11/11/03 - South Lakeland Gateway Project gets go-ahead

Today, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet agreed to contribute £40k towards the planning and feasibility study for the South Lakeland Gateway Project.  This project is one of the County’s major rural regeneration initiatives to strengthen the rural economy through developing and marketing local produce.

The main aim of the project is to bring together branded farm produce, an auction market and other rural activities in a unique visitor attraction close to Cumbria’s southern gateway, connecting consumers with producers and providing a new way of selling agricultural produce.  The project will cost £162k and is being developed by a partnership involving the Rural Regeneration Company and a number of other public and private sector bodies.   

County Councillor Lawson Short, Cabinet Spokesman for Economic Development says

“I am delighted that the Cabinet has today agreed to support the master planning and economic feasibility study work for this project before the planning application is submitted.  We need to make sure that a rigorous evaluation of the project is carried out before we make any final decision on its progress.  This Council has a long history of supporting economic development initiatives both independently and working with a variety of partners. We are committed to regenerating Cumbria’s economy and renewing our most deprived communities and the funding we have approved today will go some way towards achieving those goals.”