Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 08 May 2008

A MULTI-MILLION pound plan with the potential to change the face of Workington has been revealed.

A masterplan for an area of Derwent Howe - about the third of the size of the town - is being put together by West Lakes Renaissance.

Rob Rimmer, of the urban regeneration company, presented the plan to a Moss Bay neighbourhood forum meeting on Wednesday night.

The land, between the former Corus site and the Port of Workington, would become a focal point of the area, with a “substantial” number of houses and office space.

It is estimated 2,000 jobs could be created in the long-term.

It will take up to 20 years to complete and Mr Rimmer said: “This development would change the dynamic of the town completely. It would create a substantial new community and has positive implications for schools in the town with falling numbers.”

On either side of the area, private companies are planning to create massive developments.

The Eatonfield Group has bought the former Corus site and wants to transform into an £100 million “community within a community” with affordable homes, a hotel, leisure facilities, a day care children’s nursery, a care village for the elderly, a medical clinic and health centre, conference centre, pub and car parking.

Rhymer Investments wants to create the £150m Port Derwent development on the 100-acre site around the port, including a marina with houses, shops, a hotel and restaurants and an eco park with a massive waste recycling facility.

Mr Rimmer said the Derwent Howe land between the two developments needed to be upgraded.

He said: “The buildings in the area are not nice and we are thinking of taking out dilapidated properties that have no future.”

There is already interest from businesses that would like to develop the land.

Mr Rimmer said that the whole process would take 20 years to complete and that the master plan would be brought in in phases.

He added: “It is a massive part of land. This is huge for Workington.

“It is unrealistic for the plan to be developed in the short term, it will take up to 20 years to complete, and will be phased in. The first phase of work would be ready between three to five years.

“We are nearly at the end of completing the masterplan.

“I envisage it would be a mix of public and private sector money financing the development.”

But, he stressed, Allerdale council - which is the planning authority and owns land on Derwent Howe - had not been consulted about the plans, nor had the county council.

“This is still in it’s infancy but we definitely need a mixture of housing, retail, commercial and industrial area.”

At the meeting, at St Mary’s Church, Allerdale and town councillor Barbara Cannon said she was concerned that the town’s roads would not cope with the new influx of traffic.

But Mr Rimmer said they will look at improving the two main access points to the site at the roundabout at Annie Pitt Lane and the road by the railway station.