30 September 2004
Funding Secured for Luneside East
Luneside East is Lancaster City Council's flagship regeneration
project in Lancaster and a key element of the Economic Development
Zone.
Funding - to enable the council to acquire the site and prepare it
for development by the private sector - is being provided by
national regeneration agency English Partnerships, the Northwest
Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional
Development Fund.
The Council is promoting the redevelopment of the site into a high
quality mixed-use development by creating a new neighbourhood on
the quayside below the Castle. This will include some 350 new
homes, workshops and offices, integrated leisure/community uses and
high quality areas of open space.
After an intensive period of activity, the Council and its funding
partners are now geared up to delivering the regeneration of this
key site, including the comprehensive removal of contaminated land
and materials.
Over the last few months the Council has:
- Updated its planning guidance for the site to reflect changes
since the year 2000;
- Contacted all landowners and started to negotiate possible
acquisitions;
- Continued to provide assistance to businesses looking to relocate
from the site;
- Kept the local community involved with a Luneside East
newsletter;
- Completed stage 1 of the competition to appoint a lead developer
and short listed 6 potential companies/consortia;
- Worked with Transco to secure the removal of the gas
holder;
- In conjunction with the Environment Agency, secured flood
protection for the site as part of the Lower Lune Flood Protection
scheme;
- Resolved in principle to use its powers of compulsory purchase if
necessary.
By early next year, a lead developer will have been appointed and a
fixed timetable for the redevelopment will start to emerge.
Leader of the Council Ian Barker commented: " The Luneside East
Project is a genuine example of truly sustainable community led
regeneration. When completed it will totally transform this
underachieving area and set the standard for possible future
redevelopment further down the quay. I am delighted that five years
of hard work by the Council and its partners has secured the public
money necessary to carry out this ambitious project and that the
people of Lancaster District will soon be able to benefit from the
improved economic prospects this scheme will deliver."
Ian Whittaker, NWDA Area Manager for Lancashire, said: "Luneside
East has the potential to become a real jewel in the crown for the
City of Lancaster. Its location between Lancaster's Quayside and
the City Centre presents a fantastic opportunity for private sector
led re-development to make a real and lasting impact in the area.
Public sector intervention to unlock that potential is crucial on
such a complex brownfield site and the NWDA is very pleased to be
supporting this development. This impressive development will add
to significant regeneration already achieved around the Millennium
Footbridge, and further boost Lancaster's growing reputation in the
Northwest as a vibrant, high quality location in which to live and
to do business."
Paul Spooner, English Partnerships' Regional Director for the North
West and West Midlands, said: "English Partnerships is delighted to
be lead investor on this project which will regenerate -
physically, economically and socially - this previously underused
part of Lancaster. The development of a vibrant new quarter will
provide high quality homes, business space for up to 315 jobs, and
leisure facilities, including a park and a new stretch of quayside
walks plus new and improved footpath and cycle routes connecting to
the city centre."