A MARYPORT footbridge will be 'left up' to allow boats into the harbour, after the company which owns it said there is no longer the funding to keep the bridge maintained.

The Elizabeth Dock Bridge was built in 2007 over the Elizabeth Dock, and gifted to the Maryport Harbour and Marina Ltd. by Cumbria County Council.

During low water the bridge acts as a pedestrian walkway for people to access, with the bridge being raised to allow boats into the harbour when the water is high.

When asked whether the bridge would be closed to pedestrians, the Maryport Harbour and Marina Limited have said that they will leave the footbridge up, so that the marine traffic can transit the dock.

In a statement regarding the faults on the bridge over the Elizabeth Dock, Maryport Harbour & Marina Limited said: "Maryport Harbour and Marina Limited were gifted the footbridge across the Elizabeth dock after the Allerdale Regeneration team paid for the footbridge to be erected.

"The company receives no income or grant money from the footbridge or the Elizabeth dock.

"We are an independent business and not council owned, as such we receive no funding from anywhere, other than the income generated from our business interests. We have a small local team of 14 who all rely on a livelihood from this business.

"Our income comes from marina berthing, commercial property, and pitch fees from the caravan site. Our income is used to maintain our assets which generate an income from the company such as the marina, caravan site and commercial properties, along with paying our staff a wage.

"We use any spare funds to maintain non-essential assets such as streetlights, roads, railings, and the footbridge.

"The company has limited funds and therefore decisions often need to be made to prioritise funds, which can often be unpopular in the local community. Repairs to non-essential assets are dependent on funds being available once all essential spending has been made."

Maryport Harbour and Marina Limited pays for the dredging of both Maryport Marina and Maryport Harbour, using funds accumulated over the previous five to six years.

The company said they had paid out £280,000 for a dredging campaign which ended in December 2023.

The company said: "This paid for the dredger being on site for 36 days and includes consultancy costs to organise hydrographic surveys, environmental and habitat assessments, method statements, professional advice and the supervision of the dredging process.

"The dredging process was hindered by the debris in the Elizabeth dock and basin, causing the dredger to stop for repairs, which delayed the process and cost the company money."