Work begins on visitor hub by 'nature-rich' coast

The Earnse hub will include a cafe and support centre for the nearby camp site

Work has started on a new community hub which aims to link people with nature.

The Earnse Hub, in Walney, Cumbria, will allow people to enjoy Earnse Bay, which Westmorland and Furness Council described as one of the most "nature-rich and beautiful coastal locations in the country".

Groundworks and landscaping has now begun on the site ahead of its expected opening in early 2026.

Councillor Helen Chaffey said the hub would be a "valuable resource" for residents as well as a "destination for visitors from which they can explore the unique natural beauty of Walney and Furness as a whole".

"The Earnse Hub will be accessible to a range of groups and organisations such as local schools, community groups, voluntary and community sector parties, alongside the wider community and beyond," she said.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the project take shape and becoming something the community can be proud of."

New facilities

The existing site is currently made up of grassland, scrub and a redundant changing room building.

Following the work it will contain a community cafe, a local shop, flexible spaces and toilet facilities. There will also be a support building, which will serve the nearby camping area.

Most of the open space will remain wild, with the central meadow retained for family activities. Grasses, herbs and mowing-tolerant wildflowers will be introduced while mown grass paths will crisscross the meadow.

A beach school will be built during the second phase of the development, which will be led by Natural England and funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

The development of the hub is being funded by £2.64m from the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal.

It forms part of the Brilliant Barrow initiative – a series of innovative projects funded by £25m from the government's Towns Fund.