Last updated 19:49, Thursday, 28 August 2008

EXTRA car parking may be created at The Wave in Maryport.

Allerdale’s executive will consider spending between £35,000 and £40,000 on providing extra car parking on the waste ground at the bridge end of The Wave on Irish Street.

The work would be funded from the provisional balance of £72,819 which remains from the building of the visitor centre.

Allerdale’s director of partnerships and community, David Martin, has recommended in a report to councillors that the additional parking should be built to both improve the appearance of the area and to provide a vital improvement to the operational effectiveness of The Wave Centre.

The executive, which meets on Wednesday, September 3, will be told that a contingency figure of £371,200, to set against potential cost increases, had been allowed in the £3,117,000 budget for the building of the visitor centre and the balance was from this fund.

The Wave was funded by Allerdale council, which put £1,740,000 towards it, the European Regional Development Fund with £1,200,045, Maryport Heritage Trust, £400,000, West Cumbria Development Fund, £100,000, and Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, which gave £48,155.

Meanwhile, The Wave has announced this week that it will open an art gallery to exhibit the works of local artists. The gallery will open in November and staff are looking for artists.

Manager Karen Thompson said she hoped community groups and even schools would use the gallery. It would also give local artists a change to hold exhibitions of their own works.

For more information, call The Wave on 01900 811450.