Listed harbour work planned in orange water battle
Listed harbour work planned in orange water battle
Ian Duncan - Local Democracy Reporting Service Mon, August 10, 2026 at 8:43 AM UTC
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The water at Whitehaven Harbour has been turning orange for about four years
Listed building consent has been sought to allow work around the wall of an 18th Century harbour plagued by discoloured water.
Water from old mine workings has been seeping into Whitehaven Harbour since 2022, turning its water orange.
In the latest effort to solve the unsightly issue, the Mining Remediation Authority has applied to Cumberland Council for permission to carry out ground investigation works to the harbour's north wall.
Planning documents claim that if the Grade II listed structure is suitable, it could support a pipeline to divert the discoloured water out to sea.
This is one of the solutions being explored by a taskforce set up to deal with the water, which is staining "heritage assets and vessels moored in the harbour", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
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Josh MacAlister said he had written to the government asking for help
In a social media post, the area's Labour MP Josh MacAlister said he had written to Cabinet Office Minister Louise Haigh asking her "to bring government departments together to settle the responsibility and funding issues".
He said: "The ground investigation work will scope out what's required to install a diversionary pipe from the culvert along the harbour and out to sea, which is the most likely solution.
"It means we'll be ready to go when the work of the taskforce concludes and the rest of the money is secured so we can finally restore the harbour to its natural colour."
The orange water escapes via the nearby Bransty Tunnel, which drains through a culvert into the harbour.
It is used by trains running between Corkickle and Whitehaven but has been shut since last summer for track replacement work.
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Harbour faces fresh setback over orange water
Plan to divert harbour's orange water out to sea
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Cumberland Council
Source: “AOL Breaking”
