Nene Waterfront | Wisbech Cambridgeshire
Nene Waterfront Nene Waterfront | Lifting Fenlander Nene Waterfront | Yacht Harbour

Regenerating The Waterfront

Nene Waterfront Nene Waterfront | The Boathouse Business Centre
The £50 million redevelopment of the 20-acre river frontage site in the heart of the town has been successfully driven by the core funding partners, Fenland District Council, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), English Partnerships and the European Regeneration Development Fund administered by GO-East, demonstrating the benefits of regeneration through partnerships.

Initially, they put in more than £10 million to cover the cost of acquiring the land, carry out remedial works and make the necessary infrastructure improvements to prepare the land for a housing developer. Although the proposed development of 300 plus new homes has been suspended because of the current economic recession and downturn in the housing market the core funders are totally committed to providing the Phase Two housing element of this prestigious regeneration project and they are spending £3.5 million on preparing the site for the upturn in global economic fortunes. Remediation works were completed in May 2009 and will be followed by the provision of appropriate infrastructure works supporting the future housing development.

The core funders have so far created:
  • A picturesque pedestrian-priority river frontage along Nene Parade in front of the Yacht Harbour and the Boathouse Business Centre that will attract businesses and tourists alike.
  • The Boathouse Business Centre: A stunning three-storey business centre on Nene Parade, that has provided the 'wow' factor to the project. The building has the capacity to accommodate 37 knowledge-based businesses, a Yacht Club, the Harbour Office, conference and training facilities and café together with toilets and showers on the ground floor for visiting yacht crews and people who choose to cycle to work.
  • New public space areas and improved accessibility to the town and the Waterlees Ward.
  • An extended state-of-the-art Yacht Harbour that has proved hugely successful at attracting boat owners from Cambridgeshire and The Midlands who are currently berthing their boats in more distant and more expensive facilities in East and South Coast ports.
  • A 75 tonne boat lifting facility to support the burgeoning demand for berths. Now in operation, it is the biggest facility between Gravesend and Newcastle and it has been in big demand since it opened in 2007. Discussions are already underway with interested boat building and repair companies who are keen to offer boat owners a full maintenance and repair facility on-site.
  • A modern new slipway next to the boatlift has also been developed on the site of a redundant slipway that was last used more than 30 years ago. The slipway can handle craft up to 100 tonnes and the order book is already filling up with boat owners needing repair and maintenance facilities for larger, principally commercial, craft.