Harbour work will start next month

ANNAN Harbour Action Group (AHAG) has announced the appointment of Cubby Construction Ltd as the main contractor for the long-awaited regeneration of Annan Harbour, with works set to begin in April. Following a competitive procurement process, Carlisle-based Cubby Construction, a well-established name in heritage, conservation and civil engineering projects, has been selected to deliver the £15.65 million redevelopment. Mobilisation works are already underway, with Cubby expected to take full possession of the site on April 7. The main construction programme will then run for two years. The project will breathe new life into Annan’s harbour and the adjacent Georgian sandstone warehouse. Facilities will include a visitor centre and café, maritime heritage centre, event space, leisure lagoon, training and retail space, and accessible nature walks along the Ministers’ Merse, a stretch of land reclaimed after more than 30 years of abandonment. Mike Rodger, chairman of AHAG, said: “After many years of decline and neglect, the dreams and vision of a few determined people are about to be realised. “Designs have been prepared, the public consulted, all options costed and the necessary funding secured. Now, after six years of preparation, contractors have been appointed and contracts signed, and work will begin next week. “I am delighted that the project has been let to a local company Cubby Construction, whose enthusiasm and commitment to the project is reassuring. They will do a great job for the people of Annan. “It would be fair to say that it has been a Herculean task to get us to this point, and we wish to express our thanks to all those who have helped us to reach it. “Very soon we will see the results: Annan Harbour will have been revitalised and we will have an exciting new destination for people to enjoy.” Kirk Taylor, managing director at Cubby Construction, added: “Cubby Construction is honoured to be appointed as the main contractor for the regeneration of Annan Harbour. “The project represents a significant milestone for the community, and we are proud to play a leading role in delivering it.” The project has been made possible through the generous support of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme and Place Based Investment Programme, Dumfries and Galloway Council and the South of Scotland Enterprise. By its fifth year, the regenerated harbour is expected to attract 11,000 additional visitors to Annan annually and generate an estimated £27 million in socio-economic benefits for the wider area. The project will also create employment, apprenticeship and volunteer opportunities, and the new facilities will host wellness, learning and engagement activities for local residents and attract new visitors to the region. As work progresses, there will be opportunities for the local community to get hands-on with the project. Tom Morton, of Arc Architects, said: “This is the magic point when six years of talking and designing turns into two years of action to transform the amazing historic and natural environment of Annan’s harbour into a thriving part of Annan’s future, bringing life, money, culture and learning back to a very special place. “None of it would have been possible without years of hard work by dedicated local people and we look forward to highlighting opportunities for community involvement in the project, including training and employment, as the works progress.”