Journalists at News & Star and The Cumberland News are to move into a state of the art newsroom as part of plans revealed by owner, Newsquest.
Newsquest has submitted proposals to Carlisle City Council to transform its Dalston Road site.
This will see the former printing press and press hall building on Dalston Road demolished. The Whitehouse, a separate office space in the grounds of Newspaper House, will be refurbished and house a newsroom and space for Newsquest’s digital marketing agency LOCALiQ.
The iconic tower, which displays the newspapers’ branding, will be moved to the Whitehouse.
The publisher said that the investment would “secure the future of the News & Star and The Cumberland News as the leading local news publishers in Carlisle and North Cumbria.”
“The redevelopment of the Whitehouse is our firm commitment to ensuring the News & Star and The Cumberland News remain the number one publisher of local news in Carlisle and North Cumbria,” stated David Coates, Managing Director for Newsquest North.
“The Dalston Road site no longer meets the need of a growing modern newsroom or digital marketing agency.
“We plan to create a great space for our teams to work in as well as an inviting proposition for local clients to visit.”
The press hall stopped being used 2 years ago, when print production of the titles moved to Glasgow.
The rest of the Dalston Road site is set to be put on the market.
“This project is really exciting,” added Vanessa Sims, Editor of the News & Star and The Cumberland News.
“Investing in a state-of-the-art newsroom at our iconic Dalston Road site when so many other publishers are scaling back really shows our commitment to being the voice of Carlisle and North Cumbria.
The project is set to be completed early in 2022.
“This investment demonstrates LOCALiQ’s commitment to being the number one digital marketing company in Cumbria,” stated Lee Taylor-Craddock, LOCALiQ Sales Director.
“This fantastic space will be the perfect place for our talented sales team to base themselves and meet new clients.”
