A MILLION pound project is due to transform a long-abandoned dockyard into a bustling hub with houses, hotels and businesses.

Barrow Council has set the ball rolling to start work on the Barrow Waterfront – previously Marina Village – project, which has been in the works since 2007.

To begin with, the Council are looking to upgrade the junction providing access to the site from Strand/Salthouse Road to Cavendish Dock Road.

The Council are now looking to appoint a contractor to design the new road layout, which will provide access to the new development.

The first six hectares of the site have been earmarked for development as part of the Getting Building Fund,

Planning permission has not yet been acquired for the project, as the road, while owned by the Council as part of the development, is not yet adopted.

Permission is thought to be tricky to obtain due to number of listed buildings from the old Buccleuch Dock.

A substation, operated by Electricity North West, will also need to be relocated as part of the plans.

There has been a long-term desire by local politicians to bring the land back into use.

Barrow MP Simon Fell said he hopes the project will become a reality.

“The Marina Village development would be a very significant project for Barrow and I am very keen to see it move out of the planning stages and into reality," he said.

“It has been backed by the Town Deal board and is receiving a portion of the £25million investment which the government is putting in to Barrow, but I’ve also been working with Ministers in the Housing Department to ensure that it gets support from Homes England too.

While Council leader Ann Thompson said that the area should be: “Brought back to life in a way that enhances the area for local people.”