Historic seaside town boasts of increase in tourism after £12million revamp – including seafront activity centre
A SMALL seaside town has reported a significant boost in tourism after investing £12 million into revamp work.
The regeneration project, most of which was completed at the beginning of the year, saw upgrades to the town centre and seafront.
Maryport, which has a population of around 10,865, traces back to medieval times with the Georgian era introducing the town's lighthouse while the Victorian period brought the local railway.
By 1845 , the Cumbria port town had established itself as a bustling hub for trade, shipping 300,000 tons of coal along with other imports and exports including iron ore, timber, cattle, and cotton.
A century on, the aftermath of the 1926 General Strike and the new deep-water dock in Workington saw the area become a ghost town.
Despite a brief reprieve during World War II, the town never fully recovered, with the docks closing to cargo ships in the 1960s.
In the decades since, the scenic area focused more on its tourism industry.
A series of regeneration works have been carried out in Maryport, with some still in progress.
Maryport Town Hall underwent a £200,000 renovation and now serves as a community hub as well as housing the local council.
Automatic sensors on the building have recorded more than a third increase in footfall since the upgrade began.
Overall, tourism in the town has increased by 35% since spring 2024.
The town hall is located on Senhouse Street, the main route connecting the town centre with the Harbourside and Promenade, all of which have undergone various revamps.
A Shopfront Scheme has transformed the look of many properties, attracting new businesses such as retailers, wellness providers, a photography studio, and a banking hub.
Meanwhile on the Harbourside, the new Shiver Me Timbers splashpark and play area has been erected.
Upgrades have also been made to the Maryport Activity Centre, with new attractions added, including a play area, climbing attractions, a gym, studio spaces, and a café.
The new Shipping Brow Gallery and a new skatepark on the Promenade have also boosted footfall in the town.
And Maryport's regeneration continues as the Christ Church to Maritime Museum conversion still underway.
'Downtrodden' English ghost town where locals feel 'left behind' being turned into 'vibrant' shopping hub in £9m revamp
By Nicole Cherruault
A "DOWNTRODDEN" English ghost town is being turned into a "vibrant" shopping hub in a £9million revamp.
The town in northern Manchester set to totally transform as the council launches a multi-million pound"vision for change" after locals complained the town felt "left behind".
More than 600 people were consulted over renovation plans in Eccles, Salford and work has now started on demolishing the town's shopping centre, which was suffering from falling visitors numbers.
Following the demolition stage, a development partner will be appointed to bring new life to what residents described as a "downtrodden" town, reports Manchester Evening News.
The objective, the council said, is to create a "vibrant" and a "fit for purpose" centre for people to enjoy.
Attracting more independent retailers, and new bars and cafes are among the council's top priorities.
And just three miles from Salford Quays and Manchester city centre, the redevelopment project looks set to transform the area into a buzzing place for young professionals and business owners.
This comes as locals despaired over the ailing town, saying they felt it had been "left behind" and it was in desperate need of some "drastic" improvements.
The council stressed that the demolition work will be a long process, with the initial phase due only to be completed by the end of the year.
However, Councillor Mike McCusker reassured locals that despite the renovations, the town centre "remains open for business", stressing that the works only affect a few areas.
He said: 'Whilst we work on the town centre of the future, today's town centre remains open for business,' said Coun Mike McCusker, lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development at Salford council.
'I want to stress that this demolition work only affects certain parts of the town centre.
'The shops and businesses on Church Street are still open for business and unaffected by this work.'
Meanwhile, Councillor McCusker, who represents the Eccles ward, shared his enthusiasm for the project, in particular for its focus on the local community.
In a statement, he spoke of his "excitement" for the times ahead in materialising their vision for a brighter, more dynamic Eccles.
He said 'Through our purchase of the shopping centre, we were able to put the future of the town centre in the hands of the council and the community.
'It has enabled us to begin this important and long-overdue programme of work, to deliver the vision we have developed with the community.
'The demolition work will take some time, but there are exciting times ahead for Eccles as we work to bring this vision to life.'
The work will see the historic Christ Church transformed into a new Maritime Museum, with an expected opening later this year.
And a former cinema is also being converted into a cultural hub, with an opening date expected early next year.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Councillor Mark Fryer spoke about the boost the work has given the town.
"When Maryport Maritime Museum opens in Christ Church, the former Carlton Cinema becomes a cultural hub, and the new café opens on the Promenade there will be even more reasons to visit," he said.
"I am very pleased to see that footfall is already on the up - even before the summer tourist season.
3
"This is great for the local economy which is the whole point of this work.'
Other attractions in the town include the Lake Distict Coast Aquarium at Maryport Harbour, which reportedly boasts more than 2,000 specimens in over 75 display tanks.
Family tickets are available from just £26.
And while the town has a mixed shingle and sand beach that disappears during high tide, its bay is still recognised as a good spot for windsurfing and kite-surfing.
Visitors can also enjoy the stunning views of the Solway estuary at all times of the year.
3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Debt-ridden wedding firm took nearly £50,000 from couples despite already having gone BUST
An wedding entertainment firm left 'heartbroken' couples thousands of pounds out of pocket by taking bookings after it had already gone bust, an investigation has found. Frederick Reeves, 49, also known as Jamie, and Claire Reeves, 41, ran 'The Best Singing Waiters' - a company that hired 'servers' who would suddenly burst into song at weddings and other big social events. However, brides and grooms were left 'devastated' when the performers did not turn up on their big day - despite them having paid for the service in full. One mother of the bride last year told MailOnline how she lost £1,400 after booking two waiters from the firm as a surprise for her daughter's wedding. Kathryn Dean, aged 60, from Liverpool, paid Mr Reeves in two installments in 2021 and only found out the firm had gone bust on social media. Now it has emerged that the Wigan-based company continued to take payments totalling £43,590 from 43 customers, despite being in severe financial difficulty. A probe by the Insolvency Service found that the husband and wife duo knew there was 'no reasonable expectation they could provide the services they offered'. Mr and Mrs Reeves have now been banned as company directors for eight years by the government agency. The Best Singing Waiters, which was also known as Solfan1, eventually went into liquidation with debts of more than £700,000 and assets of just over £168,000. Rob Clarke, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 'Couples were left heartbroken after finding out the singing waiters they had paid to perform at their weddings would not show up. 'Several of the customers who lost out financially were even offered discounts by the company to make their payment in full at the time of the booking. 'The serious misconduct that both Frederick and Claire Reeves displayed falls short of the standards we expect of company directors which is why they have both been disqualified until May 2033.' Speaking to MailOnline about her experience last year, Ms Dean said she was convinced she would never get her money back. She said: 'The singing waiters were going to be a surprise for all the guests. 'My daughter was devastated when we found out. 'I felt sick - this was my daughter's wedding day after all. 'I still just can't believe that someone could do this to somebody else. 'If Jamie really wanted to, he could have covered our wedding for himself - he has all the equipment.' She said that she first got in touch with The Best Singing Waiters in February 2021 and paid a deposit of £800. Ms Dean said: 'I was dead excited - it was the first thing that we booked. 'I was thinking at the time "what a way to get a wedding started". 'I paid the second instalment of £800 in November 2021 and I thought it was all sorted. Jamie kept in contact and he would send me videos of his work. 'Then on March 8 of this year [2024] I gave him another call and spoke to the office manager. We went through the song list. 'She said we would need to provide lunch for the two singers - this was fine so I rang up the catering company and paid for this. 'She then said thank you very much and there is nothing else we need to do now. She also sent me videos of the two singing waiters were going to have on the day. 'Then I heard nothing else until I just saw on social media that they had closed down. 'On May 10 [2024], I got one automated email saying that they had gone into administration.' Ms Dean said it was very unlikely that she would get her money back through insolvency services and that given more than 150 days had passed she wouldn't be able to get a refund on her credit card. Dozens of couples were affected by The Best Singing Waiters going bust and several hit out on social media at the time. One bride-to-be posted on Facebook: 'Our wedding is in 4 weeks. We're absolutely gutted. 'My elderly mother had bought this for a surprise and can't get a penny back!' Another said: 'I've booked and paid in full for April next year, gutted. Hopefully something can be done.' A third added: 'Same company have taken a £1000 from us.' Solfan1 was incorporated in November 2015 and Ms Reeves was appointed as director in April 2018. Frederick Reeves was never officially listed as director of the company but did not dispute that he acted in the capacity of a director when accepting his disqualification following Insolvency Service investigations. The company was in financial difficulties in early 2024, having been served a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs for tax debts of more than £200,000 at the start of February. Following discussions with a private insolvency practitioner, the couple agreed on 28 March that Solfan1 should be placed into liquidation. However, from then until the company went into liquidation on 1 May 2024, they continued to take deposits and full payments from new customers. Analysis by investigators revealed that an estimated 43 customers made payments totalling £43,590 to the company during that period.
Times
38 minutes ago
- Times
AI could free 30,000 civil servants from routine admin, study finds
Nearly 30,000 civil servants could be freed from carrying out routine admin every year if AI is rolled out across Whitehall, a government study has suggested. More than 20,000 civil servants across Whitehall took part in a three-month trial to use generative AI for help with tasks such as drafting documents, summarising meetings, and handling emails. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said this saved the equivalent of giving 1,130 full-time workers out of the 20,000 a full year back every year. Extrapolated across the whole civil service workforce of 514,395 people, the trial suggests 29,063 could be freed up for other work using AI. It comes as a study from the Alan Turing Institute found AI could support up to 41 per cent of tasks across the public sector. The artificial intelligence institute found that teachers spend nearly 100 minutes a day on lesson planning but up to 75 per cent of this could be supported by AI, while civil servants spend about 30 minutes daily on emails, where it is believed AI could cut this effort by more than 70 per cent. Civil servants in the government trial used AI to cut through jargon and streamline consultations, while work coaches utilised it to speed up support for jobseekers. They used tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot to assist with drafting documents, summarising lengthy emails, updating records, and preparing reports. Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, will highlight the results alongside Sir Tony Blair at the SXSW London festival on Monday. The two will discuss reimagining government and public service delivery in the age of AI. Last month, a separate government trial found AI is more impartial than civil servants in analysing responses to new policies and consultations. A new AI tool to sort responses to public consultations found that about 75,000 days of work could be saved, while civil servants themselves said it removed opportunities for them to 'project their own preconceived ideas' into processes and 'takes away the bias and makes it more consistent'. • Consult, the new tool that will be used across government, is part of Humphrey — a bundle of AI tools being used across Whitehall and named after Sir Humphrey Appleby, the fictional permanent secretary in Yes Minister. The tool categorises responses under broad headings and assigns them based on whether they agree or disagree with proposals or if they are unclear. At present this is done manually by civil servants who comb through about 500 consultations a year, with responses in the thousands. The tool will also help with the increasing number of template responses to consultations organised by campaign groups. However officials also said there was a rise in the number of campaigning organisations that encouraged people to use AI to write consultation responses, which could lead to a situation where AI is analysing responses written using trial of Consult was used to analyse responses to a Scottish government consultation on cosmetic procedures. Testers found that the majority of the time the AI agreed with what a human reviewer would have said. Officials who worked with Consult on the test said they were 'pleasantly surprised' that AI analysis provided a 'useful starting point' in its initial analysis, with others noting that it ultimately 'saved [them] a heck of a lot of time' and allowed them to 'get to the analysis and draw out what's needed next'. Kyle said: 'These findings show that AI isn't just a future promise — it's a present reality. Whether it's helping draft documents, preparing lesson plans or cutting down on routine admin, AI tools are saving civil servants time every day. That means we can focus more on delivering faster, more personalised support where it really counts.'
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Flight paths shake-up could mean quicker journeys and fewer delays for passengers
PASSENGERS could enjoy quicker journeys and fewer delays under the first shake-up of flight paths in 70 years. Ministers have ordered an overhaul of UK airspace to create more direct routes. The review could also let planes climb into the sky quicker to reduce the noise for communities below. In the long-term, the government says the redesign would even create the necessary airspace for the 'flying taxis' of the future to operate. Britain's flightpaths have not been changed since the 1950s when there were just 200,000 flights per year, compared with 2.7million in 2024. It has resulted in flight congestion that often forces planes to circle overhead before landing, causing frustration to passengers as well as more emissions. A new UK Airspace Design Service will be up and running by the end of the year, and will first focus on re-carving London's flightpaths in anticipation of a third Heathrow runway. Transport Minister Mike Kane said: 'Redesigned 'skyways' will turbocharge growth in the aviation industry. "Not least by boosting airport expansion plans and supporting job creation, driving millions into the UK economy as part of the Plan for Change. 'Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce pollution from flying and will set the industry up for a long-term sustainable future.' Tim Alderslade of Airlines UK added: 'Modernising UK airspace is long overdue. "These changes will help to speed up a programme that will provide tangible reforms, from a reduction in delays, improved resilience and lower carbon emissions.' Travelers have only days before May 23 'flight switch' rule ends – you face long delays if you don't act immediately 1
