Work on £2.6m nature centre to begin

Work to build a nature hub near a beach is set to begin, with hopes it will open in early 2026.

Westmorland and Furness Council passed plans last year to build the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre in Walney, Cumbria, after revisions were made to the project.

The facility, which will include a camping area, has been designed to allow people to experience the natural environment of Earnse Bay.

Council leader Jonathan Brook said the hub would help families "access learning", as well as beach schools to help them get more physically active.

The council is currently inviting tenders for contracts for the work, due to start at the beginning of April.

The project is being funded by £2.6m from the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal.

The council said scrub land and a redundant changing room building will be turned into a community cafe.

The plans have undergone changes after feedback from residents raised concerns about noise from the proposed camping area.

It will now be created further from homes, and land between the two will be turned into wildflower meadows.

Brook said: "Developing this outdoor and skills facility will provide opportunities for the whole of Barrow to be a base for exploration of the wider Walney area and its unique natural environment."

An environmental education centre will also be built by Natural England at the site.

It will provide workshops and classrooms, as well as a base for the North Walney National Nature Reserve team.

Hedgerows and mixed scrub and grasslands will also be created to attract wildlife such as house sparrows and lizards.

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