A million pound plan to transform a Grade II listed building has been submitted to bring it back to life.

Newhaven Enterprise Zone has put forward proposals to Lewes District Council to use the Marine Workshops building for maritime businesses, as well as a seafood, aquaculture and specialist fishing skills training centre.

It comes after Lewes District Council and East Sussex College revealed plans to occupy some of the space at the building in Railway Quay, Newhaven.

Funding totalling £1.3m has been secured from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership to transform the site into a marine hub.

Newhaven Enterprise Zone chairman Graham Peters said: "We are delighted to respond to the call for tenders from Lewes District Council for an operator on the ground floor in line with the vision for founding a maritime and sustainable technology hub at the Marine Workshops.

“It will be in conjunction with the Lewes District Council’s proposed use of the space to be occupied by East Sussex College and Lewes District Council.

“Our proposition will provide space for industries involved in the design, construction, maintenance and operation of environmental engineering, maritime products and services, including clean green and marine technologies, to invest in Newhaven.”

Lewes District Council is seeking operators to tender for the building’s commercial space, the reception area and a café or bistro. It also wants the building to house marine focused companies, as well as creative, environmental and education or training businesses.

The Marine Workshops in Railway Quay is a Grade ll listed building, which was transformed into the University Technical College. However, this closed in 2019 after only a brief period of use.

The building was constructed in 1882 to house several engineering workshops and was used to repair both train and ship engines, according to Historic England.

Lewes District Council is moving into the building this year, and East Sussex College Group will run courses out of the Marine Workshops including adult education classes to Levels 2 and 3 in science, English and maths and short vocational skills courses in renewables including wind, solar voltaic and hydrogen technologies and marine biology and marine engineering.

South East Local Enterprise Partnership chair Sarah Dance said: “We are delighted to see this important step forward in the Newhaven Maritime and Sustainable Technology Hub project. The awarding of the building to local ownership is key to taking forward this multipurpose site.

“This site has a rich history and it is in a key location, especially for the maritime sector, which has potential to be a key growing industry. With the right investment and support locally, this will create high value jobs in engineering, as well as in clean and green technologies and similar industries for local residents.

“We look forward to visiting in the near future when the new site opens to celebrate this important milestone.”