Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan

January 2016

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 1 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

CONTENTS

NB: Section numbers relate to the Government Guidance of Preparing Economic Plans for Coastal Community Teams; they are retained for ease of understanding by officers at DCLG.

Introduction 1. Name of Coastal Community Team page: 4 2. Single Point of Contact page: 4 3. Coastal Community Team Members page: 4 4. Accountable Body page: 5 5. Local Area page: 5 6. Context – The Community page: 6 7. Context – The Economy page: 7 8. Related Initiatives page: 9 9. Ambition page: 12 10. Community Needs and How We Will Meet Them page: 13 11. Analysis page: 15 12. Data page: 16 13. Key projects page: 16 19. Barriers page: 25 23. Funding page: 26 24. Maximising Resources and Costs page: 26 25. Consultation page: 26 26. Communication With Partners and Stakeholders page: 27 27. Communication With the Community page: 27 28. Management of Team page: 28 29. Support Structure page: 28 31. Sustainability page: 28 32. Areas of Specific Interest page: 28 Appendix page: 29

Prepared by:

Bowles Green Limited Consultants: Vale House Judith Bowles Oswaldkirk, York Steve Green YO62 5YH Tel: 01439 788980 / 01420 51487 Mobile: 07919 373294 Email: [email protected]

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 2 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Acknowledgements

The consultants would like to thank members of the project steering group, members of Love Maryport Town Team and wider stakeholders who have contributed to the preparation of this strategy by giving their time and their ideas.

Document History

Ref Name Circulation/Purpose Written Date By V1 Draft Report CCT for comment SG & JB 19 Jan 2016 V2 Final Report Published SG & JB 26th Jan Version 1 2016

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 3 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

INTRODUCTION

This Draft Economic Plan has been prepared by consultants for the Maryport Area Coastal Community Team, which has been set up to guide economic development at the coast in the area shown on the map below. The economic plan is being written to a template provided by the government and consists of a description of the local area and its economic challenges, a development strategy, a rationale and a list of projects to deliver the strategy. In accordance with the guidance, it does not repeat economic, social and environmental information that is already set out in existing studies, strategies and plans. Instead, this Economic Plan summarises the position and refers to other plans where appropriate. The projects in this Plan will become priorities for bidding into the Coastal Revival Fund and for other sources of funding.

This plan is a ‘live’ document. In its current form (the first edition), it is a starting point. It will evolve and become more precise and detailed as work on projects progresses and as economic and other conditions change. It will be updated on a regular basis.

1. NAME OF COASTAL COMMUNITY TEAM

The Coastal Community Team for this area is called Love Maryport Town Team.

2. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT

At present, activity in Maryport Area CCT is being co-ordinated by the Chair of the Love Maryport Town Team. Her contact details are:

Debbie Wright Her Citti Crosby Street Maryport CA15 6JX

Tel: 01900 810400 E-mail: [email protected]

3. COASTAL COMMUNITY TEAM MEMBERS

Coastal Community Team

The following organisations have taken part in work to prepare this economic plan and are members of the Coastal Community Team for Maryport Area:

Allonby Parish Council - www.localcouncils.org/allonby Local Trust www.ewanrigg.com Coast Aquarium - www.coastaquarium.co.uk Love Maryport Town Team – www.lovemaryport.org.uk (Lead organisation) Maryport Festival Group - www.maryportblues.co.uk Maryport Harbour Authority - www.maryportharbour.com Maryport Inshore Rescue - www.maryportrescue.co.uk Maryport Maritime Museum - www.maryportmaritimemuseum.btck.co.uk

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Maryport Town Council – www.maryporttowncouncil.gov.uk North of Civic Trust – www.nect.org.uk Senhouse Roman Museum - www.senhousemuseum.co.uk AONB - www.solwaycoastaonb.org.uk Wave Centre - www.thewavemaryport.co.uk West Coast Indoor Karting - www.westcoastkarting.co.uk

Stakeholders/Other Partners

A wider group of stakeholders has also engaged with the process and will provide support, assist communication or otherwise support the CCT.

Allerdale Borough Council – www./gov.uk – www.cumbria.gov.uk Cumbria Tourism - www.cumbriatourism.org Netherhall School – www.netherhall.cumbria.sch.uk Northern Rail – www.northernrail.org

4. ACCOUNTABLE BODY

The accountable body for this Economic Plan is:

Allerdale Borough Council Allerdale House Cumbria CA14 3YJ

Contact: Toni Magean, Town Centre Area Manager Tel: 01900 702766 E-mail: [email protected]

5. LOCAL AREA

The Maryport CCT area extends along the English Solway coast from Point in the north to include in the south. The main focus for economic activity is the town of Maryport. Maryport sits at the mouth of the , at the south-western extremity of the Solway Plain and at the northern end of the former Coalfield. The town occupies high ground on top of cliffs and lower lying coastal land around the harbour. To the north of the town the site of the Roman fort and town of is within the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With the exception of Maryport and Swarthy Hill, the area is low lying. To the north and south of Maryport there are sand dunes and sandy beaches, especially at Allonby, which is popular with holiday-makers and day visitors. The northern part of the CCT (i.e. the area to the north of Maryport) is within the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are fine views across the to Dumfries and Galloway and inland to the Lake District.

Behind the coastal dunes, the land use is agricultural with several former mining communities. To the north, inland from Allonby wet grassland provides grazing and further inland, the ground rises to the ridge that forms the inland boundary of the Solway Plain.

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The Maryport CCT area is generally remote from the national transport network. The Cumbrian Coast railway line links Maryport and Flimby to the East Coast mainline at , and to Workington, , Sellafield and eventually Barrow-in-Furness to the south. The B5300 coast road links Flimby, Maryport and Allonby with in the north and Workington in the south. Other key roads are the A596, which links Maryport to Carlisle and the M6, and the A594, which links to the A66 at and on to the M6 at Penrith. The Hadrian Cycle Route passes through the CCT from south to north, as does the new Coastal Path.

Figure 1: Maryport Coastal Community Team Area

The area’s sense of place is formed partly by this geographic heritage and in part by its cultural heritage; the latter is summarised as follows:

. The Roman fort and town of Alauna were built in 122 AD as a supply base for the western part of Hadrian’s Wall . The town reduced in size and importance after the departure of the Romans . There was a motte and bailey castle in the 12th century and the area was part of the Netherhall Estate in the 14th Century when a was built to defend against Scots raids . Humphrey Senhouse began to develop the harbour and the town in the 18th century and renamed Ellenfoot as Maryport in 1749 after his wife, Mary . Maryport developed rapidly during the 19th century with an iron foundry, shipyards and larger port to service coalmining around , Broughton and . A new deep-water dock at Workington took trade from Maryport and the town’s industry had all but collapsed by the 1980s . In the last 20 years Maryport has enjoyed considerable public sector investment in leisure infrastructure, but it has struggled to attract large numbers of visitors

6. CONTEXT – THE COMMUNITY

The population of Maryport Area CCT is approximately 17,000. The main settlements are Maryport (12,000), Flimby (1,700), (1,000) and Allonby (400). The population of Allonby

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 6 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016 increases by approximately 2,000 in the summer and to a lesser extent Easter, the half term holidays and off season weekends as occupancy of its caravan sites increases. The resident population can be summarised as follows:

. The population is older than the UK average and ageing at a faster rate than the UK population . There is a higher proportion of younger people in Maryport and Flimby than in the rural north . Maryport and Flimby have high rates of unemployment with associated levels of deprivation and higher levels of crime, especially in the east and south of Maryport (Ewanrigg and Grasslot) . The gap between the deprived urban areas and the less deprived rural areas is widening . Maryport and Flimby have poorer health than the national average with lower levels of physical exercise and higher rates of hospital stays due to alcohol and smoking . Average income is low and this has led to generally low levels of expectation in terms of quality of products and services

The ‘tourist population’ consists of regular visitors, who own their caravans and spend a good deal of their leisure time there, those who come regularly or occasionally for an annual holiday and day visitors. Most staying and day visitors come from other parts of Cumbria and surrounding counties.

Local community priorities for Maryport are: tackling crime, clean streets, better job prospects, facilities for young children, activities for teenagers, road improvements better town centre/shopping facilities and better car parking.

Maryport is the main service centre for the CCT. In addition to a shopping centre, there are banks, professional services, leisure and higher education facilities.

7. CONTEXT – THE ECONOMY

The local economy has struggled since the decline of the commercial port c100 years ago. At present, there are an estimated 350 businesses in Maryport and economic activity now consists of:

. Retail and service businesses for the local population (mostly located on Senhouse Street, Curzon Street and surrounding streets) . Light industry (chiefly located in the Glasson and Solway Industrial Estates, located on either side of the A596 in the southern part of Maryport and on the Risehow Industrial Estate in Flimby) . Boston USA-based leisure footwear and clothing company New Balance has a factory and factory outlet at Flimby . A small fishing fleet operates from Elizabeth Dock and a seafood cooperative sells fresh fish and shellfish . MP Marine is a family-owned ship builder and repairer, and marine engineers . Leisure and tourism activity in Maryport is concentrated around the harbour area (marina, aquarium, museum, The Wave), though pubs and serviced accommodation are spread throughout the town and Senhouse Roman Museum sits atop the cliff in the upper town . Most tourist accommodation is un-serviced (caravans) chiefly in 6 caravan parks in and close to Allonby

Most local businesses are privately-owned, small and medium-sized enterprises. They are geared to local demand in terms of scale and quality and there is much economic leakage, for retail and other goods and services, to Workington and Carlisle. As a result, profit margins are generally low as is investment. Many commercial buildings are owned by absentee landlords. These two factors mean the condition of many commercial buildings, especially on Senhouse Street, is poor, giving the town

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 7 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016 a run-down feel. The busy A596, the main road from Workington to Carlisle, runs through the middle of Maryport and this brings large commercial vehicles through the heart of the town. There is a dis-connect between the upper and lower towns, with locals using the shops in the upper town and visitors concentrated around the harbour and associated attractions. The Wave was built with ERDF funds as an exhibition hall. It is located in the lower part of town between the River Ellen and the harbour. It struggled to attract the high levels of community use, as such has repositioned its business plan to provide a wider leisure/activity offer (clip and climb and a caving experience).

New housing that has been developed around the harbour is popular and houses here sell relatively quickly. The harbour authority owns land around and between Senhouse and Elizabeth docks and is actively pursuing development options. There is currently an oversupply of commercial property, in particular office space. Overall, the prices of residential and commercial property are low in comparison with other parts of Cumbria and the UK.

The local catch is mostly shellfish. Seafood landed at Maryport is mostly sent directly to European markets, but a fishing cooperative sells a variety of seafood, some of it traded from incoming vessels from elsewhere, at the quayside.

Tourism

Maryport has struggled to become established as a destination for visitors. Its reputation amongst residents and tourism businesses in the Lake District is poor and this is often passed on to visiting tourists. Visitor attractions struggle to generate sufficient numbers of visitors to be financially viable (Senhouse Museum 10,000, Maryport Maritime Museum 1,800), with people staying in caravan sites to the north forming the core market, and visitors are largely absent outside of the holiday season. Though the recently developed ‘clip and climb’ and indoor caving experience at The Wave appears to be bucking this trend. The annual Blues Festival attracts in the region of 20,000 visits to the town over a weekend and there is event organising expertise and capacity in the town.

Accommodation for visitors is limited to 3 hotels and a small number of B&Bs in Maryport plus 6 caravan parks in and near Allonby. There is also scattered self-catering rental accommodation in the rural hinterland. Serviced accommodation is chiefly aimed at contractors and quality is below average.

The marina has 190 berths, facilities for boat owners and is currently developing a clubhouse. Mooring rates are low in comparison to marinas further south along the Irish Sea. Boat owners who moor vessels in Maryport Marina are relatively self-contained and do not generally engage with the town. There are occasional visits by individual boats and sailing clubs from Galloway, the Isle of Man and marinas to the south.

Places to eat and drink are also geared to the local market and, with some exceptions, do not meet the expectations of tourist visitors. However there is anecdotal evidence from businesses in the town that visitors who do come to Maryport are impressed by the architecture and harbour. The upper town has some fine 18th and 19th century buildings, especially around Fleming Square and the harbour has retained much of its character.

The Roman collection at Senhouse Museum, which is owned and operated by a trust, is of international significance. Ownership of the Alauna site, including buildings at Camp Farm, has recently passed from Hadrian’s Wall Heritage to the North of England Civic Trust (NECT). NECT has recently secured a £50k grant through the coastal revival funding scheme towards establishing a volunteer base in the buildings at Camp Farm and both trusts are preparing development projects.

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Most staying visitors are based in the Allonby caravan parks; day visitors also make for the beach at . There is access to the water for boats, though a watercourse that runs across the beach below the access point restricts this. Allonby is a good location for kite surfing, but recent attempts to hold national competitive events were thwarted by poor weather conditions. There are public toilets and a playground, but both are in a deteriorating condition. There are several beach car parks on ‘the green’. A new off-road cycle track connects Allonby to Maryport (via Milefortlet 21 and the saltpans at Swarthy Hill, Crosscanonby Nature Reserve, Maryport Golf Course, which has a catering offer, and Maryport Promenade) and it is proving popular with local residents and visitors.

8. RELATED INITIATIVES

A number of existing initiatives are already underway and these are summarised here.

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership

Cumbria LEP has four priorities, as follows:

. Advanced manufacturing growth . Nuclear and energy excellence . Vibrant rural and visitor economy . Strategic connectivity of the M6 corridor

It will achieve this by:

. Providing support for businesses . Developing skills through training . Improving infrastructure (superfast broadband and new homes) . Environmental sustainability

The Cumbria Business Growth Hub is one of several delivery components; it coordinates support services for businesses across the County.

Solway, Border and Eden LEADER

The Solway, Border and Eden Local Action Group has published a Local Development Strategy for LEADER funding from 2014 to 2020. It aims to support significant and sustainable economic growth in a way that respects the local distinctiveness of the area, fully engages local people and builds stronger, more resilient rural communities. It does this through 3 objectives, with related programmes and priorities, as follows:

. Objective 1: To encourage significant and sustainable economic growth and increased employment, with the full engagement of local people . Objective 2: To address rural issues within the Solway, Border and Eden area and build stronger, more resilient communities . Objective 3: To promote tourism that enhances, conserves and celebrates the distinctive nature of the environment, landscape, heritage and culture of the Solway, Border and Eden area

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Britain’s Energy Coast

BEC is jointly owned by Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils, Cumbria County Council and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Its 2012 Economic Blueprint aims to create 3,000 new jobs by building on West Cumbria’s strengths, i.e.:

. World class research facilities . Natural resources . Manufacturing capability . International reputation in the energy sector

Allerdale Council Policy

The Council seeks to work with strategic and local partners to deliver its priorities; these are set out in its Council Plan 2015-19, as follows:

. Tackling inequality – reducing poverty and supporting people who face financial difficulties . Strengthening our economy – creating a strong, sustainable and vibrant local economy and creating jobs . Enhancing our towns – creating thriving towns that are attractive and welcoming, and retain their distinctive characters . Improving health and wellbeing – helping people live healthy lives and reducing health inequalities

Current activity includes supporting Maryport and Silloth towns and CCTs with a development officer allocated to support projects in each area.

Allerdale Investment Partnership

AIP is a joint venture between Allerdale Borough Council and Lucent Strategic Land Fund, a property development specialist. The partnership has recently progressed development of the Miltofts site on Curzon Street to the south of the town centre where Lidl is developing a new retail store, with the creation of 30 new jobs.

Tidal Lagoon

Tidal Lagoon Power has proposed the development of a tidal lagoon on the West Cumbria Coast. Should the development go ahead, it would have significant impacts on employment, tourism, health and wellbeing, etc. However the project is at an early stage and its delivery is subject to a number of factors beyond local control (including green energy subsidies, etc). Maryport CCT supports the project but has not taken it into account during the timetable of the current plan. The situation will be reviewed on an on-going basis and we will respond accordingly.

Solway Signage Strategy

The strategy has three levels of signage, as follows:

. Primary signage: Local signage within the Solway Coast AONB . Secondary signage: Signage within the three market towns – Aspatria, Silloth and . Tertiary signage: Signage on the trunk roads into the Solway Plain and on the M6

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Primary and secondary signage has been installed; this includes threshold signage for the AONB and at Allonby, threshold signage at Aspatria, Silloth and Wigton, local information signage at key car parks/access points. The Solway Coast AONB is currently working with Cumbria County Council highways to install tertiary signage to the Solway Coast.

Heritage Lottery Fund

The Heritage Lottery Fund has recently asked Allerdale Borough Council to prepare a strategy for HLF funding in Allerdale, to help bring forward grant applications to support natural, cultural and community heritage in the Borough in a coordinated and strategic manner. The Council is preparing the strategy and it will be available in March 2016.

Local Initiatives

Roman Maryport

Senhouse Museum Trust and North of England Civic Trust are coordinating their efforts to take forwards the Alauna, Roman Maryport project. NECT are currently carrying out emergency repairs and developing a base camp at Camp Farm. This will enable visitors to access the site. SMT is beginning to put together an HLF-funded development project. Senhouse Museum Trust is investigating opportunities to enhance its visitor experience, including more car parking.

Events

The Maryport Blues Festival Group has diversified into contract event management, making use of its equipment and event management expertise more widely available in the area.

Maryport Harbour Authority

Maryport Harbour Authority is actively exploring development opportunities for land at the harbour. It is developing a clubhouse for marina members, has applied for planning permission for a small, touring caravan park and has had discussions with another potential development partner.

At the time of writing this Economic Plan, the Harbour Commissioners are looking to prepare a new development plan for the harbour and surrounding land. This will probably be completed within the next 3-4 months.

Tourism

Tourism has been a feature of regeneration in Maryport for some time. The strategic approach to tourism marketing has been to promote West Cumbria (including the Solway Coast) as a slipstream brand of England’s Lake District. It was anticipated that this strategy would attract tourists staying in the Lake District to visit the coast and, hopefully return for staying trips in the future.

In the event, this strategy has failed. As early as 2000 an evaluation of the Western Lakes Tourism Initiative showed that the project had not changed Lake District tourists’ perceptions of the coast and research to inform a marketing and branding study for the Solway Coast (2005) showed that the strategy had failed the Solway Coast.

The consultants preparing this Strategy strongly recommend that an alternative approach is adopted as a matter of urgency. Maryport, Allonby and the Solway Coast have great character and a number

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 11 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016 of strengths that make the Maryport Area CCT appealing to visitors – beaches, Roman heritage, maritime heritage, art heritage (especially Percy Kelly) and water sports. A new approach to tourism marketing is required and it is the intention of Love Maryport to work with Silloth-on-Solway CCT to promote a coordinated approach to destination marketing of the North Allerdale coast.

Aim:

To develop and promote tourism that will attract staying and day visitors to the area’s strengths.

Target Markets:

Our target markets will be those where we have or will develop a competitive edge. At present these are:

. Day visitors from Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland . Visitors staying in caravan parks along the coast . People with an interest in heritage (especially Roman and maritime heritage) . People with an interest in art . Boat owners with moorings in Irish Sea ports . Beach and water sports enthusiasts

Brand

To our north, Silloth-on-Solway CCT has chosen to adopt the ‘England’s Solway Coast’ brand for its tourism destination marketing. This brand has already been adopted by CCT partners in the north of the Maryport Area CCT at Allonby, where it features on highways threshold signs for the village and on 28 signs within Allonby itself. To the south, the National Trust and partners have developed the ‘Colourful Coast’ brand for the Whitehaven- section of the coast. CCT partners based in the town of Maryport feel more closely aligned to a West Cumbria sense of identity. We will work to agree an effective way forwards for the CCT in the coming weeks.

Product Development:

Product development will focus on: water/beach activities, Roman, maritime and industrial heritage, art heritage. This should include: Visitor Collateral - interpretation (tangible and intangible), access (routes, providers, information), improved visitor facilities - public realm, accommodation, food and drink offer, retail offer.

9. AMBITION

Whilst tourism is not the only economic activity that can contribute to the regeneration of the Maryport Area CCT, it is the sector that the local community, businesses and stakeholders can influence most. Strategic development sites for Allerdale Borough Council’s target growth sectors (nuclear, manufacturing and innovation) are located further south, in and around Workington and the A66 corridor, and these have a better infrastructure to support economic growth. Many people who live in the Maryport Area CCT rely on these sectors for employment. However, if we make Maryport a better place to visit and live, we will also make it a more attractive place for business to locate to, as well as a better place for people working further south, to live.

The Maryport Area Coastal Community Team, therefore, seeks to:

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. Improve the environment of Maryport town centre, harbour and promenade, improve connectivity between the town and the harbour, enhance existing attractions and facilities, and develop new attractions and facilities for visitors based on our Roman, maritime, industrial and artistic heritage . Improve facilities for beach users and holidaymakers at Allonby . Improve access and interpretation in the rural coastal zone . Increase the attractiveness of the CCT as a destination for day and overnight visitors by developing and promoting a programme of events and activities . Improve the quality of all aspects of our offer, including accommodation, food and drink, customer service and public realm . Promote our area as a destination for day and staying visitors to our priority target markets

To ensure that increasing visitor numbers and spending bring maximum benefit, our plan will be led and, where possible individual projects will be delivered, by community organisations, or in partnership with them. We will ensure clear pathways to employment for people who live locally, especially those who live in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

We will have been successful when:

. We have established a high quality, heritage and arts based tourism offer for Maryport town, harbour and promenade . Allonby provides a high quality seaside and beach holiday experience with beach and water activities . There is a year-round programme of events and activities and the Blues Festival is well-known as a nationally-important music event . Day visitors and tourists come in greater numbers over a longer season to enjoy our cultural heritage experience and our beach experience . Existing tourism businesses are thriving and, with new tourism businesses (home grown and attracted into the area) provide more employment and career opportunities for local residents, encouraging our young to stay and to thrive, as well as improving the quality of life of our residents . Maryport and the surrounding area is written about in the national media as an attractive place to visit, live and work . As a result of its success as a place to visit, Maryport is increasingly attractive to businesses in associated sectors (marine engineering, energy, seafood, etc.) . By providing more employment opportunities and better access to the coast and countryside, our residents will be healthier in mind and body

10. COMMUNITY NEEDS AND HOW WE WILL MEET THEM

Allerdale Council’s Plan 2015-19 provides the wider strategic framework for economic and social development in the Maryport CCT area. The priorities are:

. Tackling inequality – reducing poverty and supporting people who face financial difficulties . Strengthening our economy – creating a strong, sustainable and vibrant local economy and creating jobs . Enhancing our towns – creating thriving towns that are attractive and welcoming, and retain their distinctive characters

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. Improving health and wellbeing – helping people live healthy lives and reducing health inequalities

Priorities for our residents are:

. Tackling crime . Clean streets . Better job prospects . Facilities for young children . Activities for teenagers . Road improvement . Better town centre/shopping facilities . Better car parking

Strategies for improving the economy are:

. Providing support for businesses . Developing skills through training . Improving infrastructure (superfast broadband and new homes) . Environmental sustainability

Our consultation process identified a number of heritage and tourism opportunities to address these issues that fit well with the regional economic strategy, as follows:

1. Improving the town centre environment by planning and delivering environmental improvement and linked heritage interpretation projects for Senhouse Street, the upper town and Queen Elizabeth Dock 2. Improving the seafront experience by enhancing Maryport Promenade and improving access and facilities at the Grasslot shore, by improving beach and play facilities at Allonby and at rural access points 3. Building on our tradition of events by establishing a permanent base from which we can further develop existing events, operate new events and provide training and learning for people seeking employment in event management 4. Enhancing our existing heritage attractions and developing new heritage attractions based on our strong: a. Artistic and especially painting heritage b. Industrial/transport/maritime heritage c. Roman heritage 5. Ensuring that learning, training and volunteering are built into all of our development projects, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for local young people and unemployed people 6. Improving the quality of our visitor offer so that our businesses meet the needs of our visitors, operate more profitably and re-invest 7. In the longer term we aim to improve the quality of our accommodation offer, but first we will increase the volume of visits and reasons to visit 8. Where possible projects will be delivered and managed by existing organisations (businesses and social enterprises) operating in Maryport and area

Together these eight opportunities, or priorities represent the strategic approach. The table below shows how they will address the needs of our communities. Delivery on the overall strategy will, of course, help to deliver all four of the headline issues facing our community, though specific strategies have a greater or lesser impact on individual issues.

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Table 1: How Our Opportunities Meet Our Needs Opportunity Tackling Strengthening Enhancing Improving Addressing Inequality our Economy our Health Local Towns and Concerns Wellbeing Improving the town centre and ✔ ✔ ✔ harbour Improving the seafront ✔ ✔ experience Building events ✔ ✔ Enhancing and developing new ✔ attractions Learning and training ✔ ✔ Improving quality ✔ ✔ Improving accommodation ✔ quality Local ownership and delivery ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

11. ANALYSIS

An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing our strategic approach is set out in the table below.

Table 2: SWOT Analysis of the Strategic Approach Strengths Weaknesses . Internationally important Roman heritage . Poor condition of buildings in main shopping area (UNESCO World Heritage Site) . Businesses not set up to meet tourism demand . Nationally important landscape designation (opening times, quality of service, etc.) (AONB) . Limited supply and quality of serviced . Maryport transport hub development accommodation . Georgian Town Lay-out and Conservation Areas . Poor signposting to and around the area . Strong maritime heritage . Under-used buildings (e.g. Christ Church) . Percy Kelly and contemporary artists . Distinctive architecture . High quality beaches . Caravan accommodation stock . Good quality coastal access, including Maryport- Allonby cycleway . Maryport Blues Festival . Event organising capacity . Fishing fleet and cooperative – fresh seafood . Railway station on the Cumbrian Coastal Line Opportunities Threats . Demand for heritage tourism . Failure to act . Growing demand for activity and watersports . Continued negative PR in rest of Cumbria tourism . Further deterioration of town centre buildings . Interest in art . Competition form other parts of the Cumbria Coast . Demand for events and activities . No permanent location for events . Development land at the harbour . Install gates at Elizabeth Dock . Excavating and interpreting Alauna . Promoting a strong destination brand . Building on UNESCO World Heritage Site status . Town Centre Traffic Management – Parking Study

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12. DATA

Statistical information and information on the policy context in North Allerdale to guide this plan has been taken from the following documents:

. Allerdale Borough Council Plan 2015 – 19 . Allerdale Borough Council Economic Growth and Investment Plan . Cumbria Intelligence Observatory (various documents) . Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan 2014-24 . Maryport Area Profile (Allerdale Borough Council) . State of the Solway Coast AONB Report (2013) . Strategic Environmental Assessment Report for the Solway Coast AONB Management Plan (2015) . The Allerdale Atlas (Allerdale Borough Council) . West Cumbria Economic Blueprint (2012)

13. KEY PROJECTS

This section includes information specified in sections 14-18, 20-22 and 30 of the Government Guidance of Economic Plans for Coastal Community Teams. Details of targets, costs, outputs and timetable are set out in the project ‘development briefs’. A number of specific development projects have been brought forward through the consultation process. These are set out here, within our overall strategic approach. Further sections of the report how how and when these will be delivered.

Table 3: Strategies and Projects Strategy Project 1. Improving the town centre and harbour Maryport streetscape improvement Pedestrian and road signage Maryport Railway Station enhancements 2. Improving the seafront experience Improved coastal access Redevelop Allonby playground Improving Maryport Promenade Formalising car parking in Allonby Improving the Grasslot Shore 3. Building events Events programme Permanent events facility 4. Enhancing and developing new attractions Art project Roman heritage project Percy Kelly attraction Elizabeth Dock improvement Restoring the train turntable Promoting the Smugglers Way route 5. Learning and training Cross cutting theme 6. Improving quality Cross cutting theme 7. Local ownership and delivery Cross cutting theme 8. Supporting activity Marketing and branding strategy Increasing capacity Monitoring and evaluation

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 16 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Priority Projects

Six priority projects have been selected from the project list and these will be addresses first. They have been selected on a combination of factors, i.e.:

. Their potential impacts on the local economy . The extent to which they pave the way for other projects . Deliverability . Availability of delivery partners to take them forwards

The remainder will be brought on stream once the priority projects are under way and capacity can be allocated to them. The priority projects, which are highlighted in the table above in italic text are summarised briefly here. An outline ‘development brief’ is supplied for each, showing the role of Maryport Area CCT in developing and delivering them.

The three ‘cross cutting theme’ strategies are applied to all projects. How we intend to achieve this is also summarised below.

It is important that we continue to monitor the status of existing and new projects that might come forwards from our community, so that we are able to react to changing circumstances, policy and funding opportunities that might arise. With this in mind, we will formally review our Economic Plan on an annual basis with interim reviews at 6-monthly periods.

. Events Programme – developing and delivering an annual programme of events that raise awareness of and celebrate Maryport’s heritage, that could include and arts festivals, a Roman festival, maritime festival, seafood festival (Lead: Maryport Festival Ltd.) . Permanent Events Facility – a building and performance space in the town that incorporates a stage, storage, learning space; event management training provision (Lead: Maryport Festival Ltd.) . Roman Heritage Project – securing the fabric of Camp Farm, community archaeology, interpreting Maryport’s Roman Heritage, promoting and managing public access to Alauna (Lead: Civic Trust & Senhouse Museum) . Art Project – Formalising and promoting existing Percy Kelly trails in Allonby and Maryport, developing an art gallery in Maryport, indoor and outdoor art exhibitions/installations (Lead: Community Group) . Maryport Streetscape Improvement – a second Townscape Heritage Initiative and other measures to improve the condition of historic buildings and a scheme to encourage good design of shop fronts, especially on Senhouse Street (Lead: Allerdale Borough Council) . Re-develop Allonby Playground – Re-design and development of this key attraction in the centre of Allonby (Lead: Allonby Parish Council)

Cross Cutting Themes

Learning and Training

All projects will have learning and training built in to ensure that:

. The learning and training potential of the project is maximised . A trained workforce is available to deliver the project

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We will draw on existing business support mechanisms already in place. In particular we will work closely with Allerdale Borough Council and the Cumbria Business Growth Hub. We will also work with Ewanrigg Local Trust to maximise learning, training and other opportunities for our most disadvantaged communities.

Improving Quality

Our approach to improving quality will be to:

. Ensure all projects delivered through the strategy are delivered to the highest possible quality by benchmarking them against comparable projects elsewhere . Identify and share information on best practice and quality projects similar to the ones we propose . Champion local examples of good quality as an inspiration to others to follow suit

Local Ownership and Delivery

This Economic Plan (first version) is owned by local businesses and stakeholders. We will widen ownership of the plan as we develop and progress. All of the priority projects will be delivered by local organisations, sometimes working in partnership with people or organisations from further afield. Where possible, lead delivery partners will be local and ideally they will be rooted in our community. Our lead delivery partners for our six priority projects are:

. Maryport Festivals Ltd – a not-for-profit, locally-owned organisation based in Maryport . Love Maryport Town Team – a partnership of local businesses and stakeholders . Senhouse Museum Trust – based in Maryport (working with the North East England Civic Trust) . A local community group interested in art, led by local resident and Love Maryport Town Team Member, Dolly Daniel . Allerdale Borough Council – our local authority . Allonby Parish Council – one of our Parish Councils

Longer Term Projects

The following longer-term projects have been identified. ‘Improved Coastal Access” will be delivered jointly with the Silloth-on-Solway CCT, with Silloth taking the lead. Ideally destination marketing will also be delivered jointly. This means that work can be shared, with resulting ‘economies of scale’. Others will be delivered locally

Jointly with Silloth on Solway CCT

Improved Coastal Access – improvements to coastal car parks, improving information in coastal car parks, circular walks from car parks, cycle and electric bike hire, further work to explore feasibility/costs of improving Maryport promenade and improving access at the Grasslot shore and Silloth South Beach

Locally Managed

Percy Kelly Visitor Attraction – investigate the possibility of developing Percy Kelly’s House in Allonby as a visitor attraction and focus for research and interpretation of Percy Kelly and his life (Lead: Community Group)

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Improving Maryport Promenade – Redeveloping the old WC block as a café with new environmental improvements to visitor facilities, structural improvements to the promenade (Lead: Allerdale Borough Council) Improved Pedestrian and Road Signposting – Planning and delivering new and effective signage for pedestrians and vehicles throughout Maryport; strengthening the link between the town centre and the Harbour with street furniture, signage and art (Lead: Love Maryport Town Team) Elizabeth Dock Improvement - New lock gate, providing a home base for one or more tall ships and linked maritime heritage and water activities (Lead: Maryport Harbour Authority) Restoring the Train Turntable – Study, plan and delivery of restored turntable, interpretation, encouraging steam train visits, linked engineering training project (Lead: Local Community Group led by local resident) Smugglers Way – developing and promoting this as a 2-3 day walking route to encourage staying visits by walkers

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 19 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Development Briefs for Priority Projects

Project Events Programme Brief description Developing and delivering an annual events programme for Maryport. Maryport Blues Festival will continue as the headline event and we will explore ways to increase the economic impact (for example promoting camping and homestay accommodation). We will support Maryport Festival Ltd. to plan and deliver an annual programme of events based on Maryport Area CCT’s strengths – Roman, maritime and industrial heritage, art, seafood, coastal activities. Training opportunities for young people in event management will be incorporated. Pump-priming will be supplied on a reducing basis and Maryport businesses and the events will become financially sustainable in the medium/long term. In the meantime, they will become the focus for promoting Maryport Aim To increase visits and visitor spending in Maryport and area through an annual events programme Objectives Develop an annual events programme Establish current baseline for economic impact of events in Maryport Pilot one or more new events in 2016 Run a full programme of events in 2017 Add 1-2 new events per year in 2018 and 2019 Create 2 new events FTE equivalent jobs Train 15 youngsters in event management Link with Netherhall School to provide event management volunteering opportunities Delivery partners Maryport Blues Festival Group Businesses in Maryport Cumbria University Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Prepare an events strategy and action 2016 £5,000 actions plan and economic baseline Medium term Pilot 1-2 new events 2016 £2,000 actions Run first annual events programme 2017 £10,000 Incorporate accommodation booking into 2017 £1,000 to Blues Festival Run second annual events programme 2018 £7,500 with 1-2 new events Run third annual events programme with 2019 £5,000 1-2 new events Evaluate and review 2019 £5,000 Long term actions To be decided subject to review - - Targets Increase economic impact of Blues Festival by 10% per year from 2017 Increase economic impact of events in Maryport overall by 25% per year from 2017 5 young people per year gain practical skills in event management 10 young people per year volunteer in event management Create 2 event management FTE equivalents by 2019 Performance Monitor and evaluate economic impact of all events measures Record training activity Record employment

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 20 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Project Permanent Events Facility Brief description Started in 1999, Maryport Blues Festival has grown to become one of the most important in Europe, attracting 20,000 visitors who come to watch local, national and international artists. Headline acts have included , Dionne Warwick, Buddy Guy, Van Morrison and others. The festival is run by a local not-for-profit company and 100 volunteers. It is estimated to generate £1m to the local economy. Maryport Blues Festival Group has considerable event organising capacity and is diversifying to manage other events – for example Workington’s Christmas Lights Turn-on 2015. The organisation is keen to continue to grow the Blues Festival and to develop additional events in Maryport, but is constrained by lack of a dedicated events space. Blues Festival performances take place in a variety of venues around the town and in a marquee by the harbour, which is detached from the other venues in the town, and equipment is stored at a remote location. This project would develop a dedicated events space with a covered stage, small indoor performance space, storage, practice rooms/studios, an office and space for learning. It would provide a base for: . The Blues Festival main stage . A programme of new events . Training in event management . Community activity, performance, etc. Aim Create a dedicated events space Objectives Identify the best location Provide a ‘home’ for the Blues Festival Provide a base for the development of an events programme for Maryport Provide storage for events equipment Provide a space for learning, practice ad other community activities Delivery partners Maryport Festival Ltdp Ewanrigg Local Trust University of Cumbria Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Pilot and evaluate camping and homestay 2016 £2,500 actions accommodation sales Medium term Development sites study* Sep-Dec 2016 £7,500 actions Incorporate camping and homestay 2017 £5,000 accommodation into the Blues Festival (subject to pilot) Business planning 2017 £7,500 Developing the project 2017 - Fundraising 2017 - Deliver and operate 2018 Est: £500,000 Long term actions TBA subject to above - -

Targets Increase number of staying Blues Festival visitors by 10% in 2016 Increase number of staying Blues Festival visitors by 20% per year in 2017, 2018 and 2019 Identify and secure location for events base Business and development planning complete Events base developed and operating Targets for event participants, visitors and economic impacts to be set during business and development planning Performance Monitor the above measures Count day and staying visitors to the Blues Festival * See note on sites study, below

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 21 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Project Roman Maryport Brief description A previous project to develop visitor facilities at Alauna failed with the demise of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd. This project seeks to develop Alauna as a visitor facility to attract visitors to Maryport and area by providing access and signage to the site and on-going archaeology and interpretation, including tours, events, etc. In the first instance, a new plan for developing the site is needed, along with making safe dilapidated buildings at Camp Farm, so that these can be used as a base camp from which to run tours of the site. The next task is for the two interested parties – Senhouse Museum Trust (SMT), which owns Senhouse Museum, and the North East England Civic Trust (NECT), which owns the Camp Farm site – to agree a way forwards and a development plan. NECT is keen to do this in collaboration with the community in Maryport. The two organisations will then raise funds (including an HLF application) to make the site accessible to the public. Ideally the two sites will operate ‘as one’, though this depends on the two organisations being able to form a mutually satisfactory partnership or agreement. Aim To attract visitors to Maryport to view the Roman site of Alauna Objectives Improve the visitor experience and interpretation at Senhouse Roman Museum Provide public access and interpretation of the Alauna/Camp Farm site Run an on-gong community archaeology project Improve interpretation and access at Senhouse Roman Museum, including car parking Interpret Roman sites along the Solway Coast Delivery partners Senhouse Roman Museum Trust North East England Civic Trust Newcastle University Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Emergency repairs to Camp Farm and Jan-Mar 2016 Funded actions construction of a base camp Community consultation to agree a way Mar-Jun 2016 Funded forwards Events and activities on the Camp Farm Mar-Jun 2016 Funded site for the community and visitors Medium term Collaboration between SMT and NECT to Jun-Aug 2016 £10,000 actions agree a way forwards and development plan and visitor management plan for the entire site Developing a plan for the site and funding Sep-Dec 2016 £10,000 bids Fundraising 2017 - Commence work on site 2018 TBA Long term actions Deliver plan for public access to site 2019 TBA Targets 2016 programme of community events Plan for public access and interpretation Funds raised for public access and interpretation Long term - TBA Set target for visitor numbers and economic impacts when scale of project is known Performance Monitor and evaluate above measures

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 22 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Project Art Project Brief description Percy Kelly lived in Allonby for many years and much of his work features views of Maryport, Allonby and the surrounding area. In recent years, he has become nationally recognised, as has his protégée from Aspatria, landscape artist . This project seeks to establish a nationally-important gallery at Maryport in Percy Kelly’s name. It will build a collection of Kelly’s work and display loaned paintings as well as work by Sheila Fell, work by contemporary Cumbrian artists and hosting touring exhibitions. Trails will encourage visitors to explore the landscapes and townscapes that inspired Kelly and Fell. To build interest and to engage local people, a pop-up gallery project will bring artists and youngsters together to create and display work. In the longer term, the project might lead to art installations or projects around Maryport, Allonby and the CCT. Aim Attract day and staying visitors and their spending to enjoy Maryport CCT’s art heritage and contemporary art Objectives Promote existing Percy Kelly Trails in Maryport and Allonby Develop a gallery in Maryport to show work by Percy Kelly, Sheila Fell and other Cumbrian art Showcase contemporary Cumbrian artists Hold touring exhibitions by nationally important contemporary artists Encourage local youngsters to make art Delivery partners Community group led by local resident Dolly Daniel Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Signpost existing Percy Kelly Walks 2016 £2,000 actions Encourage local businesses to stock and 2016 £500 sell the Percy Kelly trails packs by producing point of sale material Produce a leaflet & pdf of the Maryport 2016 £1,000 and Allonby walks Work with local artists, schools and youth Sep-Dec 2016 - organisations to develop pop-up gallery concept Medium term Development sites study* Sep-Dec 2016 £7,500 actions Feasibility study, including study visits to Jan-Mar 2017 £12,000 other seaside galleries (e.g. Jerwood) Fundraising for pop-up gallery project Jan-Jun 2017 - (Arts Council England) Develop pop-up gallery and hold first Jul-Dec 2017 £10,000 exhibition Fundraising for Percy Kelly Gallery Jun 2017-2018 - Develop gallery Est £1-2m Long term actions TBA subject to feasibility study - - Targets Walking trails signed and promoted Pop-up gallery scheme running Location study completed Feasibility study completed Gallery developed Targets for visitor numbers and economic impacts to be set following feasibility study Performance Monitor and evaluate above measures *See note on sites study, page 24

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 23 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Project Maryport Townscape improvement Brief description A suite of activity to improve the environment of the main shopping streets for visitors consisting of: . Re-launch of existing design guidance for Maryport including distribution to all property owners, personal visits and exhibition/workshop . Issue of orders to absentee landlords to repair dilapidated properties . Purchase of property for use by Love Maryport Town Team (Love Maryport office and rented space to provide income) . Promotion of purchased property as an exemplar project . Developing and delivering a second Townscape Heritage Initiative for targeted properties in Senhouse Street and Crosby Street (boundary to be discussed and agreed) . Installation of new pedestrian and traffic signs for visitors Aim To improve the attractiveness and quality of the environment in Maryport town centre for visitors and the local community and to make it more appealing as a place to invest Objectives Improve the condition of historic properties in Maryport town centre Encourage private sector investment in maintaining and improving property Bring traders/property owners together to run a programme of activity connected to the THI project Provide a sustainable operating base for the Love Maryport Town Team In the longer term, the Love Maryport Town Team might acquire, improve and rent additional properties Delivery partners Allerdale Borough Council Love Maryport Town Team Property owners in Maryport Town Centre Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Re-issue design guidance May 2016 £500 actions Enforce property repairs May-June 2016 - Medium term Develop Townscape Heritage Initiative Jul-Dec 2016 £5,000 actions Deliver Townscape Heritage Initiative Apr 2017-2020 £200,000 Purchase, restore and operate exemplar 2017 £75,000 building Long term actions Purchase additional properties for TBA TBA restoration and rental Targets THI established and delivered 20 properties improved 1 property purchased, restored and generating rental income Performance Number of properties restored measures Amount of private sector investment New businesses attracted to town centre Increased visitor satisfaction with town centre

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 24 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

Project Redevelop Allonby Playground Brief description The children’s playground in the middle of Allonby is an important attraction; it encourages visits by families with young children making day visits from elsewhere in Cumbria and people based in the caravan parks in/near Allonby and Silloth. Spending by these visitors supports employment in local shops, cafes and pubs. The playground is currently in a poor state of repair and one of its major features has been condemned, having become unsafe. At present the playground is giving a poor perception of the village to visitors. Replacing the playground will maintain the appeal of Allonby to visiting families and support spending and employment in local, rural businesses. It will also provide a valuable resource for the community, encouraging young children to take physical exercise and families to meet socially. Aim Maintain Allonby’s appeal to visiting families Objectives Re-develop the playground in Allonby Delivery partners Allonby Parish Council Action Tasks Timetable Cost Short term Redevelop playground 2016 £65,000 actions Medium term Parish Council to deliver maintenance On-going - actions regime to prolong life of new playground Targets 5% increase in number of families visiting Allonby in 2017 Increase in satisfaction of visiting families Increase in spending in local businesses Performance Count number of families using playground on selected days in 2016 and 2017 measures Interview families using playground Local business attitudes survey

Sites Study

Two of the priority projects described above require development sites. There is currently a lack of knowledge of the status of potential development sites within the town and one site (Milforts) is currently being developed for retail. There is concern that potentially important community resources are being lost to private ownership or possibly to uses that might deliver fewer benefits for the town. Christ Church is an example. It was sold by the Church after being closed for worship and has since been sold by the original purchaser to an investor from away. However, it remains without a use, apparently without a development plan and without care and maintenance. Christ Church occupies a strategic location between the harbour, town and promenade. Other sites in the town could provide locations for the proposed events base and Percy Kelly Gallery. It is important to understand the suitability and availability of possible locations as, without land, these major development projects cannot go ahead.

A study of tourism development sites should be conducted as a matter of urgency. Following this, the Economic Plan for the Maryport CCT should be reviewed.

19. BARRIERS

Love Maryport Town Team, which has taken the lead in developing this plan, does not have the capacity to plan and deliver large, externally-funded development projects. Whilst Allerdale Borough Council can provide some officer support to coordinate projects, it will be necessary to increase capacity within the CCT. We therefore include a further project, as follows:

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Increasing Capacity – employing an experienced development officer who will: . Further develop the Love Maryport CCT and forge partnerships with other organisations . Prepare funding applications . Manage/support/coordinate delivery of externally-funded projects

The cost of employing such an officer is estimated at £40,000 per annum, including on-costs – so £120,000 for three years. It would be possible to reduce this cost by sharing this post with Silloth- on-Solway CCT.

23. FUNDING

Funding requirements for the projects have not yet been confirmed. The following sources of funding have been identified:

. Allerdale Borough Council . Arts Council England – Arts for All and Resilience Funds . Commercial sector partners . Cumbria County Council . ERDF/EADRF via Cumbria Business Growth Hub . Heritage Lottery Fund . Landfill Tax Credit Scheme . Trusts and Foundations

Detailed funding packages will be developed for each project as they progress through the development stage.

24. MAXIMISING RESOURCES AND COSTS

We will take every opportunity to operate in an efficient manner and to achieve a high level of economic and social outputs, with low environmental cost. We will seek to maximise ‘leverage’ and maximise the value of public sector intervention.

Where possible we will:

. Work in partnership with existing bodies to provide business and other support – some of these are non-government organisations/charities and are able to raise funds from a wide range of sources . Share costs with the Silloth-on-Solway CCT where it is advantageous to do so – for example in employing a development officer and in marketing

25. CONSULTATION

A small steering group was set up to guide the consultants; this consists of:

Chair of Love Maryport Town Team Directors of Love Maryport Town Team Town Centre Area Manager (Allerdale Borough Council)

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Consultation to produce this Economic Plan has consisted of:

. A briefing meeting with the steering group on 27th October 2015 . A discussion with members of Love Maryport Town Team to understand local needs, possible approaches and projects, and to agree the process . Consultation with businesses and stakeholders . A workshop for businesses and stakeholders to agree the strategy and to prioritise projects on 24th November 2015 . Circulation of a summary of the approach and priority projects on which several comments were received . Circulation of the draft Economic Strategy on 19 January 2016 . Publication if the strategy on 29 January 2016

During the course of developing the plan, additional stakeholders and partners have been engaged, including Allonby Parish Council, Maryport Town Council and Ewanrigg Local Trust. Love Maryport Town Team will continue to broaden consultation and engagement of partners and stakeholders over the coming years.

26. COMMUNICATION WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS

Love Maryport and its consultant had consulted as widely as has been practical within the resources and time available for preparation of this plan. This activity has widened membership of the CCT. During the course of the work, Allonby Parish Council has been fully engaged and Maryport Town Council has become a partner.

Love Maryport maintains a website and generates media releases to promote its work. It has promoted progress on preparation of the Economic Plan in this way and will continue to do so in the future as delivery begins and progresses.

We recognise that there is a need to widen and deepen our engagement of stageholders and partners and we will continue to do this in the future.

27. COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY

Given the short period of time and the resources available to prepare this Economic Strategy, it has not been possible to communicate in a structured way with the wider community in the CCT. However, following preparation of this strategy, we will:

. Secure press coverage of the plan . Maintain on-going press coverage of progress and achievements . Hold an annual open day at a busy location in the centre of Maryport and in Allonby, Crosscanonby and Flimby to exhibit the plan and progress to the public . Attend existing public events in the CCT subject to resources

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 27 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

28. MANAGEMENT OF TEAM

Love Maryport Town Team will manage delivery of the CCT. It will be supported by an officer of Allerdale Borough Council and external advisers as required. The management structure will be as summarised in the table below.

Table 4: Management Structure Summary Organisation Role Love Maryport Strategic management/overseeing delivery of the economic plan Development officer Day to day delivery of the economic plan ABC support officer Tactical support as required on a project by project basis External advisers Strategic and tactical support as required Delivery partners Leading on or supporting project development and leading on project delivery

29. SUPPORT STRUCTURE

Support will be provided by the following organisations:

. Allerdale Borough Council . Cumbria County Council . Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership

31. SUSTAINABILITY

We will ensure that all of our development projects are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. We will achieve this by conforming to relevant national, regional and local policies and over time we will develop our own ‘locally sustainable’ criteria.

32. AREAS OF SPECIFIC INTEREST

Specific areas of interest included in this Economic Plan are:

 Art heritage  Countryside access  Events  Industrial heritage  Maritime heritage  Roman heritage  Transport heritage

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 28 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected] Maryport Area Coastal Community Team: Economic Plan January 2016

APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF RELEVANT ISSUES AND DATA

Note that issues that relate to the Maryport CCT are highlighted in italic text

In Relation To Inequality

. Some wards have levels of child poverty significantly higher than the borough, county and England averages . There are a higher percentage of households in fuel poverty in Allerdale and Cumbria than nationally. The nature of the housing stock in many parts of the borough and the county - many of them stone properties in rural areas which cannot be connected to mains gas - means that many properties are poorly insulated and are considered ‘hard to heat’ . A fifth of Allerdale’s small Census areas are in the most deprived fifth of Census areas in the entire country. There appears to be a widening of the gap between those areas with high deprivation those with relatively low deprivation . Average earnings for residents in Allerdale have dropped below the regional average . 10.2% of Allerdale’s working age population are in receipt of out-of- work benefits – this figure is more than 20% in a number of wards . The median house price in Allerdale as a whole is 5.5 times the median household income, but there are significant variations in housing affordability across the borough with a clear lack of affordable housing in localities such as Cockermouth and Keswick. In Keswick a first time buyer is likely to need over 13 times their income to match house prices

In Relation To The Economy

. In the year to September 2014, the West Cumbrian economy was one of the fastest growing in England at 4.2%, compared to 2.9% for the North West and 3.7% in London . Unemployment levels for Allerdale as a whole are in line with regional and national averages, but higher than that for Cumbria. However, there are pockets of unemployment well in excess of the national average in the borough and it remains a concern that the youth unemployment rate in Allerdale rate continues to be higher than the national average . Average weekly earnings in Allerdale are below the national average . Allerdale has a higher proportion of its working age population with no qualifications and a lower proportion of its working age population with degree-level qualifications than the national and regional averages . Levels of educational attainment vary significantly across the wards within the district. Pupils attaining five good GCSEs including Maths and English ranges from 85% in the best performing ward to 18% in the worst . There is a need to secure effective transport and broadband infrastructure to encourage economic investment . Allerdale has seen a small increase in job density in recent years. In 2012 there were 0.76 jobs available to every person (aged 16-64) in Allerdale. However, an increase in part time jobs may partly explain this . The total number of enterprises in Allerdale has remained fairly static between 2010 and 2013, although has increased slightly in 2014 . There are major opportunities in the energy and environmental technologies. However, there is a predicted skills gap in construction, energy, and nuclear related industries as the result of the predicted additional 28,000 full time equivalent posts that will be created between now and 2021 . There is a lack of housing for key workers in the health, construction and nuclear sectors.

In Relation To Towns

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. The total number of enterprises in Allerdale has remained fairly static between 2010 and 2013, although it increased slightly in 2014 . The latest housing needs survey suggests that just over 1800 households in Allerdale are currently in need of different housing. 65% of affordable housing need is in the urban areas of the borough . Clean streets are ranked highly in terms of making somewhere a good place to live by Allerdale residents . Perceptions of town centres vary considerably across the borough Overall satisfaction with town centres varies from 82% in Cockermouth to 34% in Maryport . Satisfaction with the range of shops in Allerdale’s town centres varies from 72% in Cockermouth to 22% in Maryport . Satisfaction with the cleanliness and appearance of our town centres is high overall at 70%, but varies from 92% in Keswick to 50% in Maryport

In Relation To Health And Wellbeing

. Life expectancy in Allerdale is slightly below the England and Cumbria averages, but is eight years lower for men and six years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Allerdale compared to the least deprived areas . Allerdale has a higher proportion than the national average of both men (44.8%) and women (52.1%) who do not manage any physical activity per week. Only 31% of adults manage once per week and only 16.6% achieve reach the recommended 5 x 30 minutes each week . In 2012, 24.2% of adults in Allerdale were classified as obese . Childhood obesity levels in Allerdale are slightly higher than the Cumbria and national averages (School Year 6, 23.4%) . Levels of breastfeeding and smoking at time of delivery are worse than the England average . The rate of alcohol related harm hospital stays, the rate of self-harm . hospital stays, and the rate of smoking is worse than the average for England . The rate of alcohol-specific hospital stays among those under 18 is worse than the average for England . The rate of people killed and seriously injured on roads is worse than . average

Bowles Green Limited Vale House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, YO62 5YH 30 Tel: 01439 788980 E-mail: [email protected]