PLANS to redevelop Carlisle’s historic Citadel buildings into a state of the art university campus have been officially submitted to the city council.
The redevelopment of the Citadel buildings will create a new University of Cumbria campus with £50 million in funding from the Borderland Inclusive Growth Deal.
The campus is just a stone’s throw from another iconic location set for a facelift. Carlisle Citadel Railway Station will also see a regeneration, thanks to £20 million from the growth deal.
The works on both locations are designed to make them a key player in their respective sectors.
Leader of Cumbria County Council Stewart Young said: “It's great to see this key project take another step forward.
“Taken together with plans for Carlisle Station, the investment of over £70 million by the Borderlands Partnership will help secure the future of the University in the county, and will underpin the economic recovery of the city centre.”
READ MORE: Four Cumbrian climate activists arrested in ‘Just Stop Oil’ protest
An application submitted to the city council for approval on Monday will see the change of use of the Citadels which comprise The Crown Court, Nisi Prius and Hospital Wing.
It is also proposed that the new campus incorporates 94-96 English Street, known locally as the Woolworths building, 98-104 English Street and 185 Victoria Viaduct.
As well as remodelling the buildings for higher education use, plans will create a café in the ground floor of the extended Woolworths building and a new accessible public realm/civil space.
CGI images illustrating how the campus could look have been revealed this week.
The designs, produced by DAY Architectural Limited show that the iconic Grade I listed rotundas will be retained in the new campus.
University of Cumbria, Vice Chancellor, Professor Julie Mennell said: “The submission of the planning application takes us another step closer to realising our ambition to develop a new university campus in the heart of the city.
“A truly transformational project, the new Citadels campus will increase the accessibility, reach and impact of our academic offer.
“It will also add vibrancy to the city centre increasing activity, footfall and investment, and support our region’s post-covid recovery.”
The Carlisle Citadels Campus Project has been developed by the University of Cumbria, Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council, and Cumbria LEP as a key partner.
£50 million of funding for the project is being provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal with an additional £4 million from the Carlisle Town Deal Fund and the university expected to help meet the £77.5 million total cost.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel