Milestone reached in Whitehaven The Edge water activity centre
The construction of a water activity centre has reached a long-awaited milestone.The building phase of the Edge in Whitehaven, Cumbria, has been completed, with the fitting out of the interiors due to start imminently.The £4.7m project, funded by Sellafield and the Coastal Communities Fund, was due to open in 2022, but the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges with the build significantly delayed the opening date, now planned for the summer.Deanne Shallcross, CEO of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners (WHC) which is behind the project, said it "felt so amazing" to finally walk inside the building but there was still work to do.
The Edge, built in front of the Golden Sands beach, is set to provide water sports facilities, a cafe, new slipway and accommodation for visitors exploring the area and cyclists tackling the Coast to Coast (C2C) route.Those behind the plans said they hoped it would attract about 10,000 visitors per year.
Mrs Shallcross said there would be a "big push" for the work to be completed by the start of the school summer holidays."We're really keen to take the next steps, there's a huge amount of work ahead still," she said.
The three-storey building was designed to look like the sandstone pebbles that wash up during high seas in Whitehaven.Plans include using the building as a venue for community events and activities.
Mrs Shallcross added: "The building is amazingly full of potential, but while the shell is complete, the inside is still fairly empty at the moment."But it won't be long before it becomes a hive of activity."
Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Pembrokeshire company director sentenced for fraud during Covid
Mr Zahid Afzal of Haverfordwest fraudulently claimed extra Covid bounce back loans for his phone sales and merchandise companies. When appearing at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, June 12, Mr Afzal was sentenced for three counts of fraud by false representation and was handed a two-year suspended sentence, and 300 hours of unpaid work. Insolvency Service Chief Investigator David Snasdell said: 'It is clear from our investigations that Zahid Afzal felt he could continue to apply time and time again for loans he was not entitled to. 'Not satisfied with the substantial funds he had legitimately received, he went on to lie on applications and exaggerate his companies' turnovers. 'His sentencing should serve as a reminder to those contemplating fraudulently pocketing taxpayers' money to think again.' The director of Phone Bits Ltd and Phones Onn Ltd had already received Covid loans for both companies legitimately – totalling £52,500 – when he applied for three more. The 37-year-old, from Haverfordwest, falsely claimed the applications were the first he had made and exaggerated the turnover of each company. He then received three additional loans of £50,000 each – one for Phone Bits Ltd and two for Phones Onn Ltd – between May and November 2020. The Insolvency Service investigation did not find any wrongdoing with the use of his initial loans for Phones Onn Ltd (£20,000) and Phone Bits (£32,500), which he was entitled to and were used entirely for business purposes. But he moved most of the £150,000 he received from his second round of loans to personal accounts despite stating they were for business purposes. The Bounce Back loan scheme helped small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, at a low interest rate, guaranteed by the Government. The loans were made on the condition that they were not to be used for personal purposes, but could be used, for example, to purchase a company asset such as a vehicle, if it would provide an economic benefit to the business. The money lent to a company had to be paid back, over six or 10 years, with payments starting 12 months after the company received the loan. The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Beloved Edinburgh shop Ali's Cave to close after 40 years
An Edinburgh shop that has served customers for more than 40 years is set to close this summer. Ali's Cave describes itself as a one-stop shop for everyday household items and DIY products. Despite surviving a recession, the Covid pandemic and years of the cost of living crisis, the Edinburgh institution has made the decision to close in August. Anwar Ulhaq opened the Lothian Road shop with his brothers in 1988 after seven successful years of trade on Edinburgh's South Bridge. Anwar son and co-owner Adnan Ulhaq said the decision to close was based on a drop in footfall. 'We very much relied on local community, local businesses and office worker, but the area has become a bit of a transient area where office workers are coming intermittently and a lot of the local community have probably moved out, so it's left a lot of void spaces for us. 'Online has definitely had an impact but I think we've always focussed on what we're doing. 'With our rates going up, with staff wages going up, with the national insurance impact, with the cost of living crisis, we couldn't provide the service that we've always done, a true value for shop. So that's what helped us make the decision of closing down.' The news has come as a shock to many in the community, particularly those who avoid online shopping. One customer, Jane, said: 'I'm really going to miss them. I mean I just can't be bothered with the internet, I'd rather come here, I get a laugh with the staff, what I need is actually here.' Marketing Lecturer Dr Ashleigh McFarlane says the convenience of online shopping has created tough competition for local independent shops The Edinburgh Napier University lecturer said: 'It's this ease of access and ease of obtaining products to their own home that puts people off leaving their home but I do really feel that it's a shame to lose the local high streets. 'For a lot of people that person in the local shop might be the only interaction they have in a day and I think that the High Street have to work differently, more socially, to get people in and get people involved and the retailers really need to think about if they can't invest in technology then what strategies will work for them.' While the loss of Ali's Cave will undoubtedly be felt across the community, they're encouraging their loyal customers to keep shopping locally. Adnan said: 'If you don't support local businesses, they won't be there anymore. You'll miss them when they're gone. 'Thank you very much to all of our regular customers, to all the people who have popped in, you've made my father and myself very happy. We truly feel valued in Edinburgh.' The shop will be having a half price sale from Monday in preparation for its closure in early August. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Paul Johnson: The spending review was ‘incomprehensible'
Rachel Reeves's spending review was the 'most incomprehensible speech I've ever heard from a chancellor', according to Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He spoke to me on today's edition of Coffee House Shots. In this special episode, I was also joined by Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, to take a wider look at Britain's fiscal and economic problems. Why, despite record tax levels, do our public services feel as if they're in managed decline? Why do voters' expectations of the state seem so out of whack with what we actually deliver? We discussed whether Ruth's predecessor, Torston Bell, was right to claim Labour has ended austerity, and how much the lingering effects of Covid still shape where we are today. Paul and Ruth examined whether our economic doom loop – the endless chatter about tax rises and spending squeezes – are explained by structural problems in the British economy. Are tax rises inevitable? Or do the public need to get on board with a smaller state. Finally, I asked what they would do as Treasury dictators with a free hand to reform any policy they like. Listen below.
