Iron Line at Millom in Cumbria Design Contest Shortlist, Cumbrian Architecture Competition, Architects, Picture

Iron Line at Millom in Cumbria Design Competition

5 January 2022

Design partner for Millom’s Ironline project is announced

image courtesy of architects practice

The design partner for a project that will see an area of Cumbria’s coastline transformed has been announced following a global search.

A total of 21 landscape and architectural teams entered the competition to find a design partner for The Iron Line – a scheme that will see the uniquely beautiful sea wall and coastal lagoon enhanced to provide an inspirational and fully inclusive route across RSPB Hodbarrow.

Millom Iron Line, Cumbria Design Competition

5 November 2021

Millom Town Deal Design Competition Shortlist

Architectural Contest in northwest England, UK

photo : David Savage

Iron Line at Millom in Cumbria Design Competition Shortlist

Shortlist announced in search for design partner for The Iron Line competition

A TOTAL of five firms have been shortlisted to go forward to the next stage in a high-profile search for a design partner to work on Millom’s Iron Line project.

Working alongside Copeland Borough Council, the Millom Town Deal Board secured an offer of £20.6 million from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative in July for projects it identified as local priorities.

Last month, a global search was launched to find a design team to draw together outline ideas for one of these projects – The Iron Line – which will see the uniquely beautiful sea wall and coastal lagoon sensitively transformed into an inspirational and fully inclusive, nationally significant route across RSPB Hodbarrow.

The competition attracted 21 submissions from firms based both in the UK and internationally with teams asked to consider ‘how design might resolve the delicate balance between preservation of a natural asset and the need to encourage economic prosperity’.

All entries were showcased online and at Millom Heritage & Arts Centre over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24 with members of the public invited to comment on the submissions.

Now, the five shortlisted firms have been revealed:

– Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd.

– Collective Architecture

– Farrer Huxley

– FCBS

– Layer Studio

They will now move forward to Stage 2 in the process. This will see the shortlisted teams visiting the area before being asked to illustrate in more detail how they will approach the challenges and opportunities inherent in the project by the end of November.

Interviews with the design teams will be held in December with the winning firm announced in early January.

Robert Morris-Eyton, chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, said: “We were delighted that the competition attracted submissions from firms around the world which were all of an extremely high standard.

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to view the submissions and leave comments and feedback. This was excellent and was included in the information provided in the shortlisting process carried out by the jury panel. Our thanks must also go to the panel themselves for their time and significant expertise in this process.

“We’re now looking forward to moving to Stage 2 and then on to the development of ideas for The Iron Line, which has the potential to bring so many benefits to our area in the future.”

In addition to The Iron Line, three further projects are included in the successful Town Investment Plan. Each aims to help maximise inclusive economic growth and better connectivity for the area while developing a welcoming arts, culture and tourism offer, thriving independent businesses and healthy, active people.

The projects are:

Reactivating heritage buildings – A proposal to significantly enhance Millom Town Centre by bringing derelict, vacant and underused heritage buildings back into active use to increase vitality and footfall.

Activating community health – The creation of a new, multi-purpose community and leisure hub to provide a range of facilities including a swimming pool and 3G pitch, as well as improvements at Millom and Haverigg parks.

Connected Millom and Haverigg – Improving Millom’s transport network to create a gateway to the town at the railway station, while transforming cycling and walking infrastructure in both Millom and Haverigg.

Having accepted £20.6M Heads of Terms with Government, the Town Deal Board and Copeland Borough Council will be submitting business cases against each project by August 2022. Following approval and a final grant offer from Government, it is anticipated that the first ‘spades in the ground’ would take place in early 2023.

Previously on e-architect:

post updated 15 October 2021 ; 23 September 2021

Submission Deadline: Thursday 21st October

Millom Town Deal – Design Competition in Cumbria

Architectural Contest in northwest England, UK

International search for design team to transform Millom asset into inspirational attraction

Iron Line at Millom in Cumbria Design Competition News

A global search for landscape and architectural designers with big ideas has been launched – as multi-million pound plans to transform a unique beauty spot in a UK town gather pace.

Working with Copeland Borough Council, the Millom Town Deal Board secured an offer of £20.6 million from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative earlier this year for projects it identified as local priorities.

The money has been allocated to four projects that required support of Government that will help ensure the area thrives now and for future generations.

Now, a competition has been launched to find a design partner for one of these projects – The Iron Line – which aims to sensitively transform the area around Millom’s coastal lagoon and sea wall into an inspirational, fully inclusive and multi-sensory nationally significant visitor attraction.

The five proposals in the competition that best meet the criteria after the closing date of October 21 will be shortlisted to go through to a second round. These design concepts, created during the second-round stage, will be showcased in a local exhibition so that stakeholders and members of the public can feed into this once-in-a-lifetime process.

Robert Morris-Eyton, chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, described the competition as a pivotal moment in the life of The Iron Line project.

“The Iron Line is an ambitious scheme that sets out the potential for this area to become one of the most unique and beautiful visitor attractions in the region,” he said.

“What we want is for the competition to bring forward teams with a vision for The Iron Line and how it could become an area that marries together the important and delicate ecology and heritage of the area with art and inclusivity.

“What’s especially exciting is that the design will be a collaborative process with residents and stakeholders across the area who will be able to help shape the ideas that come forward. This is something we’re very much looking forward to.”

The Iron Line would feature the historic sea wall and include the area covered by RSPB Hodbarrow.

Dave Blackledge, RSPB Hodbarrow Site Manager, said: “The route will cross RSPB Hodbarrow and we look forward to working with the successful design team on this exciting project.

“The challenge will be to create an engaging trail that informs and educates while enhancing the wildlife and flora of this environmentally sensitive site.”

Millom and Haverigg were among 101 towns invited to bid for a share of the Towns Fund in 2019 – part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda.

It’s proposal includes four projects set out in Millom and Haverigg’s Town Investment Plan. They aim to help maximise inclusive economic growth and better connectivity for the area while developing a welcoming arts, culture and tourism offer, thriving independent businesses and healthy, active people.

Colander Associates Ltd has been brought in to run The Iron Line design competition on behalf of the Borough Council and Town Deal Board in order to seek the interest of firms both in the UK and internationally.

A dedicated webpage has been launched to offer information for design and architecture firms thinking about putting themselves forward for the project. It can be found here:

https://www.colander.co.uk/architectural-competitions/colander-competitions/iron-line-millom-cumbria

Of key importance for the design team will be the requirement to identify the balance between nature and people – how the critical need for economic prosperity and development to support the local population can sit side by side with the sanctity of the natural environment on this important piece of England’s natural coastline.

The Mayor of Copeland, Mike Starkie, said: “The package of projects that make up Millom’s Town Deal will work together to secure a wide range of benefits for residents and businesses, not least through improved health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities and a prosperous, resilient economy.

“The launch of this competition is a big step forward for The IronLine, and I look forward to other projects gaining shape.”

For more information on the Millom Town Deal Board, visit Towns Fund | Copeland Borough Council

Further information about the competition is available at www.colander.co.uk/architectural-competitions

Town Deal UK

On July 27, 2019, the Prime Minister announced that the Towns Fund would support an initial 101 places across England to develop Town Deal proposals, to drive economic regeneration and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. See further details of the announcement: PM speech at Manchester Science and Industry Museum – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

A Town Deal is an agreement in principle between government, the Lead Council and the Town Deal Board. It will set out a vision and strategy for the town, and what each party agrees to do to achieve this vision. See the 101 places being supported to develop Town Deals: list-of-100-places.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Each of the 101 towns selected to work towards a Town Deal also received accelerated funding last year for investment in capital projects that would have an immediate impact and help places “build back better” in the wake of Covid-19. View a list of accelerated funding by place: towns-fund-accelerated-funding-grants.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Location: Cumbria, Northwest England, UK

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