Two projects are set to transform Whitehaven harbour. Funded through Sellafield Ltd’s social impact, multiplied programme, the projects will open up the West Cumbrian coastline
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners are behind the first project, a multi-million-pound programme to make Whitehaven the tourism capital of the Cumbrian coastline.
The £3.6 million coastal activities centre called The Edge is being funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Coastal Communities Fund.
Work on the project began earlier this month and is expected to open its doors in early 2022.
It will feature accommodation, storage facilities, and flexible activity spaces and will become a spectacular starting point for the world-famous C2C cycle route.
Celia MacKenzie, chief executive of the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, said:
Elsewhere in the marina, Sellafield Ltd is investing in a cutting-edge filtration system that will be installed into the harbour, putting the town on a par with Dubai and Sydney.
Developed and delivered by the Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project, our £100,000 investment will fund a filtration system that will feature a network of floating ‘seabins’ as well an environmental education programme.
Whitehaven already has one Seabin in operation, sponsored by the Whitehaven Marina.
The youth project will be working with the marina to add 6 more Seabins to filter and remove plastics, microplastics and oil from the water, creating a cleaner and safer environment for water sports and marine wildlife.
By 2023, Whitehaven Marina will be the first in the world to boast 7 Seabins, putting the town ahead of Dubai, which has 6, and Sydney, which has 2. Only 4 other places in the UK have them.
The environmental education programme will involve local schools and other community groups in the area and provide education about plastic pollution and its impact on the local and global environment.
The harbour redevelopment is the second investment to be announced in Sellafield Ltd’s newly relaunched social impact programme, SiX (social impact, multiplied).
The company, along with its owner the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is providing £1.15 million for the Edge and a further £93,500 for the Seabins.
Gary McKeating, head of community and development at Sellafield Ltd, said:
Notes to Editors
Coastal Communities Fund The Great British Coast has enormous economic potential and this government is determined to see it thrive all year round.
That’s why by 2020 the government will have invested over £200 million in our much loved seaside areas through dedicated programmes like Coastal Communities Fund to help in generating jobs and boosting businesses.
So far, analysis has shown that this has been money well spent with every £1 invested having the potential to create an up to £8 boost to our coastal economies.
To find out more visit: Coastal communities fund
Grant recipients are free to publicise their project award however best suits their needs. But if you would like some further facts about the fund, or the wider regeneration work going on across the country, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is always happy to help.
Some additional key facts:
End of an Era Statue relocation: