
What's the latest on projects to redevelop Carlisle?
Motorists are set for eight weeks of disruption in Carlisle city centre as the latest stage of regeneration works begins.
The junction between English Street and Devonshire Street will be shut for from 28 April for approximately eight weeks.
As vehicle access to Devonshire Street is not possible, the street will be closed to vehicles during the period.
Pedestrian access will be maintained, and businesses in the area will be open as usual throughout the works.
The work is part of the next phase of the Southern Gateway project, which aims to improve the area for pedestrians and cyclists.
It will enhance the pedestrian crossing area between The Cumberland Building Society, Santander, NatWest, and the former B&M site and will involve the installation of ducts, upgraded traffic signals, new kerbing and paving, and improved pedestrian crossings.
It is part of a series of projects in the city. Here is the latest on the projects:
Market Square and Green Market
Plants, foliage and trees have been installed and drainage works are underway. This part of the work is expected to be completed by the end of May 2025.
The overall project is expected to be finished by the summer.
Carlisle Station Gateway project
Plans for the Carlisle Station Gateway project were approved earlier this month.
These changes include the creation of a new public space called George Square, along with better connections to nearby areas like the Turkish Baths and James Street.
The first phase will see new landscaping, a pedestrian crossing over Water Street, and surface car parking on the old Pools and Staples sites.
At a later date, the remaining Station Retail Park will be removed to create more parking. The design will reflect Carlisle's history, using brick, sandstone, and greenery to make the space more attractive and sustainable.
The £27 million project is set to kick off in autumn 2025 after nearby road upgrades are completed.
Wigton Road
Works at Newby West Roundabout are now underway, with Peter Lane shut at the Newby West Roundabout side as part of improvement works for the Carlisle Southern Link Road project.
No through route will be available, but residents of Peter Lane will still have access via Dalston Road.
From 28 April 2025, the A595 north from Newby West Roundabout into Carlisle will be closed to all traffic between the roundabout and WRC Sales Limited.
No through route will be available, but residents on Wigton Road will still have access from Carlisle.
These works will run until the end of August 2025.
The project will see a new, larger roundabout created, boosting traffic capacity and connectivity in the area.
If you have any queries in relation to this temporary order, contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3736 or via the Cumberland Council website.
Carlisle Southern Link Road
Cumberland Council says the road will be fully open by the end of 2025, with some sections of the route opening throughout this year.
Contractors will remain on site completing landscaping works into 2026.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Huge banking giant to slash opening hours in HALF at 36 high street branches within days
A HUGE banking giant is about to cut opening hours in half at 36 branches within days. Santander is set to change the opening hours of dozens of its branches from June 30. This move comes as part of a broader restructuring, which also includes the closure of 95 branches and the conversion of 18 to "counter-free" service desks. Currently, most of these branches are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3pm, with many also open Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Going forward, these branches will be open only three days a week. Of the affected locations, 21 branches will adopt a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday timetable. These include branches in Bicester, Braintree, Durham, and Stevenage. This means that, from June 30, these branches will open just three days a week - instead of six. An additional 14 branches will adopt a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday timetable, opening from 9.30am to 3pm on these days. Branches affected by this change include Banbury, Great Yarmouth, Newark, and Washington. Meanwhile, the final branch on the list, located in Caerphilly, will see its hours cut further, from every week day to just Tuesdays and Thursdays, with opening hours from 9.30am to 3pm. Our map above reveals exactly which branches are reducing their hours and which days they'll be open from the end of June. Inside the hubs restoring high street banking and reversing the tide of mass branch closures The bank says the changes are due to changing customer behaviour and a significant increase in digital transactions. A spokesperson for Santander UK, said: "As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. "Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance. "As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future." The bank, which serves over 14million UK customers, announced in March that it plans to close 95 branches across the UK. Following the shake-up, just 349 branches will remain on the high street. What you can do if your local bank is set to close There are still a number of ways people can access basic banking services without having to venture to another town with a branch. You can use one of the Post Office's 11,684 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not to open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages. You can find your nearest Post Office branch by visiting Meanwhile, many banks offer a mobile banking service - where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch. Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services. It's worth contacting your bank to see what mobile services they have available, and when they might next be in your area. New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services. These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash. Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank are already signed up to allow deposits, at the super ATMs. Banking hubs are also being opened across the UK with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025. These sites typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently. Each hub also has a private area where customers can consult with staff representing their banks for more complex matters. What services do banking hubs offer? BANKING hubs offer a range of services to bridge the gap left by the closure of local branches. Operated by the Post Office, these hubs allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance enquiries. Each hub also features private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking matters with staff from their respective banks. Staff from different banks are available on a rotational basis, ensuring that customers have access to a wide range of banking services throughout the week. Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings accounts.


Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Telecom Italia in talks with banks to sell 1 bln euro state credit, say sources
MILAN, June 20 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM) ( opens new tab is in advanced talks with banks to sell a 1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) state credit the phone group expects to be able to cash in from the government after a prolonged legal dispute, two sources told Reuters. TIM and Rome have been locked in a legal battle over a license fee TIM was obligated to pay to the state in 1998, the year after the telecoms sector was deregulated. TIM scored a victory last year when a Rome appeals court ordered the Italian government to give TIM back the original licence fee, worth just over 500 million euros, a figure that has since doubled due to accrued interests. The government has appealed the decision in front of Italy's top court. Pending the top court's ruling, TIM is in talks with UniCredit ( opens new tab and Santander ( opens new tab to get financing against the expected 1 billion euro refund from the government, the people said. Such a form of financing, whereby a company raises cash from banks by selling them a claim, typically invoices, at a discount to the claim's nominal value, is called factoring. In a similar case to TIM's, the top court has ruled in favour of Vodafone (VOD.L), opens new tab. In any case, were the final court decision to be against TIM, the company would just return the banks the cash they have lent it plus any interest that has matured, the people said. That would be no different than repaying ordinary bank debt. TIM, UniCredit and Santander all declined to comment. Italy's top court last month delayed its final decision over the case, saying further checks were needed to establish whether TIM's initial claim was filed with the correct court. A hearing on the matter is expected next week. ($1 = 0.8632 euros)


Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Interest rates held at 4.25%: What it means for your mortgage and savings
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4.25 per cent as it continues to tread carefully amid fears of resurgent inflation. The decision came as little surprise to financial markets, with a pause widely predicted by analysts. Its previous decision, last month, was to cut rates from 4.5 to 4.25 per cent, taking base rate 1 percentage point below its 5.25 per cent peak. The next decision will take place on 7 August, and will depend on what happens to the rate of inflation, but also the health of the overall economy. Today's decision to hold rates will be unwelcome news for many households who are hoping to see the cost of their mortgage reduce. However, it will be received positively by savers who saw rates slashed following May's cut. We explain what the Bank of England's decision to hold rates at 4.25 per cent means for your mortgage and savings - and whether rates could be cut again soon. What does this mean for mortgage borrowers? Today's decision to hold the base rate at 4.25 per cent will seem like bad news for mortgage borrowers. However, most would have seen little immediate benefit even if rates had been cut. That is because lenders usually base their pricing on the longer-term trajectory of interest rates, rather than reacting to individual base rate decisions. Interest rates are expected to be cut one more time this year to 4 per cent, before eventually settling at around 3.75 or 3.5 per cent. David Morris, head of homes at Santander said this year's rate cuts 'are already "priced in" to mortgage rates, meaning that market-leading rates should continue to hover around the top end of the threes or lower end of the fours'. He added: 'In practice home buyers trying to play the market and wait for the return of ultra-low rates may well be waiting for some time.' > Mortgage calculator: Check the best rates based on your property value What next for mortgage rates? The lowest fixed rate mortgage deals continue to hover just below 4 per cent. The lowest fixed rate is a three-year fixed remortgage deal offered by MPowered Mortgages charging 3.82 per cent. NatWest is offering the lowest two-year and five-year fix at 3.92 per cent and 3.95 per cent respectively. These are all based on a 40 per cent deposit, but most home buyers should be able to secure a rate of somewhere between 4 and 5 per cent. The future direction of mortgage rates hinges on what markets perceive to be the future of interest rates and the future of interest rates hinge not just on the rate of inflation, but also on the health of the overall economy. The latest Office for National Statistics monthly estimate for April 2025 showed the UK economy contracted by 0.3 percent compared with March, more than the 0.1 percent fall analysts had expected. Reacting to the negative surprise, money market bets for the next Bank of England rate cut in August increased from 81 per cent to 86 per cent, up from just 44 per cent at the start of the month. However, higher than expected inflation could result in MPC members refraining from rate cuts in the future. Inflation was 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to May, falling from 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to April, ONS figures revealed earlier this week. At 3.4 per cent, inflation still sits significantly higher than the Bank of England's 2 per cent target. Matt Smith, a mortgage expert at Rightmove, said: 'As the rate of inflation stays above 3 per cent, the expectation is that the Bank of England is set to act cautiously. 'Anticipation had risen that we may be in line for multiple base rate cuts this year at the peak of tariff uncertainty, but as some of these pressures have eased, this expectation has fallen back. 'Forecasts for the rest of the year are likely to jump around a bit due to ongoing global uncertainty and changes in how the market expects things to pan out.' At present, market forecasts point to interest rates being cut one more time in 2025 to 4 per cent and then falling to either 3.75 per cent or 3.5 per cent in 2026. Some major financial organisations have predicted they could fall further than this, though. For example, HSBC and UBS are forecasting that interest rates will fall to 3 per cent by the end of 2026. There are also some that think interest rates will stay higher. Analysts at Pantheon have forecast that interest rates will finish 2026 at 4 per cent - only 0.25 percentage points below where they are today. What should you do with your mortgage? Those who need to buy or remortgage soon may be wondering whether to opt for a two or five-year fix. Mortgage advisor Aaron Strutt of Trinity Financial advises borrowers to not base decisions on mortgage rates falling in the near future. 'The number of people opting for two-year fixes in anticipation of cheaper borrowing costs has increased as the base rate and fixed rates are expected to get cheaper over the near term,' he said. 'Some of the big investment banks have been predicting some pretty significant base rate reductions, but personally, I wouldn't bet on it. 'While most borrowers are taking two-year fixes, opting for a three- or five-year fix isn't such a bad idea. 'Payment security is really important in these challenging economic times.' What does this mean for savers? The base rate affects how much interest savers can earn on their money. In general, savings rates rise when the base rate is rising, and fall when it is falling. Now that the base rate has been held at 4.25 per cent, savers could get a 'stay of execution' according to Kevin Brown of building society Scottish Friendly. 'The longer the MPC waits [to cut], the longer savers can enjoy competitive returns,' he added. Those who keep their cash in easy-access Isas are most at risk of rate cuts, according to one financial expert. The top accounts on This is Money's best-buy cash Isa tables currently pay around 5.4 per cent, well above the current base rate of 4.25 per cent. James Blower, founder of the Savings Guru says: 'Easy access Isa rates are the most ripe for cuts. 'Moneybox has already cut its rate today and Tembo is set to tomorrow – expect to see Plum and Trading 212 fall back too.' What next for savings rates? The direction of travel for savings rates in a falling base rate environment is only one way and that is down. Though the base rate has been held at 4.25 per cent, if it falls to 4 per cent or 3.75 per cent by the end of this year as markets are currently predicting, fixed-rate bonds and Isas are the savings accounts most likely to be in the firing line. Blower said: 'I can't see any reason for rates to do anything but fall in the second half of 2025.' For those looking to lock their money away for a time, the best one-year bond currently pays 4.5 per cent. This is down from a high of 6.2 per cent in October 2023. Blower added: 'Fixed-rate bonds and fixed Isas are likely to hold around current levels, for now, but expect them to ease back in the summer and fall further if I am right about the August cut.' 'The 4.5 per cent paid on one-year bonds currently, while lower than it has been earlier in the year, is likely to look great value in the coming weeks. 'Expect one-year best-buys to fall to around the 4.25 per cent mark by the end of the summer if the base rate is cut in August.' > Best fixed-rate savings accounts: See the top deals in our independent tables What should savers do now? Savers should keep a keen eye on their savings rate, whether it is an easy-access account, fixed-rate account or an Isa. If your money is not working hard enough for you, move it to an account paying a better rate. Rachel Springall of rates scrutineer Moneyfacts Compare says: 'The savers who are worried rates will come down in the coming months may then wish to grab a top fixed deal for a guaranteed return.' 'Outside of fixed bond rates, there has been some competition across the fixed cash Isa top rate tables, now with new market-leading rates. 'Savers looking to protect their money from tax would do well to take advantage of their new Isa allowance if they have yet to do so. 'Loyalty does not pay so it comes down to savers to proactively review rates and switch their account if they are getting a poor return on their hard-earned cash.' Best savings rates and how to find them The best easy-access savings deals pay around 4.75 per cent. Atom Bank is offering a market-leading easy-access deal paying 4.75 per cent. Someone putting £10,000 in this account could expect to earn £475 in interest after a year, if the rate remains the same. Those with cash they won't immediately need over the next year or two should consider fixed-rate savings. The best one-year deal is offered by Cynergy Bank paying 4.5 per cent. A saver putting £10,000 in this account will earn a guaranteed £450 interest over one year. It comes with full protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per person. The best two-year bond pays 4.43 per cent and comes from Birmingham Bank. This provider also offers the best three-year bond which pays 4.47 per cent. Hampshire Trust Bank has a five-year bonds which pays 4.46 per cent. Savers should also strongly consider using a cash Isa to protect the interest they earn from being taxed. CMC Invest is currently offering a market-leading 5.44 per cent on its easy-access cash Isa for new customers. It includes a 0.85 per cent bonus for three months. After this the rate will revert to 4.59 per cent. Meanwhile, Trading 212* has a cash Isa paying 4.86 per cent with a 12-month bonus of 0.76 per cent. Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord. > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.