A small boat repair firm has landed a £100,000-a-year contract to maintain and repair boats servicing an offshore wind farm.

MPM Marine Ltd in Maryport has applied for planning permission to build a 15-metre temporary extension to the company’s marina-side business.

It is aimed at helping it secure business and open opportunities for more employment in the future.

Maryport town councillor Peter Kendall expressed concern at a recent meeting that the structure could be there for six years rather than six months.

“I am not against development but we need to keep an eye on this,” he said.

MPM director Michael John Hawkins said the application was for six months.

“Anything after that would need further planning permission,” he added.

“I don’t think it is going to really impact on anyone else.

“It is coming off the back of our building.

“You see things like this behind the piers in places like Blackpool.”

The wind farm in question is near Barrow.

Mr Hawkins added: “Maryport used to be a working port.

“We are trying to make sure it remains at least a small working port.

“People seem interested in what we do. I don’t think there will be a lot of complaints.”

He said the structure was needed to work on boats which carry 12 to 18 personnel out to the offshore wind turbines.

The wind farm boats are 70-tonne vessels, 20m long and 7.5m wide.

“We need this new structure to enable us to bring large vessels under cover for maintenance,” he added.

“For example, we have painted the hull of a boat but can’t do the top half because of the weather.

“We would need about three weeks of no rain or damp.”

He said it would help the town’s fishermen, too.

“They want their boats repaired when it is too wet or rough to go out to sea,” he added.

“We could do that if we had the indoor covering required.”