Hull has bid for funding to secure a project that will transform its most important maritime treasures.
Hull City Council has applied for £13.6m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the ambitious £27.4m Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City project.
A successful bid would enable the full realisation of the plan to celebrate Hull’s 800 years of seafaring history.
It will see the refurbishment of the Hull Maritime Museum to open up more of its hidden architecture, provide a new dry-berth and full restoration for the Arctic Corsair at the historic North End Shipyard and the restoration of the Spurn Lightship.
The project will also create local employment, learning and volunteering opportunities, while showcasing the city’s rich maritime history to the world.
Hull City Council has already committed £10m and a fundraising campaign is under way to bridge a £2.6m funding shortfall.
The Hull: Yorkshire Maritime City plans include better access to the historic Spurn Lightship.
Councillor Daren Hale, Hull City Council’s deputy leader, said: “We are a city that takes culture and heritage seriously and Hull people have a real knowledge and pride in this heritage. This project is a game-changer for Hull and the wider region.
“This transformation project will improve Hull’s visitors’ experience. Enabling more people to understand the true significance of the Hull’s rich maritime heritage and in doing so, play a major role in the wider regeneration of Hull by increasing visitor numbers and creating vast learning, volunteering and employment opportunities to help safeguard and appreciate our heritage and economy for generations to come.”
A decision by the National Lottery Heritage Fund is expected to be made in the autumn. If successful, work could start as soon as early 2020.
Follow the project on Facebook and Twitter. ee more stunning pictures of the plans here.
