By James Broadhurst

Last updated at 15:16, Saturday, 06 October 2012

Some of the biggest players in shipping have seen for themselves the impact of a multi-million pound investment in a port.

About 30 leading executives toured the Port of Workington yesterday to see for themselves how its expansion is unfolding.

The fact-finding visit was part of the annual British Port Authority Conference.

It concluded with delegates seeing the development work which has taken place at the port following a £5.7 million investment from the Energy Coast initiative.

The main improvement highlighted was the £2.9m project to double the port’s container-handling capacity.

West Cumbrian firm Thomas Armstrong has been working on the project since being awarded the contract in July.

It has involved extra hard-standing areas and warehousing being created for containers and other cargo, along with the purchase of a mobile crane, a reach stacker, tractor units and trailers, IT upgrades and improvements to security and lighting.

Colin Sharpe, business development manager at the port, said: “We are giving proper context to what we have talked to them about in our presentations. The more we can raise awareness of Workington the better.”

About 170 delegates attended the conference at the Low Wood Hotel and Waterhead Hotel at Windermere. They heard presentations on developments in port and transport policy across the UK and were also taken round some of the sights of Cumbria.

First published at 12:39, Saturday, 06 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk