Last updated 09:04, Friday, 04 July 2008

WORKINGTON’S long-awaited bus shelter on Washington Street may be ready by the end of this month.

It comes after a long campaign by people in the Seaton area to get a shelter to replace one that was removed 15 years ago.

The original shelter, removed from a site near Marks & Spencer, was used mainly by Seaton shoppers.

Their campaign for a replacement succeeded after the intervention of Allerdale council chief Gillian Bishop.

The new shelter is part of a public works project that will include improvements to the Udale Street car park.

The shelter was designed by Geoff Wood, who developed the programme of public art installations for Workington town centre.

The structure was built by Alan Dawson Associates, of Lillyhall, using railway lines made at the former Corus steel works.

The roof is shield-shaped, featuring a design based on the Curwen crest motif, coloured red on a white background with a blue sash.

Two sides will be glazed and it will have slatted hardwood seating.

Meanwhile, the challenge is on to find a name for the new pedestrian area outside Workington’s HSBC Bank on Pow Street.

So far the list of possibilities suggested includes Isabella’s Column, the Workington Column, Industry Place, Cumberland Place, Curwen Place and John Christian’s Column.

Suggestions have been put forward by members of the Workington and District Civic Trust who wanted names that reflected the historical importance of the Curwen family to the town.

Born in 1756 John Christian Curwen was probably the most famous Curwen of all. Isabella of Curwen Hall was his second wife, and Ewanrigg was one of his estates.

JMercia Haughan, vice president of Workington Civic Trust, said: “We looked at what had happened in the town centre and we were concerned that of all the developments nothing referred to the Curwens.

"We thought it would be a good idea to connect the pedestrian area to Workington Hall.”

She said: “Railway lines were used for the column because of all the people who worked in the steel works but there is also a connection with the Curwen family because they were involved in iron working.”

She said that the seats in the pedestrian area might also be decorated with motifs - including a plough, a ship and the winding gear from a mine.

The naming of the pedestrian area will be discussed at a Workington town council meeting on Monday at 7pm at the Mayor’s Parlour, Park Lane.