A major milestone has been reached in the transformation of Millom’s historic Old Bank building, with the completed redevelopment now officially handed over by Story Contracting Ltd to Cumberland Council.
The former NatWest bank building, known as The Old Bank, has been carefully restored and refurbished as part of the Reactivating Heritage Buildings programme, creating a renewed community asset that will serve Millom residents and visitors for years to come.
David Savage, Chair of the Millom Town Deal Board, said:
“This is the first project to be delivered through the Town Deal Regeneration Programme and represents a long-overdue investment in Millom’s future. It will help create new opportunities and partnerships, supporting our ambition to make the town an increasingly attractive place to work, visit and live. This is a proud moment for Millom, and one we can all celebrate together.”
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, added:
“The completion of The Old Bank is another significant milestone for Millom and a great example of how Town Deal investment is helping to breathe new life into important buildings across the town. This project has preserved a valued piece of Millom's heritage while creating new opportunities for the future, and I look forward to seeing it brought into use for the benefit of residents and visitors."
The Old Bank is one of four major transformational projects being delivered through the Millom Town Deal, which secured £20.6 million from the UK Government’s Towns Fund alongside additional match funding to support regeneration across the town from Sellafield Ltd.
Tracey West, head of social impact for Sellafield Ltd, said:
“Our social impact investment is about more than direct funding. We want to use it to bring partners together, attract additional investment and create lasting benefits for our communities. The Old Bank is a great example of how that approach can help turn ambition into real regeneration."
Story Contracting has completed the extensive restoration and refurbishment works, breathing new life into the landmark building while preserving its historic character. The project forms an important part of wider efforts to bring vacant and underused heritage buildings back into productive use and contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Millom town centre.
Final lease arrangements are currently being completed before the building is formally transferred to the new operators, local business owners Samantha and Andrew Bowden.
Samantha and Andrew Bowden said:
“We’re incredibly excited to finally be reaching this stage with The Old Bank. From the first time we became involved in the project, we could see the potential for this beautiful building to become something really special for Millom.
“Our vision is to create a vibrant and welcoming destination at the heart of the town. The bistro will be central to what we do, with a strong food and drink offering throughout the day, but our plans go much further than that. We want The Old Bank to provide opportunities for local makers, creatives and small businesses, alongside flexible spaces that can be used for events and other activities.
“Having already built hospitality businesses in West Cumbria, we know how important it is to create places that both local people are proud to use and visitors actively seek out. We want The Old Bank to contribute to the wider regeneration of Millom by creating employment, supporting local suppliers and businesses, increasing footfall and giving people another reason to spend time in the town centre.
“There has been a huge amount of work involved in getting the project to this point, and we’re grateful to everyone who has helped make it possible. Taking over such an important building is both exciting and a real responsibility, and we’re looking forward to putting our own stamp on it while respecting its history and character.
“We can’t wait to get started and, most importantly, to open the doors and welcome everyone into The Old Bank.”
Further announcements about the next phase of the project will be shared in the coming weeks.
Photo Credit: Stuart Walker