Exciting plans to boost the visitor, heritage and cultural offer of Kirkby Stephen have changed.
Westmorland and Furness Council is working with local members, Kirkby Stephen Town Council and others on the Kirkby Stephen Town Centre Improvement Scheme funded by £315,500 from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF).
With a deadline of 31 March 2025 to complete all UK SPF work, one of the four projects – the new playpark at Frank's Bridge, next to the cricket club – will be delivered separately, with a commitment from the council to continue development and deliver it as soon as possible.
All partners are excited about how the now freed-up playpark funds will be used boost the scheme, as well as the prospect of an even better playpark being created in the very near future, with some of the freed-up funds set to be spent on preparation work for future delivery of the project. The remaining funding will be used to boost the existing Silver Street Gardens and Visitor Centre projects as well as adding two new projects to the scheme – the replacement of playpark equipment at the park adjacent to Kirkby Stephen Primary School and replacement of street furniture in Market Square.
Kirkby Stephen and Tebay councillor John Murray has been supporting the project.
He said: "We have an opportunity now to create an even better playpark than we were planning through the town centre regeneration scheme and the funds freed up from this will enhance the existing projects and introduce some new features to deliver a scheme worthy of the town, fostering a sense of local pride and belonging, as well as improving footfall and drawing people into the town centre.
"It is disappointing that the new playpark will not happen as quickly as planned but the council is committed to delivering it. We are very grateful to everybody who took part in the recent consultation on the new playpark and those views, comments and suggestions will inform the future work on the playpark."
The original Kirkby Stephen Town Centre Improvement Scheme projects under way are:
- Redesign of Silver Street Garden;
- Improved wayfinding and interpretation;
- Visitor centre – external refurbishment.
Contractors have now been appointed across these three projects to move into the delivery phase.
Refurbishment of the town memorial garden at Silver Street will make an appealing and welcoming green space in the heart of the town. The approved planning application includes plans to lower the boundary wall to improve visibility into the park and encourage use, extend the park area, introduce sitting areas and carry out hard and soft landscaping. The council has appointed Bespoke Landscapes and Builds to complete this work.
Improvements to the outside of the town's visitor centre will include replacing the external rendering of the building and installing new windows, helping to protect this important building. The council is pleased to be working with local builder and stonemason, Paul Thompson, to complete these works.
The wayfinding project will see the addition of new interpretation boards to improve wayfinding throughout the town. The council has appointed a design agency, Make Things Happen, to help develop the project. The aim of the scheme is to use the panels to create an engaging outdoor trail that celebrates Kirkby Stephen's character, community and businesses. The panels will share local heritage, stories and little-known facts as well as practical direction and signage. The trail will capture the attention of visitors to the town and residents alike, directing them to areas of the town that they might not have thought to explore before.
In addition, Westmorland and Furness Council is working with partners from the Coast-to-Coast Path, which was recently awarded National Trail status. The Countryside Access Team will install better signage from the C2C into Kirkby Stephen, making sure walkers are aware of the facilities available in town.
Sutcliffe Play will be delivering the upgrade to the playpark adjacent to Kirkby Stephen Primary school. The see saw will remain in place with the remaining equipment being removed. The swings will be replaced with an upgraded swing set with a range of different seats on offer, and there will be a new climbing frame with slide and accessible roundabout.
The surfacing will also be replaced as part of the project.
Twenty two projects are sharing £8.1 million from the UKSPF and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), allocated by Westmorland and Furness Council, for schemes aimed at improving community and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.