Whitby set for £10m maritime centre to build on 'proud' heritage - council

The new centre will be based at Endeavour Wharf

A proposed £10m maritime centre would build on Whitby's "proud fishing and sailing heritage", North Yorkshire Council said.

The Whitby Maritime Hub would offer training in marine and offshore industries, and space for start-ups.

The council said it would improve job opportunities and put the town at the "forefront" of the offshore renewable energy sector.

It would be funded through £17.1m awarded by the government's Towns Fund.

"The hub in Endeavour Wharf will address a local need to develop a better supply of technical abilities in the maritime sector and put the town at the forefront of the growing renewable energy sector," a council spokesperson said.

Workshops on the ground and first floors would house current and new wharf-based operations as well as the functions of the Harbour Authority.

Office space for marine-based start-up businesses and other maritime industries would be based on the second floor.

Residents are urged to give feedback on the project ahead of any planning application being submitted

The council's executive member for open to business, Derek Bastiman, said he believed the hub would "open the door to new economic and tourism growth for Whitby and Scarborough".

"It will help to create the next generation of skilled apprentices and professionals, by providing first-class training and facilities for a range of maritime industries," he said.

The manager of Whitby Lobster Hatchery, Joe Redfern, said the town still had a "thriving" fishing industry dependent on crab and lobster stocks.

"Bringing together different organisations under one roof in the maritime hub will provide an amazing opportunity for young people in Whitby to explore a career in these industries," he said.

A four-week pre-planning consultation on the project runs until 9 February.