The Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer was delighted to welcome The Rt Hon Ed Miliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to Cumberland on Thursday, 29 February.
Mr Miliband was invited as the keynote speaker at Cumberland Council’s first Economic Summit which was held in Carlisle earlier on the same day. The summit brought together strategic partners and stakeholders to discuss and develop a clear vision for the area as well as gain insight and knowledge which will be used to create an economic strategy for Cumberland.
Keen to see more of Cumberland’s investment potential, Mr Miliband also visited the Port of Workington for a tour of the 2.6-hectare site and to meet with port staff.
During the visit to the Council owned municipal port which handles up to 500,000 tonnes of cargo per year, Mr Miliband heard about the Council’s ambitious plans for the port including the drive to secure inward investment, develop the facilities and capacity and significantly improve the multi-modal transport opportunities at the site.
He also heard how the Port is well placed to benefit from wider economic developments in Cumbria, especially in the energy sector, as it already has an established presence in this market through its position in the nuclear supply chain at Sellafield, as well as in offshore renewables.
Cllr Mark Fryer, Leader of Cumberland Council said:
“We will continue to strive to make the Port of Workington the most sustainable port possible. We believe that the port is a key logistics asset for Cumberland, and we are keen to attract investment to provide facilities for future green growth across our region. We will continue to provide a first-class service to our customers at the port, whilst strengthening our competitive position in the region and beyond.”