CONCERN continues to grow over the future of the Tribe site in Bitts Park, with members of the community taking action by launching a petition advocating for the site to stay open. 

Barely a year after opening, the Tribe Community Interest Company (CIC) which ran the site catering to food stalls in a popular courtyard, entered voluntary liquidation and ceased trading.

Mihaela Tuiu started the petition which now stands at 616 signatures, with hopes of reaching 1,000 to "prove to Carlisle City Council that this site deserves to stay open and keep serving our lovely community." 

Lifelong Carlisle resident, Ann Sutcliffe, said: "I've never seen Bitts Park so busy and it's the best thing I've seen in Carlisle in all my years of living here.

READ MORE: Former city councillor slams council over Tribe Carlisle

"It provided such a lift for all the city.

"I hope it stays and I hope the council can do everything in their power to keep the site going because if not, Bitts Park will go back to being a wasteland," she said. 

The former operator, Joe Gardham, was contracted to run the site by Carlisle City Council upon its opening in August last year.

The venue at Bitts Park will now have to find a new operator if the site is to continue to run, however the council have said they are following a legal process to 'obtain possession of the site'. 

"I thought for once we had a fantastic thing in Carlisle but for it to fail like this is so demoralising for everyone," Ms Sutcliffe went on

"I walk my dogs down here everyday and there's such a little community down here which will be missed if it goes."

In response to the petition, a Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that the community interest company managing the Tribe site has gone into liquidation and has ceased trading.

“We are now following due legal process to obtain possession of the site.

"The future operation of the site is being considered by the council but in the meantime, we’ve reached out the existing tenants to discuss how they could potentially continue trading in the future.”

READ MORE: Tribe CIC 'ceases trading' - but vendors will continue to do business