Plans for the future development of Maryport are being drawn up by Allerdale Borough Council.

The council is looking to work alongside the marina to draft a masterplan for the town, rather than the two organisations working separately.

Pauline Gorley, chief executive of Maryport Marina and Harbour Authority, says it has a vision for the docks and would be happy to work alongside the council.

She said: “We have a vision and we are currently working through that and speaking to people.

“We have been in touch with the council, but we are waiting to hear back.

“We need to have income from the land we own and the assets we have.

"We have plans for some housing development, but it would be small and low-key.

“We want the harbour to be leisure-based, rather than commercial or industry-led.”

Extra dock space could be created in the future, but this remains a long way off as moorings are currently running at about 60 per cent.

One local firm wants to expand its business at the docks.

MPM North West Ltd has landed a £100,000-a-year contract to maintain the large Fred Olsen fleet of boats servicing the Barrow offshore windfarm.

The windfarm boats are 70 tonne vessels, 20m long and 7.5m wide.

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

The company is also building a 17m crane to help carry out the work.

A spokesman for Allerdale council said: “The council is working with Britain’s Energy Coast to commission a regeneration plan for Maryport and we’ll be seeking to work with all stakeholders on this including Maryport Town Council, Love Maryport, and Maryport Harbour Commission to deliver a plan for the town.

“We’ll be taking into account all the responses from the Local Plan consultation, which is currently ongoing, and would encourage everyone to give us their views by the deadline of March 24.”

Details of the consultation can be found at www.allerdale.gov.uk/localplan

As well as looking to the future, the town is also caring for its past.

Maryport’s Victorian lighthouse is due to be switched on again early next month.

The landmark has undergone restoration worth £50,000.

Work started before Christmas and was due to last only three weeks, but bad weather has delayed completion of the project.

Built in 1846, the 37ft octagonal cylindrical lighthouse is believed to be one of the oldest of the cast-iron types to be found in the world.

For safety reasons, it will only shine out across the town and not out to sea.

As part of the project, children from Maryport Junior School have been asked to design a leaflet explaining the story of the lighthouse.