A FUNDING bid to ‘reinvigorate’ Morecambe Bay as a visitor destination could bring in 400 new jobs and boost tourism revenue by £22m.

Cumbria County Council (CCC) has agreed to be the lead organisation behind the bid for £1.7m from the government’s Coastal Communities Fund.

If the application is successful ‘Destination Morecambe Bay’ will start immediately and last until December 2016.

Projects in the pipeline include plans to reinvigorate the art deco lido at Grange-over-Sands, which has fallen into disrepair since it was last open to the public in 1993.

The programme, which will be delivered by the Morecambe Bay Partnership, will also see a new generation of Bay guides being trained to support Cedric Robinson, who has been the Queen’s Guide to the Sands since 1963.

New, more accessible routes could be created to open up the Bay to more visitors, including those with disabilities through four-wheel electric mobility scooters.

The project also plans to cash in on the booming cycling market with a new Electric Bike Network, while the county council is looking to bring the Tour of Britain cycle race to the area during the programme, if it gets the green light.

Other proposals include a ‘pop-up’ museum celebrating the heritage of the area and mapping of the Bay using the Google Trekker backpack mapping system.

If successful, CCC claim the project will make Morecambe Bay one of the UK’s fastest growing destinations and generate 13 times the original investment of £1.7m.

They also say 400 new jobs will be created and more than 10,000 others will be safeguarded.

Cllr John McCreesh, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet member responsible for environment, said: "Morecambe Bay is one of Britain’s most beautiful coastal landscapes, with the backdrop of the southern Lakes and the largest expanse of tidal sands in the whole UK.

“With a concerted push in marketing, branding and new attractions, Morecambe Bay Partnership can generate more than £13 back for every £1 spent on promoting the area.

“I hope that by the end of 2016 Morecambe Bay will have a whole new profile both nationally and internationally as an incredible place to come and visit.”

South Lakes MP Tim Farron said he would be “banging on the doors of senior ministers in the days and weeks ahead to ask them to back the bid.”

The government’s announcement on the Coastal Communities Fund is expected in February 2015.