Councillors have said they appreciate the need for investment in major improvements to the wastewater network in the Barrow area – and have sought assurances over the impact of one of the schemes on Walney.
United Utilities is upgrading 21 storm overflows across nine locations around Barrow and Walney, helping to reduce spills and enhance water quality in the Walney Channel, Irish Sea, and Morecambe Bay.
The company says these improvements will deliver long-term environmental benefits for the local community and support healthier, cleaner waterways for generations to come.
Local Westmorland and Furness councillors say they recognise why the improvements need to be carried out, but want to ensure that during the works as much as possible is done to mitigate the disruption to local communities.
Walney and Barrow councillors met with United Utilities this week as part of discussions about the impact of one of the projects, due to start in February next year, close to The Ferry Hotel on Walney.
During construction of a new 3,000m3 below-ground storage tank in that location, some parts of the recently completed 1.4 mile North Walney walking, wheeling and cycle route may need to be temporarily closed or diverted to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and a small corner of Vickerstown Park could be fenced off as part of the access arrangements for the United Utilities works.
Councillor Derek Brook, vice-chairman of Furness Locality Board, and other Walney and Barrow councillors joined United Utilities (UU) representatives and Westmorland and Furness Council officers at the site this week, to look at the UU plans in more detail and consider the impacts on the local community.
Councillor Brook said: “The investment by UU is welcomed and we understand the need for these improvements. Anything that helps to prevent spillages and improve water quality is good news for Barrow.
“We were also encouraged that UU is working closely with council officers to try to make sure any disruption to users of the park and the new active travel route is kept to a minimum.
“Since it opened in the summer, the new walking and cycling path has proved very popular and is well used, so we are keen to make sure that people can continue to access it as much as possible during the works.
“Things being discussed include ways to maintain the link for pedestrians and cyclists when any sections of the active travel route may need to be closed, the possibility of using some areas of council land to store materials on site to significantly reduce the number of vehicle movements and making sure people can still get to the bowling club.
“We are also pleased to hear that UU is committed to making sure that, once they’ve finished the works, the area will be fully reinstated and they are also working with the council to look at enhancements, which could be things like more benches or extra tree planting.
“We would like UU to do as much as possible to protect existing trees and we understand that they have also discussed providing extra parking for the bowling club, which will be welcomed by bowling club members, and they are talking to others in the area that will be affected, like the owners of the stables, allotment users and the Ferry Hotel and Marine Club.’’
United Utilities say the work on Walney will take 18 months to two years to complete. Community information drop-ins are being planned in January to give residents an opportunity to find out more about the project.
Councillor Brook continued: “While we recognise the importance of the works and the benefits they will ultimately bring, we want to make sure that UU continue to keep the community informed and that everything possible is done to minimise the disruption.’’