A new pocket park is set to be created in Dalton with funding from the Borderlands programme, transforming a vacant town-centre site into a new space for residents for everyday use and community events.
A sum of £570,000 has been agreed in principle to purchase the land and create the park where Brocklebanks used to be in the town centre.
The park scheme is one part of the Dalton High Street Enhancements project, the second being a shop front improvement scheme which will follow later this year. The project sits at the heart of the wider Dalton Place Plan and Borderlands Town Investment Plan.
Westmorland and Furness Council and Dalton Town Council have led on the project, with the town council agreeing in principle to take on long-term ownership and maintenance responsibilities, subject to formal resolutions
The Borderlands Board recently agreed the project, subject to a grant funding agreement being signed.
Cllr Tony Callister, who is chairman of the Dalton Town Team and Member for Dalton South, said: "Dalton's Town Investment Plan is guiding how Borderlands funding will make real, worthwhile and long-lasting contributions to the future of the town. I am delighted that a plan for the park has been approved – the first of the Dalton projects to get the go-ahead.
"This investment in public realm and public space in the centre of Dalton will be a great focal point for everyday use and special events which will benefit residents, business and the town centre economy, visitors and community groups. I can't wait to see designs coming forward and the park taking shape."
Dalton Mayor, Cllr Bruce Solari, said: “Dalton Town Council welcomes the Borderlands Board’s in-principal support for the new pocket park in the town centre. This project reflects the priorities identified by our community and will transform a vacant site into a valuable green space for residents, visitors, and local events.
“We are pleased to have worked in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council and the Dalton Town Team to bring this forward, and we look forward to engaging with the community as the project develops.”
Cllr Helen Chaffey, Cabinet Member for Communities, Customer Services, Culture and Communications, said: "Creating this green space in the centre of Dalton meets a clear need for community space in this area. The opportunity to invest in this land in the heart of the town was too good to miss and I am delighted that the council and the town council, supported by the town team and the community, have been able to make it happen."
The land will be purchased by the town council on a freehold basis, with the town council owning and maintaining the land.
The project aligns with the Dalton Place Plan, which was created by the Dalton Town Team, comprising local businesses, residents and community representatives, and which has played a central role in defining the need for improved public realm and a flexible events space in the town centre.
Community groups, schools and third sector organisations were engaged through the Dalton Place Plan process, including workshops, surveys and drop-in events that highlighted the loss of previous play facilities and the desire for more green, social spaces in the town centre.
Layer Studio Architects have been appointed to do some initial concept design work on the pocket park and will be undertaking some in-person public engagement on Tuesday 18 August in Dalton in the following locations:
- Outside Greggs from 12.30 to 14.15
- Dalton Leisure Centre from 14.30 to 16.30
Anyone who is not able to attend the in-person engagement can take part in an online survey which is open until 21st August.
Detailed design work will follow, including further public engagement during the design process, and construction is planned to start in Autumn 2027 and finish early in 2028.
The Town Investment Plan builds on the town's Borderlands Place Plan, which was developed by the Town Team. The plan is guiding how £3 million of Borderlands Place Programme funding will be allocated.
The Borderlands Partnership Board is supporting five Cumbrian towns as well as Dalton: Egremont, Longtown, Penrith, Ulverston and Wigton.
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is a landmark cross-border investment partnership involving five councils: Cumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, Northumberland, Scottish Borders, and Westmorland and Furness. It aims to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England.
Signed in March 2021, the Deal brings up to £452 million of fresh investment to the region over 10-15 years. It is the largest geographic regional growth deal in the UK and includes funding from both the UK and Scottish Governments alongside local partners.
The Deal focuses on four themes: improving places, enabling infrastructure, encouraging green growth, and supporting innovation, business, and skills, delivering benefits to over one million residents.
The Borderlands Place Programme is a key component, supporting the development and renewal in 22 towns across the region. Each town has developed a Place Plan to shape its local vision and access matched funding for growth projects.
More about the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal: HOME | Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal
Details on the Place Programme: Place Programme | Borderlands
UK Government announcement on the Deal (March 2021): £450 million Borderlands Growth Deal now underway - GOV.UK