Iron Line, Millom, Cumbria

Copeland Borough Council (CBC), led by the Millom Town Deal Board, is delighted to have been awarded a sizeable grant from thegovernment's Town Deal, to deliver a transformational programme of investment and development for the Millom and Haverigg area.

Thepurpose of the funding is to drive long term economic and productivity growth, through investment in connectivity, land use, economicassets (including cultural assets), skills and enterprise infrastructure.Millom is a peninsular town in South West Cumbria.

Together with the adjacent coastal settlement of Haverigg, it is home to 7,300residents and serves a large rural catchment of some 11,500 residents.

Millom's growth was founded on the discovery of iron ore inHodbarrow in the mid 19th Century, however since the closure of the mines in 1968, the town has been left without a clear economicpurpose.

Today, Millom is struggling to maintain a vibrant and viable town centre offer.

It is the intention to use the Town Deal grant tofacilitate economic growth, through a place making initiative celebrating the town's exceptional natural environment, and so, underpin athriving and resilient community through sensitive public realm design, heritage, and culture.Millom has a unique and breathtaking setting, framed by the Lake District fells, the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea.

It is this naturalsetting and the industrial heritage of the iron works at Hodbarrow that are the catalysts for ambitious plans to drive sustainable economicgrowth across the area, by creating thriving independent businesses and a distinctive culture, arts and tourism offer, in close proximity tothe UNESCO heritage site that is the Lake District National Park.The awarded funding is for four interlinked projects, each of which has been selected by the local community, which together form theTown Investment Plan:1.

The Iron Line2.

Reactivating heritage buildings3.

Activating community health4.

Connecting Millom and HaveriggThis competition addresses one of these projects: the Iron Line.The Iron Line is conceived as one element in South Copeland's tourism offer, a day out for visitors but somewhere to return to because ofits natural beauty and the quality of its educational and commercial offers.

The aim of the Iron Line is to transform the area around theunique coastal lagoon at Millom into a recreational attraction that fuses ecology,heritage and culture within this fully inclusive naturalgreen space.As a point of difference, the project must embellish and support Millom's reputation as a fully accessible place to visit, work and live,facilitating health and wellbeing within the local population and helping to attract the 'purple pound' with a positive approach toaccessibility for all.

The Iron Line will target all ages and provide a multi-sensory experience so everyone can participate and enjoy theunique setting.However, perhaps the most important issue for any design team will be the balance between nature and humans - how can the critical needfor economic prosperity and development to support the local population be balanced with the sanctity of the natural setting on thisimportant piece of England's natural coastline.