Historic dry dock awarded £2m for refurbishment

Penzance Dry Dock was among the first of its kind in Europe after opening in 1834

A historic dry dock in Cornwall has been awarded £2m towards its £4m refurbishment.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme has given the funds to Penzance Dry Dock.

The refit would include overhauling the dock gates, installing a new pumping system, the purchase of seven new cranes and building new staff areas, bosses said.

Penzance Dry Dock was among the first of its kind in Europe after opening in 1834.

Ship-building

The dock was bought by former Royal Navy marine engineer Jamie Murphy in 2021.

Mr Murphy, whose grandfather worked at the dock for 45 years, said he wanted to transform the facility from a ship repair business to one that also built ships.

He said: "The more diverse and agile the facility is, the more we can deliver in the markets we want to be in, and I think we could easily employ more than 100 people."

The business recently received its first Ministry of Defence contract in 28 years and it was exploring opportunities offered by floating offshore windfarms planned for the Celtic Sea, Mr Murphy added.

'Iconic site'

Cornwall Council member Louis Gardner said: "The dock's transformation will create high-quality jobs, develop crucial skills and position west Cornwall as a leader in marine engineering.

"It's fantastic to see such an iconic site thrive once more and contribute to the long-term growth of Cornwall's economy."

The works are expected to be completed next year.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is a £137m local investment fund managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.