A proposed £8.8m Landscape Discovery Centre in Northumberland National Park (NNP) has the potential to contribute £3.5m (US$5.2m, €3.9m) to the local economy, according to reports.

The Economic Impact Assessment, prepared by New Skills Consulting and the KSA Partnership, which was commissioned by NNP and the Youth Hostels Association (YHA), estimated that 'The Sill' has the potential to attract up to 120,000 new visitors and generate £3.35m (US$5.2m, €3.9m) annually when it opens in 2016 and £3.68m (US$5.7m, €4.3m) per annum by 2021-22.

The new centre will replace the existing 1960s visitor centre and youth hostel with construction planned between 2014-2016.

In addition to the visitor centre and youth hostel, a café, shop and exhibition space are also planned for the site, which is being designed by architects Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall and Halcrow Croup as Building Services and Sustainability consultants as well as Patrick Parsons as civil and structural engineers.

The centre will cost £8.88m (US$13.78m, €10.4m), with £4.8m (US$7.4m, €5.6m) and 100 new jobs estimated to be injected into the local economy during the construction phase.