Building work to begin on £10m Whitby Maritime Training Hub
It'll take a year to complete
Construction of the £10 million pound Whitby Maritime Training hub starts next week.
North Yorkshire Council say it will build on the town’s proud fishing and sailing heritage with a dedicated centre created in Endeavour Wharf to provide a greater breadth of career paths in the historic port.
'The development aims to provide first-class training facilities as well as accommodation for businesses and service providers to inspire the next generation of skilled apprentices and maritime industry professionals.
The facility is set to also contain engineering workshops and office space for marine-based start-up businesses and other maritime industries.'
Executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic growth and harbours, said: “This is a significant milestone for this project with construction work due to start next week.
“We believe the hub can open the door to new economic growth in coastal areas and be a key development for Whitby, affirming the town as a key player in the modern fishing industry and a pivotal link in the supply chain for the growing renewable energy sector.
“It is imperative that there is a sustainable and diverse range of job opportunities for our communities, and the building of a world-class training facility can only help inspire the future apprentices and professionals in the maritime sector.”
We will initially manage the facility, which has been designed to blend in with the existing views of the town. Once open, there will be the potential for a community interest company to be developed to take on the running of the hub.
The facility is hoped to be occupied by local, regional and national businesses and organisations, making Whitby a hub of maritime activity.
This would enable new commercial opportunities in the maritime and marine sectors, supporting the local economy and reducing a reliance on seasonal employment such as tourism.
The chair of Whitby Town Board, Barry Harland, said: “Presenting new opportunities for people in and around Whitby is the main reason for the hub being built.
“I hope the excitement will build even further as the opportunities that these facilities will offer for local families become clearer over the next year, and more people and organisations engage with the project as it moves towards completion.”
The funding for the project, which is expected to cost £9.6 million, will come from the £17.1 million given to Whitby as part of the Government’s Town Deals programme. A total of £37.3 million was awarded under the programme to Whitby and Scarborough in 2021.
In a public consultation held last year as part of the planning process, 69 per cent of people who submitted their views were supportive of the project.