[T]he Department for Transport has today confirmed that Cumbria County Council has been successful in a bid to secure funding for the Whitehaven North Shore Access project.
The £1.67m has been allocated from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF). NPIF is a £23bn source of central government investment for areas that are key to boosting productivity, including transport, digital communications, research and development, and housing. The council submitted its bid for this latest round of funding in June.
The funding for Whitehaven will help deliver highway improvements linked to redevelopment proposals at Whitehaven North, including junction and pedestrian improvements. They are also linked to the redevelopment of the Bransty area, so were aligned with the NPIF economic growth criteria.
The full scheme is estimated to cost around £2.5m, with the outstanding £0.8m of funding coming from Britain’s Energy Coast.
The funding is for the years 2018/19 and 2019/20.
Cllr Keith Little, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This is excellent news for Whitehaven and the county. The council is proactive in bidding to these government funding streams so it’s great to see the effort we put in to making our case paying off. This money is all about helping unlock economic growth and the plans we have will help make real improvements to an area in need of investment. I look forward to seeing work start on the ground in the future.”
Michael Pemberton, CEO, Britain’s Energy Coast, said: “Successful physical regeneration is about so much more than bricks and buildings. Creating the supporting infrastructure is a critical component as we look to develop North Shore into an area that the people of Whitehaven and beyond can be proud of.
“This is a crucial early step forwards in the exciting regeneration of Whitehaven’s North Shore. Britain’s Energy Coast has worked hard with Cumbria County Council (CCC) to build a successful case to the NPIF and we are delighted to see this hard work and collaborative approach pay off. It is particularly pleasing to see more central government funding making its way in to Cumbria to support these key schemes.
“BEC is committed to working with partners including Cumbria County Council, Copeland Borough Council and the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners to bring forth a £300m+ connected development at North Shore including offices, hotel, leisure, residential and supporting car parking infrastructure. The works made possible by CCC’s successful bid will create a critical infrastructure gateway to support the development, ease congestion and improve pedestrian accessibility surrounding the scheme.”
