THOUSANDS of pounds worth of man hours were wasted in the bid to bring a pharmaceutical giant's investment to Ulverston.
The successful campaign to attract GSK's £350m biopharm drugs facility to Ulverston was hailed as an historic moment, from local MP John Woodcock to the then prime minister David Cameron saying it was a coup for the Cumbrian town.
However, earlier this summer the drugs giant delivered a hammerblow to the community, saying it was pulling the plug on the investment in the new site.
News has emerged over recent days of the scale of investment made by South Lakeland District Council in trying to attract GSK to the area.
SLDC says tens of thousands of pounds in officer time was invested over a 12 to 18-month period to produce compelling evidence.
A spokesman for SLDC said: "Economic development officers worked extensively on the project as well as senior management working with the then Furness Enterprise officers.
"Work involved pulling together presentations and evidence to support Ulverston’s case, such as details about land allocations for housing to support the expanding workforce and other economic development activity in the area, promoting South Lakeland as an attractive place to invest."
Although investment would no longer be coming to the town, SLDC councillor Mark Wilson said the bid had not been in vain.
He said: "Gradually worthless assets were and are being improved, this was announced year by year and has been largely well received by the residents.
"It should not be forgotten that the GSK site has been radically enhanced and SLDC have been keen to aid those improvements by adding to the public realm.
"I do not consider that funds used to improve the area physically and via massive feasibility funding on and investigating flooding to have been wasted."
Read more on the GSK withdrawal:
John Woodcock has spoken of his heartbreak after GSK pulled the plug on their investment plan
Alliances have been made as Ulverston prepares to fight for future jobs
The date crunch talks were set to resume on the fate of GSK has been pushed back
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