Maryport has been given a £10,000 grant as part of a Government initiative to regenerate seaside towns. 

The Love Maryport team was one of around 100 seaside towns to successfully bid for the grant. 

Silloth was also successful and the two have agreed to combine their funding to come up with a joint plan to enhance the coast between them. 

Being chosen for the scheme means that both the towns will now be able to apply for further grants from a £90 million pot set up by the Department of Communities and Local Government. 

The £20,000 will be used to fund a report on how the west coast can best be regenerated.

Each town will need to set up a coastal community team to drive the project. 

This will be led by Love Maryport and the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The two teams will work with a wide range of organisations within their communities to identify economic opportunities, particularly linked to sectors such as tourism. 

Debbie Wright, chairwoman of Love Maryport, said this is an exciting opportunity.

“I am particularly pleased that we are joining with Silloth. I think between us we can come up with something really special that will benefit not only Maryport but also Allonby and Silloth.”

Dr Brian Irving, manager of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty said: “It’s great news that the Government has recognised the need to focus action on our coastline and we are delighted that Silloth on Solway has been chosen as one of the new coastal community teams. 

“This is a unique and special landscape which deserves to be invested in, and this resource will be used to focus on bringing people together to develop an economic plan based around sustainable tourism.” 

The bids to become coastal communities were backed by Allerdale council.