WORKINGTON could soon start to benefit from £23.1m in investment - with plans for a new stadium and the development of the Port of Workington.

Allerdale Borough Council’s Executive committee agreed the business cases for five key projects in the town using funding from the government’s Town Deal pot.

This is the first stage in the development of the projects.

Now that they have been given green light by Executive members, the next stage is for them to be considered by the government.

After that the projects would then move into the more detailed design phase before building work starts.

The projects have been put together by the Town Deal Board which has representatives from local government and the Workington business and third sector communities.

The projects include an improved community sports and leisure facility in the lower Derwent Park Valley which would include new facilities for Workington Reds football club and the town’s rugby league club, Workington Town.

At the meeting the Executive acknowledged that further work is required on a number of items in relation to this project, including the business plan and governance arrangements for the delivery and ongoing operation of the sports village.

The business case makes clear how this project would take place over a number of phases.

The initial phase would see around £5m from the Town Deal, and a further £1m from Allerdale Borough Council, provide a completely new grandstand and accompanying facilities and an all-weather pitch on the footprint of Borough Park. Subsequent phases would see the construction of further covered terracing.

Speaking at the meeting Cllr Mike Johnson, Council Leader, said: “I’m delighted to present this report to the Executive. It’s the culmination of work by numerous people and I’d like to thank each and every person who has been involved to date.

"My thanks especially go to the Town Deal Board.

"This investment meets our commitment in our Council Strategy to invest in our communities and have thriving towns and villages.

"I’m also keen to make the most of the government’s Levelling Up plans which promise to pump even more investment into communities such as Workington.

"I’m confident, when these plans go to government, that they will like what they see, and we will get the green light from them to progress further with the projects.

"It’s at this point that we will start to realise the significant and lasting changes to Workington that this investment promises.”