Ulverston Blue Light Hub; new completion date

Bringing together local police, fire and ambulance services under one roof - the first building of its kind in Cumbria, the delayed ‘Blue Light Hub’ in Ulverston is continuing to take shape, as a new December 2018 completion date has recently been set.

After ground was broken at the site just outside of Ulverston, near the Daltongate junction on the A590 last year, extensive groundworks and a steel frame set the multi-million pound build in motion. However, the May 2018 completion date was not achieved due to unforeseen ground and site conditions, and there have also been design issues between the consultant and contractor.

Cumbria County Cllr David Southward, cabinet member for economic development and property, said "County Council officers are working with both the designer and contractor to ensure that agreement is reached on these matters as quickly as possible to enable works to progress. It is anticipated that the agreement of a baseline position will be resolved in the next few weeks. At this stage, the build completion date of December 2018 remains achievable and council officers are working hard to mitigate any potential delays."

The site should also bring a retail park and additional business space to the area – in May 2018, supermarket chains Aldi and Marks & Spencer renewed their interest in moving to the 'Beehive Business Park', which may create over 200 jobs, and Lake District Farmers should also benefit from a new home there.