A £14 million bid to create an industrial hub in Cleator Moor has been submitted to the Government.
Copeland council is working with Sellafield Ltd to create the Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter at the Leconfield Industrial Estate.
The authority has applied to the Government for the cash to create the Industrial Solutions Hub.
The hub, leaders say, will bring together Sellafield’s supply chain and help boost the area’s economy.
They hope it will show the rest of the UK that the area’s nuclear expertise is a force to be reckoned with.
The Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter will open up an additional 400 per cent of space which will be able to be developed, enabling high quality facilities for skills and training, research, development, innovation, testing and manufacture.
It will include enhanced community facilities and improved connectivity with Cleator Moor town and the broader region, as well as providing employment opportunities for local people, the council said.
A masterplan has been drawn up to develop the site.
Pat Graham, chief executive of Copeland council, said: “The hub will support our industry, support our community, use our talent and drive our economy.”
Copeland council bought the industrial estate in January.
Mike Starkie, Copeland mayor, said: “We are confident that our Levelling Up Fund bid can make a huge difference to the long-term prospects of Cleator Moor and its residents.
“Work is already under way to lay the foundations for a better future, and some key interventions have already been made, including the Town Deal funding offer and Copeland council’s purchase of the Leconfield Industiral Estate.
“These steps highlight the commitment of Copeland council and local stakeholders – with the support of the community – to drive change.
“Copeland council’s ownership of the Leconfied Industrial Estate is already changing perceptions of what this central part of Cleator Moor could be.
“With the Industrial Solutions Hub investment and the interest in new space, it’s clear that the Leconfield Industrial Estate is not large enough to capitalise on this opportunity and the site needs to be developed and expanded to reach its significant potential.”
