Streetscape improvements for Carlisle market town initiative

The Swan Street commercial area of Longtown, Carlisle,  is about to undergo some long-awaited improvements. Carlisle City Council is managing and part funding the £250,000 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.'

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.

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.

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