Preparatory work to support the development of a new multi-million-pound project in Workington will get underway this month.
The work is set to start on Saturday, July 13, on the site of the new Workington Innovation Centre, on part of the town’s Central Car Park, and will be aimed at digital technology and advanced manufacturing businesses.
Central Car Park will close from Saturday and will remain closed during the construction of the new site.
Some car parking spaces will also be unavailable from tomorrow, Wednesday July 10.
Cumberland Council said the vision is to establish it as a distinctive focal point for the incubation and growth of entrepreneurial businesses and will also address the lack of modern office accommodation in Workington.
Alternative parking is available within the town including the nearby multi-storey car park and Brow Top, the council said.
The innovation centre is part of the Workington Town Deal – £23.1 million of Government funding for ambitious projects ranging from a new sports village to improvements to Workington Port.
The four-storey building will be clad in metal panels. Solar panels on the roof will help meet the building’s electricity needs and air source heat pumps will also be installed. The area around it will be landscaped to improve biodiversity, and tie the site to its surroundings.
The inside space will be flexible and easily reconfigured to meet the changing needs of tenants, will include conference and meeting room space, and catering facilities for the facility’s users and special events, alongside informal meeting areas.
Tenants will be encouraged to use sustainable transport so the building will also have secure cycle storage and shower facilities.
The centre will provide tailored innovation and entrepreneurship support, the authority added.
Oxford Innovation Space has been identified as the preferred operator of the new Workington centre. The organisation manages a number of similar facilities across the UK, working with local authorities, universities, science parks and investors.
The NHS is set to build a £15 million Community Diagnostic Centre on the same site, offering MRI, CT and ultrasound scans.
Leader of Cumberland Council Mark Fryer said: “This is another important step forward for the project. There is no supply of Grade A office space in Workington, which limits the town’s ability to attract and retain high quality firms, and there is a poor supply of small units for early stage companies or in-movers looking for amounts of modest space. There is also a limited supply of co-working space.
“The aim of this initiative is to resolve this, as well as re-energising Workington town centre by attracting increased footfall and expenditure. It is exciting to see these projects taking the next steps towards completion.”
