A£50,000 spend on Maryport promenade will begin in the next couple of months and work is expected to finish by November.

The work will centre around a gazebo which will be turned into a lookout and a place to stop and rest, picnic and enjoy the views over the Solway.

It also includes a plan to upgrade seating along the promenade, thanks to an agreement in principle from Maryport Town Council which will look to invest £4,000.

Town clerk Paul Bramley said the council hopes the seating would be recycled plastic, if possible that retrieved from the sea.

The bulk of the money has come from the Government’s Coastal Community fund.

Debbie Wright, chairman of the Maryport Area Coastal Community Team, who revealed the plans this week, said she is delighted the work is going to be done. “This is just the start of the Prom upgrade as far as we are concerned. Hopefully we can expand on the gazebo and perhaps end up with a public toilet and maybe even a small cafe or ice cream parlour,” she said.

She also welcomed the town council’s contribution and thanked Toni Magean, representing Allerdale as the accountable body, and designer Kevin Frain for their assistance. “Working in partnership like this must benefit the town.”

The gazebo will have a living garden for a roof featuring plants that will withstand the coastal weather. It is hoped to have a lookout point with telescopes pointing over the Solway, and new picnic tables.

“The town is looking good now with the town council’s hanging baskets and planters, the Netherhall planters , the railway station, which has been adopted by the Maryporters group and all the clean ups which have been done by many groups, assisted by Allerdale council. The money that is being invested in the town just makes it all the more worthwhile,” Miss Wright said.

Public consultations led to the final decision on how the gazebo money should be spent.