There is still a vision to regenerate Carlisle, says city council leader
Last updated at 15:19, Friday, 05 March 2010

Fierce critics of Carlisle Renaissance – and there are plenty of them – may now be cheerfully convinced they’ve successfully seen off a costly mistake.

They may even be resting comfortably on their laurels, snoozing gently in self-congratulation.

But they’d be wrong to kick off their shoes just yet. Moves to refocus and restructure Carlisle Renaissance, reshaping from the old disappointment an invigorated new body with revised direction and drive, don’t signal the end of the initiative – rather they mark its coming of age.

What finally emerges from the inaptly named Renaissance, following a review by all its funding partners, is now uppermost in the minds of all who remain anxious and impatient for overdue signs of city regeneration.

Carlisle council leader Mike Mitchelson is perhaps one of the most impatient. His vision for a city with style, vibrancy, population growth, new business, more quality jobs, heightened cultural activity, raised profile and deeper pride has been set back at several stages and on many levels over recent months and years.

Renaissance was to have been the vehicle on which regional funding and private sector investment was delivered directly into the heart of Carlisle, to allow the city to blossom and flourish in a new era of modernity and prosperity. But it didn’t quite work out that way.

“Global financial crisis, deep recession, the Government pulling funding from the university – which was always key to the future of Carlisle – nobody could blame Renaissance for any of that,” Mike Mitchelson said, musing over what is looking like increasingly urgent and challenging business ahead.

“Promises made by potential private sector investors in better financial weather, disappeared when the chill set in. Projects and plans stalled here in Carlisle – as they did everywhere. It has been desperately frustrating.

“Most disappointing has been the situation with the university. The plan for the campus at Caldew Riverside was a great one. It would have locked the University of Cumbria into Carlisle and brought all the advantages we needed and wanted for growth.

“When the funding plug was pulled and the university said its Caldew Riverside flagship campus wouldn’t be achievable within 10 years and possibly not even after that, I agreed with Bryan Gray (Renaissance chairman) that the statement had been made too hastily.

“The world can change in three days. Writing off any plan for more than a decade and perhaps forever, on the basis of a setback – albeit a serious one – is unhelpful and unrealistic.

“I’d have preferred a commitment that intentions were to move to the site when circumstances changed. I’d have preferred the option still to be there.

“But that’s not possible now and we have to look to make the best of what’s left – new mixed use tenancy for Caldew Riverside perhaps and the sale of the Tesco Morton site on the open market to unlock funding for other projects.”

Mike Mitchelson holds onto the optimism that has so many times forced him to revert to Plan B, turn a different corner, negotiate a little harder with a new bargaining position.

It has also led him, on more than one occasion, publicly to defend Carlisle Renaissance. Most recently after the failure of Carlisle’s UK City of Culture bid.

“It’s really not for me to defend Renaissance,” he said. “But I do defend its purpose. I have to. We need it if we want to secure money for Carlisle.

“The way of the world is that Renaissance is a necessary facilitator. Without a body such as this, we are unable to seek investment – private and public money – for regeneration of the city. The quango system this government presides over makes it vital. Our bids for cash must have the Renaissance stamp on them.

“I can’t and won’t pre-empt the review that will start probably within the next few weeks. But it might well be that a restructuring will be the outcome. It might also be that we think it best to bring the initiative under the city council’s economic development umbrella.

“But whatever form it takes, what was launched as a regeneration facilitator in 2005 will still exist. It has to. There is no alternative.”

He agrees that Renaissance has failed to connect with many people in Carlisle and that large numbers have been unable to appreciate its role never was to lay bricks, build buildings, open theatres.

“It has been said Renaissance should be renamed, rebranded and relaunched,” he said.

“People aren’t that gullible. A change of name means nothing. It needs to be refocused and redirected to deliver the vision for Carlisle. And it needs to connect and be understood by the people of Carlisle who want a result from the vision.”

That vision remains in place, with or without Carlisle Renaissance, whose role has been to secure the means for making the vision a reality.

The vision is still for the University of Cumbria to make its headquarters in the city.

“It can’t be acceptable for the University of Cumbria to have its HQ in Lancaster.”

The vision still aims to regenerate Carlisle by attracting – even incentivising – new businesses into the city, bringing new jobs and aspirational opportunities.

It still is to move forward with the ambitious Sands Centre project, providing sports hall, conference centre, swimming pool and performance space. It still is for that pool to replace the old council pool, unlocking land behind the railway station for car parking and a passenger interchange.

The vision for Carlisle still drives desire for change, improvement and new employment at St Nicholas Gate, Botchergate and Durranhill industrial estate; the development of a commercial and business estate at junction 42 of the M6; exploitation of the city’s historic quarter as an attractive destination for visitors and residents alike, capitalising on the advantages of the cathedral, castle and Tullie House.

“Botchergate is a real challenge,” he said. “There’s some money available for a limited tidying-up exercise but I’m keenly aware Botchergate needs serious attention.

“What’s needed is new businesses to move in there. And of course we are all aware that the more the area declines, the less likely it is that many will want to move in. With the best will in the world, nobody can force companies to move into Botchergate. But we can incentivise in a number of ways and we’re looking at that.”

Part of the vision for Carlisle has also been the provision of new facilities for the vulnerable and those sometimes overlooked. There’s new accommodation for women and children and a site for travellers.

Perhaps more important than any of that sample of hopes, dreams and targets for new infrastructure with accompanying cultural and business improvements, the raising of the aspirations of citizens forms a vital key to Carlisle’s future potential.

Resignation to familiar mediocrity is part and parcel of recessionary thinking everywhere. Carlisle’s acceptance of the status quo is deep-seated. It has been in place longer than this recession. Expectations are conservative, change tends to be resisted as a matter of course. And if that doesn’t change, council management of mediocrity will become an unhealthy inevitability.

“Engagement with and enthusiasm for change is crucial if Carlisle is to realise its potential,” said the city council leader.

“The city of culture bid was a case in point. We knew we wouldn’t walk away with the title on first attempt – especially when set in competition against Sheffield and Birmingham, both cities with huge resources.

“But we did manage to spark off discussion and lively debate about what our culture was, how we would like it to evolve, how to include more people in cultural activity. None of that was a waste.

“We were invited top join the Historic Cities Group, which includes York and Chester. We’ve also been also recognised as an events city and have partnered Newcastle in what promises to be the spectacular lighting of Hadrian’s Wall. That’s exciting, I think.

“I know we’ll hear again that we need a theatre. We’ll likely hear again we need the Lonsdale to be a theatre. But the Save Our Lonsdale Group is now a trust and has its own opportunities to investigate the feasibility of turning an old picture house into a theatre capable of staging large scale productions – and of how funding to fill and sustain it, year in year out, can be assured.

“What happens in Carlisle now and in years ahead will only come satisfactorily to fruition when people in the city get behind change with their own motivation for deserving something better than they have now. It simply has to happen.”

It’s a logical statement which brings to mind the number of highly vocal minority groups which have – and still do – block development of ambitious projects for growth. All have been tough challenges – not all of them have been insurmountable. But they add to the sense that everything moves more slowly in Carlisle.

In the end – or rather, in its newly drawn beginning – whatever Renaissance evolves into in the near future will be a critical piece in Carlisle’s regeneration jigsaw.

However it is led, whoever takes on its leadership – politicians or business people – the creature soon to rise from the ashes of disappointment will still be required to tempt, beg, cajole, negotiate and manoeuvre investment into a city sorely in need of it. That is the way of the world. The strange quango world, from which – for the moment – there is no escape.

Best not write off Renaissance just yet. Looking for its evolution, pressing for its maturing change of nature and focus makes positive sense.

But so long as there is a vision for a regenerated, improved and more vibrant, vitally engaged Carlisle, Renaissance will – in some form or other – be a part of the machinery necessary to keep the city’s wheels turning.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Is this the end for Carlisle Renaissance?
Last updated at 12:32, Wednesday, 03 March 2010

The days of Carlisle Renaissance – which has cost taxpayers £6.6m – appear to be numbered.

The initiative launched to revitalise the city after the 2005 floods has been beset by controversy and false starts.

Now the organisations that fund it are to review its future. They could scrap Renaissance, relaunch it under a new name or radically change its structure and priorities.

Cumbria County Council leader Jim Buchanan said: “We have to look at the way regeneration in Carlisle is delivered. Carlisle Renaissance as a name has lost all credibility with people in Carlisle.”

The county council is one of three bodies that pay for Renaissance. The others are Carlisle City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which provides most of the cash.

Mr Buchanan said the NWDA fully supported the review.

Steve Broomhead, its chief executive, told the News & Star: “It is important that the local authorities in Carlisle consider and review the role and activities of Carlisle Renaissance, which was created at their request.”

City council leader Mike Mitchelson hinted that it might take on Renaissance’s role. He said: “As part of a restructuring of our economic development directorate, we will be reviewing all regeneration projects – how they work and how they are delivered.

“That does include the work and function of Carlisle Renaissance.”

Renaissance was launched by John Prescott, then the Deputy Prime Minister, in August 2005.

Consultants drew up plans for a series of city squares including a new plaza in Rickergate and a ‘movement strategy’ calling for an inner-relief road from Botchergate to Wigton Road. Three years later control passed from the city and county councils to an independent board made up of public and private-sector representatives, chaired by the then chairman of the NWDA Bryan Gray.

He quickly dropped the controversial proposal to redevelop Rickergate.

Last month Renaissance’s flagship scheme collapsed when the University of Cumbria shelved plans for a campus in Viaduct Estate.

Only last week its bid to make Carlisle ‘UK City of Culture’ in 2013 was rejected by Culture Minister Margaret Hodge, intensifying pressure on Mr Gray and the board.

The News & Star’s sister paper, The Cumberland News, revealed in January Renaissance had cost taxpayers £6.6m. Critics say there is nothing to show for it. Carlisle MP Eric Martlew has called for Renaissance to be wound up.

And John Stevenson, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Carlisle, recently called for it to be renamed.

Michael Boaden, leader of the opposition Labour group on the city council and the man chosen to succeed Mr Martlew as Labour candidate for Carlisle, said the review was “absolutely inevitable”.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]

Carlisle's city of culture bid failed because it lacked 'ambition'
Last updated at 11:06, Saturday, 27 February 2010

Carlisle's bid to become ‘UK City of Culture’ failed because it lacked “ambition” and was unlikely to attract visitors from across the UK or overseas.

* Video: Carlisle Renaissance bid failure press conference

Related: Fears for Carlisle Renaissance after UK City of Culture bid fails

Related: What the judges said about Carlisle in full

Culture Minister Margaret Hodge announced on Wednesday that Carlisle had not made the shortlist for the first UK City of Culture in 2013.

Carlisle Renaissance drew up a £5.5m programme including a festival of light, banquet, classical and pop concerts, film festival and a mini-Olympic games.

This failed to convince the shortlisting panel, chaired by Brookside creator Phil Redmond, which opted or Birmingham, Londonderry, Norwich and Sheffield.

Consultants that advised the panel have released their assessments.

They say the bid was “well thought through” but offered “little that would provide impact/excitement on a national or international level”.
It was building on a “low base of cultural activity” and there was “little evidence of involvement of national or international artists”. Lack of funding from local authorities was another weakness.

Renaissance chairman Bryan Gray put a brave face on the announcement.

He hopes that many events planned for 2013 can still go ahead without City of Culture status. These might include a revival of the medieval Great Fair and an open-air ice rink. at Carlisle Castle.

Mr Gray said: “We all said when we bid for City of Culture that this was a real opportunity for Carlisle to get its cultural act together. That has been achieved. Yes it’s disappointing but we need to build on the work that has been done in bringing together the cultural community in Carlisle and go forward in a positive manner.”

He has not ruled out a bid to become the next City of Culture in 2017.

Renaissance spent £10,000 on the bid. Had Carlisle succeeded, it argued, the city would have received 350,000 visitors who would have spent £10m and created up to 2,000 jobs.

Mr Gray added: “If you don’t try you never win.

“If people take a negative view that’s very sad for Carlisle.” We have to get out of this underdog approach.”

The decision on City of Culture follows the collapse of Renaissance’s flagship scheme for a university campus in Viaduct Estate.

John Stevenson, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Carlisle, is calling for the initiative to be renamed and for politicians – rather than its unelected board – to take a leading role.

Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]