New look for Longtown

Thanks to the enthusiasm of several key organisations in and around Longtown, the Swan Street commercial area of the town is about to undergo some long-awaited improvements. Carlisle City Council is managing and part funding the £¼ million project, which is principally funded through the Longtown Market Town Initiative by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund and English Heritage.

The proposed works will include construction of new parking bays incorporating natural granite setts, sandstone paved pedestrian footways and landscaping with the planting of new trees.

This improvement project is part of our investment in Longtown and it has been in the pipeline for a while," explained Helen Sykes, Programme Manager with Longtown MTI. "It will be a tangible reminder of the work that is going on behind the scenes in local businesses and organisations to generate growth in the local economy and pride in the wider community.

 Councillor Marilyn Bowman is the City Council's Rural Champion:

Carlisle City Council has been one of the MTI's principal partners since the beginning of its programme and the Council is taking the lead in delivering these town centre improvements. The scheme will greatly improve the appearance of the conservation area and provide an attractive environment for local businesses to prosper.

David Hunter, NWDA Head of Rural Affairs, said:

Improvements to the commercial area of Longtown will help boost the area as a place where people want to live, work and invest. Through the region's Market Town Initiative, the NWDA will continue to build vibrant and sustainable communities across the whole Northwest.

The contract for the work has been awarded by Carlisle City Council's Resource Planning section to Longtown-based civil engineering and groundwork contractors, RH Irving Construction Ltd. The Resource Planning section manages most of the City Council's large construction projects and contracted Johnston and Wright as architects for this specific Longtown project.

For many years, R H Irving Construction Ltd was based in Carlisle. However, when it needed to expand, it was able to relocate to new purpose-built, self-constructed offices and workshops at the Borders Business Park in September 2005, thanks to an opportunity provided by the NWDA.

Rob Grant is one of R H Irving Construction's directors and was happy to say that,

Longtown provides our company with an excellent base from which to service our clients' contracts on both sides of the border. Longtown has quickly become home to our business and many of our staff live here, which is why we are so delighted to have been awarded the contract to undertake the improvements in Swan Street. We are sure the local people will be pleased with the completed works.

Work on the improvements is scheduled to get underway in September, and it is to be completed during January 2008.

For further information about the work of Longtown Market Town Initiative, go to www.longtown.org/mti or call the MTI office on 01228 792778.