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No Renaissance building
work in 2009, says boss Bryan Gray, chairman of the Carlisle Renaissance board, said he was aware of impatience and concern at a lack of progress in the scheme. He warned there would be no building work started in 2009, but promised: “During this year we will see a huge progress, not in buildings being built, but by clarity of what we are going to do. There will be concrete proposals for the historic quarter and the University of Cumbria. “It will be a year of decision and being able to show to people ‘this is the vision for Carlisle’ in enough detail that they will be excited by it. We are going to have bold, visionary schemes that take Carlisle a big leap forward. Once you get the plans right, you can build things quite quickly.” Those changes could involve taking over the old Woolworths store on English Street. Mr Gray revealed that the empty store was now “in the melting pot” as part of the city’s redevelopment as planners look to improve access to and within the city centre. He agreed that the collapse of the company and the closure of the city store now presented “a new opportunity that was not there before”. The Renaissance chief will be discussing development of the city’s historic quarter with representatives from the cathedral, Tullie House, the castle and Hadrian’s Wall within the next 10 days. Meanwhile, senior county councillors have criticised the slow progress of the plans. Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] Rickergate residents slam Carlisle council’s
revamp plans A Renaissance scheme to bulldoze much of the area was shelved last year. It drew widespread criticism from residents who launched the Save Our Streets campaign to fight the plans. A deputation from Save Our Streets addressed the council, demanding a bigger say in any new proposals. Simon Osman, on behalf of the group, said: “At first glance Rickergate doesn’t appear to be of much significance – three streets, 50 residential houses and 13 small businesses. “However, it is the living community of the area that is so important. “This community works. It has lived through the floods [of 2005] and their aftermath and is the stronger for it.” He quoted from a residents’ survey carried out by Save Our Streets last year. All those who responded said they liked living there and 88 per cent wanted to continue to do so. Virtually all welcomed “positive improvements”. And 86 per cent were unhappy with the way the council had communicated with them about the original Renaissance scheme. This would have led to the demolition of homes in Warwick Street, the fire station opposite, the former police station, the magistrates’ court, Adriano’s restaurant and the Civic Centre. In their place would have come a continental-style plaza with shops, offices, apartments and possibly a four-star hotel and conference centre. Mr Osman welcomed the council’s intention to draw up a new development brief and urged it to involve residents from the outset. He added: “The Rickergate community welcomes this brief and wants to contribute extensively to it. We as local people understand Rickergate’s problems best.” Council leader Mike Mitchelson promised residents would be consulted. He said: “Representatives of Save Our Streets will have ample opportunity to have input into this process.” Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] Put Warwick Road in Renaissance plan City councillors voted last night to ask the independent Renaissance board to include Warwick Road in plans to revitalise the city. Opposition Labour group leader Michael Boaden had tabled a motion calling on the council to buy empty property there for potential redevelopment. But the council’s leader, Conservative Mike Mitchelson, argued that was unrealistic. “Where does he suppose the funding is coming from to buy all these properties?” he said. “Is he setting a precedent? Does he want to buy every empty property in Carlisle? “It’s an absolute fallacy to think this council has millions of pounds to buy empty buildings.” The whole of the southern side of Warwick Road from the former Lonsdale Cinema to Bar Suede, at the corner of The Crescent, is now empty. The buildings include the old Crown Post Office and White House pub. Mr Boaden told councillors: “If we are spending money on a feasibility study for the Lonsdale, we should be looking at the potential of adjacent buildings and talking to the landowners. “It’s time for some action on this.” Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] Whatever happened to Carlisle renaissance? A city that had been knocked to its knees by the floods was promised a multi-million makeover that would bring jobs, money and a certain style and culture to the city.Carlisle could become another York or Chester – a mix of old-world historic charm mixed with the attitude of a modern, forward-looking university city with a lively and varied arts scene and a destination for tourists, shoppers and those who just want to enjoy a day out in a lively, interesting and surprising place. The Carlisle Renaissance scheme was launched by the then deputy prime minister John Prescott and centred on major redevelopments of Rickergate and the Viaduct Estate, which will become the headquarters of the University of Cumbria. But four years on, serious Renaissance plans – any plans – haven’t made it onto a page, let alone a drawing board, while work to regenerate West Cumbria continues to move at pace. There is now concern among shoppers, workers and businessmen in Carlisle about what is actually happening and whether the economic recession and lack of pace in the project could cost vital funding. Renaissance chief Bryan Gray insists that 2009 will be a year of major advances in the redesign of Carlisle with detailed plans unveiled – though no building work will actually be carried out. He sympathised with chairman of the Cumbria Vision regeneration agency Roger Liddle and those who feel anxious at a lack of action but insisted that spending time on producing bold and innovative plans and winning the support of people for those plans was vital before any groundwork could start. Mr Liddle has warned that delays caused by council politicking could jeopardise the scheme and added: “The risk in Cumbria is that we argue so long we find we’ve lost the money to get it built.” Mr Gray, chairman of the Carlisle Renaissance board, said: “Roger is saying the same things as many people in Carlisle. “People do want to see some progress and I agree with all that but we do not want the wrong things to be done. “I am very, very keen that now we have worked out what we need to do, we need to put flesh on the bones and take people with us. “You are far better off spending more time planning and having a really good plan than just implementing something quickly.” He stressed that time spent on planning and being visionary would pay dividends: “Since I arrived last April we have got clear focus but it does take a lot of time to do these big things.” Exactly two years ago this month, Mr Prescott said the city would be redeveloped with a “wow factor”. He also announced an architectural ideas competition, run in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects, to design buildings for the Rickergate area. A similar competition produced the acclaimed and iconic designs for the Sage Music Centre and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. A short time after his statement, the first plans were unveiled. Consultants produced proposals for the wholesale redevelopment of Rickergate, including demolition of the Civic Centre and homes in Warwick Street, to make way for shops, offices, a tree-lined square and a hotel. It caused an outcry from people living in the area and the plans have now been rejected by the Renaissance Board, appointed by the city council to oversee the regeneration project. Another scheme to part pedestrianise the area around the Cathedral has also been shelved following opposition from local businesses. While Carlisle struggles to come to terms with remodelling itself, massive regeneration works are already underway in the west of the county where it was feared that the decommissioning of Sellafield could leave a massive economic black hole. Bob Pointing is chief executive of West Lakes Renaissance, the urban regeneration company coordinating multi-million pound schemes aimed at reviving the economy of Furness and West Cumbria. Over the next 10 years it aims to invest £200m and create 5,000 new jobs investing in the new nuclear academy, renewable energy developments, new housing and regenerating towns. Some £20m is being spent on ventures from Barrow marina to Maryport town this financial year and a similar amount is likely to be spent next year across the region, involving 11 towns and two local authorities. Mr Pointing warned that establishing a regeneration group and then putting plans into effect took time. “We have been in existence for just over five years and have had to build a team, offices and a financial programme.” The key part of the project was ensuring local authorities and developers all worked together. “We could not do anything without local authority support. It is very important for everyone to put politicking aside,” added Mr Pointing. Mr Gray, who is chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said he was prepared to “knock heads together” if necessary to draw up schemes but said the plans had to “win hearts and minds”. He explained: “If we just went ahead with a scheme we would be accused of railroading and doing the wrong things and I want everyone to be excited and supportive. “We are going to have bold, visionary schemes that take Carlisle a big leap forward. “Once you get the plans right, you can build things quite quickly. “We have got a clear focus and it does take a lot of time to do these big things. “During this year we will see a huge progress, not in buildings being built but by clarity of what we are going to do. There will be concrete proposals for the historic quarter and the university. “I can’t say when exactly but hopefully we should see first drafts in the first half of the year. “It will be a year of decision and being able to show to people ‘this is the vision for Carlisle’ in enough detail that they will be excited by it. “I helped start the West Cumbria plans seven years ago, doing exactly what we are doing in Carlisle now. We are starting later in Carlisle but it will happen quicker because more foundation work has already been done.” Alternatively, it could carry on, gently haemorrhaging businesses and jobs. Slowly sliding into a gloomy town, where empty stores become charity shops because they don’t have to pay rates. Gap has gone, so has Woolworths, Zavvi is in administration and the city has lost a host of pubs. The credit crunch has raised fears that the millions originally planned for the Renaissance scheme will not be available as private financiers and the Government find secure or more needy projects to invest in. While public finance from the North West Development Agency is guaranteed for the west, Mr Pointing does have concerns about future private financing. But he says Cumbria is better placed than other areas of the country to cope with the economic downturn and offers more opportunities for private investors. Mr Gray added: “Financial conditions have to be a concern but they are not something to worry about. “The public sector is still spending money and there is private money for the right project. We have to make surer we have something really inspiring for the investor.” Rob Johnston, chief executive of the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce reckons it is time for business people and politicians in Carlisle to unite and pull together to regenerate the city. He said: “Part of leadership is about the ability to take those ideas and turn them into reality and make Carlisle function. “They have to deliver, which means bringing everyone together.” Nodding to the major works going on in the west of the county, he said they was happening because people had realised something drastic needed to be done for the region. “It is pretty damn amazing what they have achieved in West Cumbria. “Carlisle has always had a gentle mixed economy that has never been under threat enough to bring people together. “This is the time when we should pull together. “Carlisle has its location, connections and fantastic history – give it a tweak and it is a fantastic product.” Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] What has Renaissance done for Carlisle? Former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott launched the Renaissance initiative in 2005 as a response to the severe flooding in January of that year. But Cumbria County Council leader Stewart Young says there is little to show for it. Addressing the council’s cabinet on Wednesday, Mr Young, a Labour councillor for Upperby, said: “It’s exactly four years ago that the Carlisle floods happened. Carlisle Renaissance was a direct response to those floods. But in four years there’s been very little in terms of outcomes. “Carlisle Renaissance has a habit of badging other people’s outcomes as their own, such as the University of Cumbria’s campus. They need to get on with work and show some early wins.” His cabinet colleague, Dearham councillor Alan Clark, also weighed in with a comparison to the popular 1970s US TV series The Waltons where, at the end of each episode, each family member bids each other good night. He said: “It takes Carlisle Renaissance longer to do things than it takes the Waltons to say goodnight.” The cabinet meeting in Barrow approved a new agreement that sets out the relationship between the Renaissance partners – the county and city councils and the Northwest Regional Development Agency – and the new Carlisle Renaissance board. But Mr Young said he was “staggered” that the board, which took control of management of Renaissance from the city council last year, was operating before the collaboration agreement was signed. He added: “Despite the fact that the Renaissance partnership has delivered very little, now that the county council has had the opportunity to be fully engaged hopefully progress can be made.” The Renaissance board is chaired by Bryan Gray who also chairs the Northwest Development Agency. The majority of its members are drawn from the private sector, although the city and county councils each have two representatives. Under Mr Gray’s stewardship, the board has shelved controversial plans to redevelop Rickergate. Instead, its priorities are to develop a campus for the university, make more of Carlisle’s historic quarter, attract new retail, leisure and business uses to the city centre and develop sites for employment near the M6. Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] Rickergate will take charge of its destiny A multi-million pound scheme to bulldoze much of the area was shelved by the new Carlisle Renaissance board last year. It brought widespread criticism from residents who launched the Save Our Streets campaign to fight the scheme. One of the campaigners, Simon Osman, stood as an Independent in the city council elections last May. Council officials are due to start work on a new development brief in the spring. But this time they have pledged to involve residents. A report to councillors says: “Officers have already met Save Our Streets regarding preparation of the brief and advised that they will be involved in the process, as will other residents and businesses in the Rickergate area.” Save Our Streets is sending a deputation to the next city council meeting, on January 13, to argue that the Rickergate community has a “positive contribution” to make to the development brief. The group will also reveal the results of a residents’ survey it carried out. The council’s original Rickergate scheme would have led to the demolition of homes in Warwick Street, the fire station opposite, the former police station, the magistrates’ court, Adriano’s restaurant and the Civic Centre. In their place would have come a continental-style plaza with shops, offices, apartments and possibly a four-star hotel and conference centre. Save Our Streets argued that this was only the first phase and that more homes in Corporation Road and Peter Street might be demolished later. The council bought the freehold of Adriano’s for £775,000 in March, and also bought 8 Warwick Street for £125,000 in readiness for demolition. But Bryan Gray, chairman of the Carlisle Renaissance board, announced in September that the scheme was not being pursued. Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top] CBE for Carlisle Renaissance chairman Mr Gray is chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). Since taking up the chairmanship of the NWDA in 2002, Mr Gray has played a key role in drawing together regional partners to transform parts of the north west. Key initiatives include developing MediaCityUK, leading the Northwest Climate Change Action Plan, establishing the University of Cumbria and helping to deliver Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture programme. He is now chairman of Carlisle Renaissance. His other activities include being chairman of the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust and chairman of the newly formed Churches Trust for Cumbria. Mr Gray said: “To be awarded a CBE is a great honour and one which I am delighted to receive. “As well as being an honour for me, I see this as recognition of the work the agency has instigated, led or developed to ensure the ongoing economic regeneration of the region. “I am very proud today and even prouder to continue to be part of the ongoing transformation of England’s north west.” Taken from The News & Star / [Link] / [Back to top]
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