May 2006
£560,000 boost to transform the Nene Waterfront
Plans to transform the Nene waterfront at Wisbech have received a £560,000 cash injection which will boost the quality and scope of the project.
The regional Government office, Go-East, has helped secure additional EU Objective 2 funding for the project which, costing around £47 million, will see the redevelopment of derelict land in the heart of Wisbech.The new money will be used to make a proposed multi-use complex a high-quality iconic building that will set the tone for the rest of the development. The building will be called The Boathouse.It will also help to pedestrianise Nene Parade and to create an attractive waterside park on the west bank of the river, which will include a heritage trail and public sculptures.The cash will also help to enhance the 128-berth yachting facilities. This will include the provision of additional pontoons and a state-of-the-art Crab Marsh yacht maintenance and boat lifting facility.
The additional cash for the project raises the EU funding through Go East from £2.4 million to just over £3 million. The 2,500 square-metre boathouse complex was originally designated for light industrial use.Now the emphasis will be on creating a high-quality stunningly designed building that will house a port office, 31 small business units and studio spaces, the yacht club and conference and training facilities.
It is hoped that the creation of a top-quality maintenance facility for yachts will be a major attraction for boat owners who, at present, have to take their vessels to either Humberside or Lowestoft.The resulting influx of yachts to Wisbech will, it is hoped, provide a major boost for the town's economy.Head of European Programmes at GO-East Andy Luff said: "I'm pleased that we were able to approve a secondary bid for extra European Objective 2 funding to further enhance the scheme and to help boost the economic infrastructure of Wisbech and of Fenland as a whole."
Fenland portfolio holder with responsibility for the port, Mac Cotterell, said: "This will help make the whole site in the centre of Wisbech a really exciting and vibrant economic driver for the whole of Fenland."The extra cash is very good news indeed for the people of Wisbech and of Fenland, too."
www.go-east.gov.uk
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