Contractors appointed to design Â£54m Marina

Left to right: Neville Long, project director at Arup, Chris Wright, chair of Bridlington Harbour Commissioners, East Riding Council leader Steve Parnaby, David Dickson, chair of infrastructure board from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership.

Arup is being paid £3.5m to act as masterplanners and consulting engineers for the project, which is expected to would create 200 jobs in a town with pockets of severe deprivation. If all goes to plan it could be built by 2021.

The £54m plan, which will see a 250 to 300-berth Marina built in a new harbour, was chosen as a cheaper alternative to the £96m scheme laid out in the original Bridlington Area Action Plan. It would include harbourside development, including a hotel, retail and cafes and restaurants.

Council leader Steve Parnaby said: “A project of this scale takes time and there are a number of milestones to pass. The appointment of Arup to provide the design concept and undertake pre-construction works is the next stage in the process.

“Arup are known around the globe and have been involved in a number of marine and maritime projects, including the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour and upgrade works to St Helier Marina in Jersey.

“The realisation of the Yorkshire Harbour and Marina would be a real game changer for the Bridlington and would help unlock the economic potential of both the town and the Holderness Coast.”

The work is being funded by a £3.5 million Local Growth Fund grant, awarded by the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, Arup and should take until late 2018 to complete.

David Dickson, chair of the Infrastructure Board from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP, said: “The Yorkshire Harbour & Marina is a key project supporting economic growth along the Yorkshire Coast, which is a priority for the LEP.

“The preparatory stage can now move forward without delay as result of investment through the Local Growth Fund, and the LEP is pleased to support the continued partnership working which stands to bring this long awaited project to fruition.

“Building on the success of Bridlington Harbour, which is the largest shellfish landing port in the UK, the impact on Bridlington's economy, as a result of the Yorkshire Harbour & Marina project going ahead, is potentially transformational.”

As well as the designing the scheme, Arup will also be advising on potential funding sources, preparing papers to support statutory orders and consents and developing tender documentation for its construction.