Derwent Forest

Derwent ForestAllerdale Borough Council has agreed to acquire the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Broughton Moor, subject to the receipt of a grant offer for its reclamation.
The Council and its partners on the Derwent Forest Shadow Board including West Lakes Renaissance, North West Development Agency, Forestry Commission and Cumbria County Council, are keen to promote the site for leisure and tourism uses, based upon the concept of a Regional Forest Park and associated development sites.
The Council are actively seeking development partners for the site.

Introduction to the Project
Allerdale Borough Council with the support of the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and West Lakes Renaissance have the unique opportunity to acquire the former RNAD Broughton Moor site, near Cockermouth, Cumbria. This is seen as an exceptional opportunity, offering an unrivalled potential to deliver real benefit to the West Cumbrian economy, and to the people who live in and who visit this exceptional region.
Derwent Forest offers the chance to link the popularity of the Lake District National Park with Cumbria's west coast, and to boost the whole image of the area on a scale that can attract visitors and economic activity making a real and sustained difference to West Cumbria's economy. A number of high profile users of national and of international reputation have already expressed their interest in being part of a new future for the site. In addition, the North West Development Agency (NWDA) is working alongside Allerdale giving the potential to access public sector funding to underpin new development.
Due to the nature of the site's historic use as an armament storage facility, there are a number of ground and decontamination works that need to be undertaken before new development can take place. However, before agreeing final terms for the site's transfer and commencement of works, the Council and it's partners want to raise the markets' awareness of this major regional development opportunity and seek expressions of interest from developers and occupiers for the site.

Background to the Site

Broughton Moor Location MapCovering an area of 425 ha (1,050 acres), the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) at Broughton Moor is the largest brownfield site in the whole of the North West of England. It represents an exceptional development opportunity, situated in a central position at the heart of the West Cumbrian sub-region, in an area of potential that stretches from Cockermouth at the edge of the Lake District National Park to the two West Cumbrian coastal towns of Workington and historic Maryport.
The site's history over the last century has been an eclectic one. Compulsorily assembled from agricultural and coal mining origins, and effectively isolated by the MOD from its immediate locality since 1939, active operations at the site ceased in 1992. Since this time, the site has lain redundant and under-utilised, until Allerdale Borough Council was offered the opportunity to purchase in 2000.
The site has been closed to public access for over 50 years. Over that time it has developed a unique environmental character, with a wide variety of species of plants and animals. The reclamation scheme is designed to respect these delicate habitats and future uses of the site will reflect the site's unique ecological heritage.

Objectives of the Project

DTML Arial North West PerspectiveAllerdale Borough Council has welcomed the opportunity to acquire the site, recognising its potential to bring significant economic, environmental and community benefits to the area contributing to the Council's overarching vision of an area in which all communities share in the prosperity currently only enjoyed in parts of the Borough. From the outset, Allerdale Borough Council has wanted to achieve economic, environmental and community benefits from the site and the proposed plans go a long way to achieving this in a way that can be sustained for future generations.
The Council has consulted widely with local communities and partners at local and regional level. It has established the following broad aims which the after use should achieve:
  • Economic Benefits through raising the profile of West Cumbria at regional and national level; attracting inward investment to the area, creating a tourism magnet between the Lake District and the Coast; creating jobs and training opportunities.
  • Environmental Benefits through the removal of dereliction, maintenance of habitats and biodiversity, developing sustainable environmental enterprises.
  • Community Benefits by ensuring that economic and environmental benefits to West Cumbria impact positively on local communities.
The Council has agreed that the preferred route to securing these objectives on the Broughton Moor site is through a tourism and leisure development on the site and agreed supplementary planning guidance for the site in March 2004.
Allerdale Borough Council is committed to the concept of local jobs for local people and is willing to co-ordinate pre-entry level training in partnership with developers. The Council is currently involved in customer care programmes with the retail sector and in the development of specific construction training initiatives. These can be developed and enhanced for users at Broughton Moor and the Council is already in discussion with the preferred contractor for the site, BIRSE, on the possibility of local labour initiatives.

...Potential Development and Activity Areas...

Within the Forest Park setting will be a number of smaller development sites for commercial uses, to bring jobs and visitors to the area, along with 'activity areas', where outdoor activities could take place. Possible uses include Forest Lodges, high quality hotel accommodation, education facilities and tourist attractions. Activities could include golf, paintballing, coarse fishing and sporting events. These developments are essential if we are to provide local employment opportunities.

The unique selling point of Derwent Forest is its harmony with the natural environment. The existing wildlife is being protected, the natural vegetation is being enhanced and all developments will be expected to take account of sustainable development principles. Alongside that, the Council and its partners are looking at the potential for renewable energy on the site and have erected a wind turbine monitoring mast to assess the possibilities.

...Next Steps...

Cumbria Vision will now seek the full engagement of the private sector in any potential end use and report back to the Agency Board before any decision to invest is made.

This new round of expressions of interest will be conducted through the European Journal and may take some months to complete.

It is important to point out that NWDA has budgeted £9 million for Derwent Forest in its Strategic Investment Plan and is prepared to be flexible on timing.  The NWRDA are also keen to reassure partners that the £1.6 million European Funding contributions to the project will be safeguarded.  The Board of NWRDA has resolved to commit this sum providing that a viable plan can be produced following the tender exercise. Please see the latest news section for full details of what conditions the NWRDA expect to be in place before a viable project is likely to be developed.

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Contact Information

For more information please contact Regeneration.

Telephone Number 01900 702773

Cumbria's sub-regional partnership, Cumbria Vision, are now leading on the redevelopment of the Derwent Forest site. Contact details are provided below:
t: 01768 861316
e: info@cumbriavision.org

You can also contact David Martin, Allerdale Borough Council's Director of Partnerships & Community for further details.
t: 01900 702773
e: regeneration@allerdale.gov.uk

last updated Friday, November 09, 2007