Page 22 - Barrow Town Deal Board Agenda 14/4/2020

Barrow Town Investment Plan - Stakeholder Insight Report

2.7 Parts of the state and the government in general are also the focus of a great deal of
Barrow-related negative content. The Police, BBC and magistrates are frequently cited.
Policies, such as austerity and funding cuts, also appear often in negative sentiment
content. This suggests that political concerns motivate a great deal of frustration and
negativity in Barrow.

Figure 2.4 Most Frequent Words Appearing in ‘Negative’ Social Media Activity Relating
to Barrow

Data source: Meltwater AI

2.8 These findings accord with views voiced by Barrow residents on the government’s
#MyTown portal. This relates to spending plans announced by the government targeted at
towns, worth up to £100 million. The online portal allows residents to record suggestions
for how investment in the town should be spent.

2.9 Posts on the #MyTown portal and associated Figure 2.5 Most Popular Words Appearing
threads on Facebook containing comments in the Barrow #MyTown Portal, April 2020
from Barrow residents total over 140 unique
posts. These corroborate a widely held view
that the town centre of Barrow needs to
expand the range of leisure activities on offer
(such as bowling or climbing), and maintain
and improve the town’s sense of place in
order to meet the needs of the resident
community and attract visitors.

2.10 To accomplish this, vacant properties in the
town are broadly considered suitable and Data source: Gov.uk #MyTown
desirable locations to host new facilities and
activities, although there is a noted need to ensure diversity in improving the Town’s central
offer, catering to both older and young people as well as families.

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