Last updated at 14:07, Thursday, 19 July 2012

Plans have been drawn up to improve Maryport harbour – but they don’t go far enough.

Cumbria’s coastline and its harbours have long been undersold, ignored and uncared for.

Impressive work has been carried out in recent years on improving and regenerating Whitehaven, while Workington is halfway through an ambitious decade-long £11m development.

Meanwhile, lovely Maryport has missed out.

The town has a beautiful working port and marina area that are woefully underused and under-promoted.

Transport it to Cornwall and it would be a tourist honey pot.

The harbour authority wants £1.4m spending on repairs to harbour walls and the creation of a new boathouse for the town’s Inshore Rescue.

This is merely what is needed for minimal maintenance and safety purposes.

Authority chairwoman Angela Kendall reckons the harbour walls have not been repaired during their 200-year existence.

Some attention is long overdue – and for a terribly outdated rescue boathouse.

Bosses at Britain’s Energy Coast will consider the appeal for the £1.4m grant at a meeting on August 9. I would recommend they visit the harbour to see how else it could be developed.

For not much more money but with a bit of imagination, the harbour and marina area could be developed to include shops and a café/restaurant. The aquarium and playground are fantastic for kids, I should know, I’ve spent hours there with my two, but slightly older visitors need to be catered for too.

The Senhouse Museum is undergoing an improvement scheme, this is the perfect time for Energy Coast chiefs to realise the full potential of the town, dig a little deeper into their coffers and help provide a bit more than just repairs to a wall and new boathouse.

All new jobs are welcome and of course we want and need more than to be able to work in retail and tourism.

As the latest census figures show, we need to be able to provide career opportunities that will attract and keep youngsters in the region.

The Energy Coast is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to regenerate and improve the west coast of the county, economically and socially.

Just showing an interest and announcing that they were investing extra improvement money into the town would encourage other developers to sit up and take notice and take an interest in improving what is a neglected treasure on Cumbria’s coastline.

First published at 11:24, Thursday, 19 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk