Town's first campus takes shape after delays

Work is progressing on the University of Cumbria campus in Barrow

A town's first university campus is taking shape after it was hit by delays.

The steel skeleton of the Barrow campus, part of the University of Cumbria, has been erected and those behind the plans said it will be completed by early 2025.

The project, paid with a chunk of £25m from the government's Towns Fund, was due to be completed by this autumn.

The University blamed "small delays" at the start of the build and said students would be welcomed on campus from September to avoid disruption.

The campus, on Buccleuch Dock Road, Barrow Island, is near the BAE Systems’ Submarine Academy for Skills and Knowledge building and part of the Barrow Learning Quarter, which aims to upskill the workforce in the area.

Courses offered will include mechanical engineering, computer science and adult nursing.

The university said the programmes were "aligned to identified areas of skills need" and more courses would be added and designed with help from local employers.

Students are expected to be welcomed on site from September

Brian Webster-Henderson, deputy vice chancellor, said the campus would help increase the town's productivity.

He said: "Barrow-in-Furness has an important role in the nation’s defence and energy infrastructure and as Cumbria’s university we, with our existing partners including BAE Systems, are well placed to support this by growing Barrow’s broader skills, productivity, and economic landscape."

Jackie Arnold, a strategic advisor at the university, said the campus would give Barrovians the opportunity to progress to higher education without needing to travel, meaning it would be more affordable.

"The campus is a visual symbol of the start of Barrow’s journey to becoming a university town," she added.