Update from the Partnership Board
The Borderlands Partnership Board meeting in September was held in person at Ad Gefrin museum and distillery in Wooler, one of the first Borderlands supported projects to complete.
Since opening the attraction has welcomed 29,000 visitors and helped increase tourist footfall to the town and north Northumberland.
The Board approved a new Energy Investment Strategy, endorsed the Stranraer Place Plan and received updates on projects such as Carlisle Station Gateway and the University of Cumbria Citadels Campus.
The next Board meeting will be held on Wednesday December 6th.
Business Infrastructure Scotland
The Scottish Government has given the green light to deliver three new, highly energy efficient business units at Coldstream Business Park.
The Borderlands Business Infrastructure Programme seeks to address a lack of modern, good quality and suitably sized workspace to support inward investment and business growth.
Scottish Borders Council is now progressing the development of a full business case for a similar project for new business units in Hawick, which will also seek to draw down funding from the Deal.
Dumfries and Galloway is also seeking views on business infrastructure needs both within the council area and the wider region – the surveys can be accessed here
Carlisle Station Gateway
Construction work has begun on the Carlisle Station Gateway project marking a pivotal step forward in the revitalisation of Carlisle city centre.
Story Contracting Limited established a base near Matalan's car park at the rear of the station in late August with vital roadworks beginning in early September.
Carlisle station serves over two million passengers annually and is a central hub for the Borderlands, linking services across Cumbria, Northumberland and the South of Scotland.
The Gateway project, along with the University of Cumbria’s new Citadels Campus directly opposite, has been awarded more than £70m of investment from the Deal.
Stranraer Place Plan
The Partnership Board endorsed a Place Plan for Stranraer which was praised for its wide-ranging community consultation.
Nearly three thousand people took part in engagement events across the town and Rhins of Galloway to help shape the Plan.
Under the brand Creating Stranraer it identifies a clear set of priority areas as well as mapping these against four geographic ‘quarters’ within the town.
Stranraer is the third Place Plan endorsed by the Board following Kirkconnel and Longtown earlier this year with a further 19 being developed across the region.
Cycling World Championships
The arrival of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in August put the region on the map as a destination for cycling excellence.
Across the south, the Mountain Bike Cross-Country events were held at Glentress Forest in the Scottish Borders, while Dumfries hosted the Para-cycling Road races.
Several Borderlands initiatives were promoted in the official event brochure including the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, 7 Stanes project, See More Lake District Cycling and Hadrian’s Wall Visitor Exploration.
The advert also highlighted the wider work the Deal and the Borderlands Partnership is doing to realise the region’s potential as a place to visit, work and live.