The Cumbria section includes governance, overview, sectors, top 10 companies, knowledge, property, transport, culture and top 10 attractions.
River deep, mountain high
Doing business in Cumbria can be a bit like climbing in Cumbria – all your efforts to reach the summit can be rewarded by a view of absolutely nothing, even though the sun was shining brightly lower down the slopes.
For years it has been an uneven struggle, but Cumbria’s dogged determination to be more than just a pretty face does pay dividends. Two sectors hold the key to its future economic prosperity – maritime and nuclear energy – and both have had something to celebrate in recent months.
The announcement that the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are to be built at Barrow has safeguarded hundreds of jobs at BAE Systems’ dockyard, which is already busy on the new generation Astute submarine.
The region has a proud history of shipbuilding and a worldwide reputation for repair and conversion work and that lineage will continue into the future thanks to these latest orders.
Meanwhile, plans for the development of the Port of Barrow have been ongoing through West Lakes Renaissance, the urban regeneration company for West Cumbria and Furness. And it’s true to say that when shipyard and port prospects look good, Barrow is a town on the brink of a boom. Optimism has been rekindled by The Waterfront, the new name for Barrow’s underused docklands, where a 450-berth marina, 600 homes and a new business park are planned.
It is estimated that the nuclear industry accounts for a quarter of all employment in the west of Cumbria. In addition to major employers such as British Nuclear Group and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, there are at least 300 other companies in West Cumbria and the North West working in the sector.
Having the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) based at Westlakes Science Park, near Whitehaven, represents a ready-made showcase for Cumbria to impress governments and environmentalists with its expertise at handling nuclear waste.
The University of Manchester, through its Dalton Nuclear Institute, and the NDA have signed an initial £20m agreement to establish major new research groups and educational facilities at Westlakes, with access to the British Technology Centre at Sellafield. The Institute will safeguard and create jobs as well as bring highly paid workers into the area.
Lifeblood they may be, but nuclear energy and shipyards sit uncomfortably next to the lakes and fells of the UK’s premier outdoor destination. Industry gives local planners real problems; every day they face the challenge of balancing the needs of economic regeneration against the needs of the environment. Sustainable communities need thriving businesses to create jobs and to keep local shops open, but future development has to be balanced against the importance of keeping the National Park postcard pretty to ensure that the tourism dividend is never compromised.
Public transport is still an issue and, even with planning officials in Cumbria keen to open their doors to commercial developments large and small, businesses and speculative developers are often frightened away by infrastructure problems.
Though Cumbria may be rural, it’s no longer remote. Project ACCESS, a groundbreaking scheme to deliver a high-capacity wireless broadband network across Cumbria and North Lancashire, has been named among the top five best European broadband projects. The £20m scheme, funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, has helped broadband coverage across rural Cumbria and North Lancashire grow from 30 per cent to over 98 per cent.
Technology and tradition, tourism and heavy industry, everyone involved in business in the region knows that the climb – and keeping your balance – can be hard. What makes it all worthwhile is a break in the clouds and a spectacular view when you get to the summit.