Plans for a £20 million extreme sports centre in Cleator Moor have been shelved.

Regen North East Copeland's Westlakes Xtreme project was planned for land near Red Beck Park and was expected to create more than 200 jobs.

The centre, which attracted interest from London-based developer Morgan Sindall, would have featured activities such as bouldering, climbing, ice-climbing and canyoning. Plans for the site also included a hotel, cafe and retail developments.

A RNEC spokesman said the risk to was too great without having a development partner on board.

He added: "Discussions have taken place with several developers to date, but despite significant interest, none have been in a position to commit to the project in the timescale required.

"It is with regret therefore that RNEC have decided not to progress with the scheme at this time."

Bob Metcalfe, RNEC chairman, said: “Our main thanks go to Copeland Community Fund and the Borough Council for their support throughout the development of the scheme.

"They and our partners shared our vision and believed in the benefits that a scheme of this scale would bring to Cleator Moor and the surrounding area.

"Any opportunity to bring such a significant amount of jobs and business to our communities will be pursued by RNEC and it is a disappointment to us that we have been unable to realise this project.

"We will continue to work with all our partners to help development growth in Cleator Moor and the surrounding parishes.”

Construction was planned to begin in March 2017. The scheme had the support of Copeland Community Fund, Britain’s Energy Coast, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, and Copeland and Cumbria county councils.

David Moore, chairman of Copeland Community Fund said: “It is disappointing for the area that this project will not go ahead at this time, but Copeland Community Fund are proud to have supported such a potentially transformational project.

"Unfortunately, there is always a risk that some of these schemes will fail to materialise."

RNEC has previously stated that, if the centre was to be a commercial success, it would have had a hardcore of more than 200 permanent staff members supplemented by dozens of seasonal workers.

Mr Metcalfe also said, if the centre that there was a possibility of short-term pop-up shops selling outdoor clothing and equipment on the outskirts of the centre, bringing further employment.