Mark Jenkinson, MP for the Workington constituency, has been keenly engaging in the proposals for the Workington Towns Deal.
The overarching aim of the Towns Fund is to drive the sustainable economic regeneration of towns to deliver long term economic growth.
Residents and visitors to Workington will be asked to give their views on Workington through a consultation which will soon be launched. This will give residents and those who visit Workington an opinion on the future of Workington.
Mark has made clear during the meetings for Workington Towns Deal that he would like to see improvements made to the town centre to make it more appealing to residents and visitors and to increase dwell times, resulting in increases in spending with local retailers.
Such measures would include
- Increasing accessibility and usage of Vulcan Park and Hall Park by town centre users.
- Moving towards a mixed-use town centre – enhancing the retail offer with leisure, admin and residential additions.
- Encouraging new night time economy
- Introducing tree-lined streets, and better public realm
- Making more of our heritage and history.
During a meeting earlier this year with Sovereign Centros, the new management company for Workington town centre, Mark discussed key projects that would assist with the modernisation of the town centre this included:-
- Demolition of derelict buildings such as the Opera House
- Bringing historical buildings, such as Workington Hall into focus
- Looking at spaces above shops to turn into residential units
- Creating a pocket park in the town centre to encourage those who visit, to stay longer.
Mark said: "I want to see our local economy grow and Workington Town Centre is a strong factor in the success of our area. To achieve a strong economy we need to make our town centre more attractive- both visually and by improving its offer to visitors.
This is our opportunity to create a town centre to be proud of. To encourage further mixed-use, improve our night time economy and demolish those buildings that are an eyesore in our town centre. I would encourage residents and visitors to have their say on the future of a modernised town centre."
