The team at Allerdale Borough Council’s Maryport regeneration team now have to put together a Programme Design, before a final decision is made. This will concentrate on improving some of the heritage assets in the town centre. 

The money is provided through Historic England and is part of a £95m funding package for towns throughout England. The organisation describes the funding as designed to help “breathe new life into old places that are rich in heritage and full of promise - unlocking their potential and making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors ... helping instil a sense of local pride wherever there's a Heritage Action Zone.” 

The Council recently received news that its bid to the High Street Fund for the town had also made it to the next round. 

Speaking on the announcement, Mark Jenkinson, Executive member with responsibility for economic growth, said: “This is terrific news for Maryport especially on the back of recent announcements of funding for Maryport from the High Street Fund, and I’d like to thank everyone involved in putting the bid together for their hard work. Maryport is a fantastic town with a fascinating history and stunning architecture and heritage assets. There’s still some work to do on the Programme Design which when complete will ensure this money goes a long way to make the town even more attractive both for visitors and local residents.” 

The bids are all part of the regeneration efforts for Maryport which, with help from the local community, is developing a programme of improvements for the promenade, harbour, Downstreet area and town centre, as well as planning a series of events.