Project information

Longtown moving forward is about looking at the public buildings, services and facilities in Longtown and asking if they are what is needed by the local community for the future. This could be thinking about the range of services currently available, whether public buildings are in a fit state or even whether new facilities might be needed.   The project is being lead by Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council. 

The outcome of Longtown moving forward will be a set of recommendations for the future that will be considered for approval by the councils later in 2008. The recommendations will be based on what local people and community groups in the area have said, along with careful consideration by the councils of whether the recommendations are viable and sustainable in the future.

The closure of Lochinvar School has provided the starting point for this project. There is an opportunity to think about how the space the school currently occupies (and the surrounding public buildings like the library or Sure Start building) might be used more effectively to benefit the community in future. The County Council also needs to ensure that the shut down of the school is managed safely. It is very early days for this project and the Councils have not already decided how things should be.

This is a long-term project. There is a lot of work to do before things will change, so don’t expect things to happen overnight. We need to take time to make sure everyone has had the chance to have their say and that it has been very carefully thought through how anything new would work financially and practically. Similar projects to this in Cumbria have taken 3 to 5 years from start to finish.