Workington £4.5m clean energy hub prep begins

WSP will be on site checking the ground conditions at Oldside before the project starts in earnest.

The £4.5m Cumberland Council project is drawing on government funding secured in the Workington Town Deal to develop a clean energy and logistics hub.

WSP investigation work will establish the content and stability of the land, owned by the Port of Workington and Cumberland, ahead of designs for a land remediation scheme being produced.

According to the council, the land at the coastal site has previously been assessed for pollutants due to its past use in industry.

Once up and running, the hub will enable more trade and cargo handling at the Port of Workington, with an eye on generating rental income from property lettings at Oldside.

Rail links into the port are also earmarked for improvement with a multi modal hub and laydown yard for temporary storage to be created.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “I am pleased to see the next steps get underway on this ambitious scheme for Oldside and the Port of Workington.

“It is a key location for us as we strive for cleaner energy and better logistics access in Cumberland, improving the area’s environment and economy for generations to come.”

A previous £4m project Siddick Bridge, was completed two years ago, giving greater access for vehicles over the Cumbrian Coast Line railway.

The 23m Workington Town Deal also includes projects such as the proposed Cumberland Sports Village, traffic link improvements, and a planned £8.2m innovation centre.