New water activity centre 'to open by summer'
BBCA water activity centre which was due to open three years ago will be ready by the summer, it has been revealed.
The Edge in Whitehaven, Cumbria, was expected to open in summer 2022 but it has faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges during the construction.
Those working on the project said the outer shell of the activity centre had been completed and work inside was due to start imminently.
Deanne Shallcross, CEO of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, which is behind the activity centre, said: "The outer shell, people will have seen, looks virtually complete now - it's an incredibly iconic building."
The multimillion-pound project, funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Coastal Communities Fund, is set to provide watersports facilities, a new slipway and accommodation for visitors exploring the coastline and cyclists tackling the C2C route.
It is hoped it will attract about 10,000 visitors annually.
Mrs Shallcross said work inside the building was expected to last about four months and she was excited for the activity centre to open.
Funding was announced in March 2020 but a series of issues delayed the project several times.
She said problems included electricity providers having to do extra work to connect the site, as well as challenges with the specialist cladding covering the structure.
"Once the issues were overcome, it flew," she said, adding: "Each of them alone, it's not unusual for a big construction.
"We've got to be due some luck."