterplan in place.

However, a commitment had been made by the owners of the site to work with Westmorland and Furness Council’s local plan team to develop a formal masterplan for the former college campus further down the line, the meeting was told.

Regarding the residential properties which had been affected, Mrs Robinson said: “Having generators running for 24 hours a day is a bit different to having a car park behind you.”

Mr Foster said: “There are a number of other applications, again for temporary permission, which relate to both further areas of open storage and change of use of some of the buildings — all in relation to the roll-out of broadband within Cumbria.”

These include other areas, such as the former tennis courts, to be used for open storage. In addition, there was also an application for a catering van, which, councillors were told, was at first placed behind the residential properties, but that has since moved.

“There are a number of unfortunately pepper potted applications, all of which are for temporary uses across the site,” said Mr Foster.

Planning approval was granted for the compound on condition that its use will be restricted to storage, with no industrial activity of any kind to be undertaken, including the use of generators or plant machinery.

Andrew Watt, chartered planning and development surveyor partner, acting on behalf of the applicant, stated in an accompanying document: “The importance and economic opportunity afforded to Cumbria by Project Gigabit for businesses, households and all others with a base in the county is significant, as is the supporting role being played by Newton Rigg, hosting the main contractor’s Cumbrian business hub.”

Tags: premium

Related Posts

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed
News

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research
News

Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

11 July 2025
Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen
News

Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

11 July 2025
Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years
News

Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

11 July 2025
Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus
News

Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

11 July 2025
Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape
Latest

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

11 July 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone

Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone

7 July 2025
Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

11 July 2025
Inflation and the impact on savings

Inflation and the impact on savings

11 July 2025
Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

11 July 2025
Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

11 July 2025
Master cross-border business: Smart strategies for UK-Ireland business success

Master cross-border business: Smart strategies for UK-Ireland business success

11 July 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald