The University of Cumbria launched a public consultation on its plans for a new campus in the centre of Carlisle yesterday.

The new £77.5m site would be beside the railway station.

It would incorporate the Grade I-listed Citadel buildings and the majority of the Woolworths building.

It would also include the creation of publicly accessible facilities such as a multi-purpose 200-seater lecture theatre, café, exhibition space and a Business Interaction Centre as well as access to the Citadel buildings.

The aim is for building to start in 2023 and the project to be completed in 2026.

A public exhibition displaying the plans was in the Old Town Hall yesterday.

The consultation follows recent confirmation that £50 million of funding is being provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.

Professor Julie Mennell, vice chancellor of the University of Cumbria, said: “The University of Cumbria is of and for Cumbria, and was established to make higher education more accessible for those within the region and attract new people to the area.

“The new campus will help to raise the profile, vibrancy and economic wellbeing of the city and region.

"We want it to be inclusive, inviting and inspiring, providing accessible, digitally-enabled and state of the art learning, as well as working with local employers in order to upskill and reskill employees and develop the workforce of the future.

"It will also be a central hub for engagement across strategic partnerships with employers, education providers and key stakeholders within the region and beyond.”

Kate McLaughlin-Flynn, director of finance and resources and deputy chief operating officer at the University of Cumbria, was at the exhibition yesterday.

She was joined by Neil Elliott and Tony Catherall, architects from DAY Architectural Ltd.

All three were answering questions about the project.

The public exhibition will be on display again on Saturday between 10am and 5pm.

Representatives from the University of Cumbria, DAY Architectural, and planning consultancy DPP will be on hand to answer any queries.

The public consultation is online until Sunday 19 December.

The plans can be viewed at https://dppukltd.com/uoccarlislecitadels/

Kate McLaughlin-Flynn said that comments and feedback are welcomed.

She said: "We want to hear people’s views about our plans so that we can incorporate those in our thinking."