A public meeting was held last week to update residents on the progress made on some key improvements to Whitehaven town centre and lay out the next steps for the development of a Masterplan before the end of the year.
The meeting, attended by nearly 100 residents from across the town, was hosted by Whitehaven MP Josh MacAlister, Cumberland Council deputy leader Emma Williamson, councillor Joe Ghayouba and Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen.
At a similar meeting last summer, residents complained about the lack of public toilets, cleanliness in the town, empty shops, anti-social behaviour and the state of the harbour. Progress on all five issues was reported.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Emma Williamson said she had secured funding for a study to determine the best location and costs of installing new public toilets: “I’m committed to delivering the funding to put new toilets in. What I can’t do is then fund their ongoing upkeep, that needs to be the responsibility of the town council and we’re in discussions with them about that.” Town councillors in attendance confirmed the matter would be considered as part of their annual budget setting process this autumn.
After feedback last year, Cumberland Council carried out a deep clean of the town centre and has invested half a million pounds in new public spaces on Market Place and Duke Street. Emma confirmed that the council will dedicate more resources to keeping the town centre clean, tackling enforcement issues and other concerns of residents.
Cllr Ghayouba has led efforts to bring empty shops back into use and clean up shopfronts. He reported that Cumberland Council has opened up two empty buildings it owns – one for the new Family Hub on the Harbour, which is now a thriving space running a range of family friendly events. The second was an empty unit on King Street which has been given, rent free, to Soundwave, which is providing opportunities to access music to local young people. Joe also reported that the council has started enforcement action against the worst absentee landlords on King Street: “We want landlords to work with us, get their properties up to scratch and back into use. Where they won’t, I’ll be pushing the council to use all available powers to hold them responsible.”
Commissioner David Allen had positive news on crime and anti-social behaviour. Thanks to additional funding he secured from the Labour government to deliver increased patrols in the town centre, reported anti-social behaviour is down by 37%, burglary by 40% and violent crime by 25%. The Commissioner confirmed we’d soon see more police on the streets in Whitehaven thanks to the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee: “Working with our MPs, I secured nearly £1.7 million from the government which I’m using to nearly double the size of our neighbourhood policing team in Cumbria. That means more neighbourhood beat officers, more PCSOs and more special constables on the streets in Whitehaven, keeping people safe.”
Whitehaven MP Josh MacAlister told residents that after two years of inaction under the previous government, he’d spent the last year trying to get the orange water out of the harbour and a solution was just around the corner: “I’ve got the government working on this at the highest level, across six departments and agencies, with three ministers awaiting the outcome of a feasibility study, who’ve given a commitment to work with me to get the funding in place this autumn.” Josh also confirmed he’s continuing efforts to introduce a passenger service to the Isle of Man and working to run practical sailing courses out of Whitehaven Marina to bring in more tourists.
Both BEC and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners were in the room and residents were reminded that The Edge activity centre and Levels digital gaming hub will open before the end of the year, providing a wider offer in the town for residents and visitors. There has also been an even bigger programme of events in the past year, with new events like the Eat Street Festival and the visit of the Galeon Andalucia alongside events like HarbourFest, Pride and the TEGretail markets.
Cllr Ray Gill, Chair of Whitehaven Town Council, said: “We mustn’t talk the town down. There is more to do, but it’s a great town and there’s a lot going on and progress is being made in lots of areas.”
Josh agreed: “Whitehaven is a brilliant town. We should take the time to recognise and celebrate the progress that has been made over the past year. But we mustn’t be complacent either as there’s lots more to do.
“My hope and our plan is that by the end of the year we’ll have a Masterplan in place and, importantly, the funding package to start delivering it. I’m determined this won’t be another nice looking plan which sits gathering dust on a shelf and I know Emma and her colleagues on Cumberland Council share that view. This time we need to deliver.”
Emma said: “I want to thank all the residents who attended the meeting and the nearly 600 who have completed Josh’s survey with their ideas for the town. We’ll fold all of that data into our work.
“The council’s formal engagement will kick off with a drop-in event on 5th August, 2-7pm, at the United Reform Church on James Street in Whitehaven, and there’ll also be an online consultation and further public events before we publish the draft plan in the autumn ahead of sign off before the end of the year. Look out for further details from the council in the coming weeks.
“I really encourage as many residents as possible to get involved and have your say as this plan has to be shaped by you and what you want to see our town centre look like in the coming years.”
Any residents who haven’t already done so can complete Josh’s survey at joshmacalister.uk/whitehaven
Josh MacAlister MP 