My column for this week’s Whitehaven News
Over the past two years, there has been a real shift in how we are planning for Whitehaven’s future – and it started with a simple but important conversation.
Just before the 2024 General Election, Cllr Emma Williamson and I brought 200 residents together for a public meeting in the town centre. People spoke candidly about their frustrations – empty units, tired public spaces, traffic issues – but also about their pride in Whitehaven’s heritage and its potential. That meeting set the tone for everything that has followed: we need a plan to revive the town shaped with the community, not done to it.
Since then, Emma and I have worked together to establish the Town Centre Board. Bringing together more than two dozen key stakeholders – businesses, community organisations and public sector partners – with a shared focus on regeneration, it has met on half a dozen occasions to shape priorities. We secured the commitment – and funding – for Cumberland Council to develop a comprehensive masterplan for Whitehaven with those priorities at its foundations. The plan is an important milestone, because too often towns are left with ambition but no clear route to delivery.
What has followed is a huge amount of detailed work and engagement. Businesses, residents, community groups and other stakeholders have all helped shape the emerging vision. The plan reflects what we’ve heard consistently: the need to make better use of our harbour, bring vacant buildings back into use, improve how people move around the town, and create a stronger mix of housing, jobs and leisure.
We are now at an important moment. The latest, short phase of engagement which launched this week is about checking we’ve got the direction right. Do people recognise this vision? Does it reflect the Whitehaven they want to see? That feedback will directly inform the final version.
In May, the full masterplan will be published. Importantly, this won’t just be a document of ideas – it will include a clear, prioritised list of projects that are both fundable and deliverable. Emma and I are already working with partners to line up the investment needed to make these projects happen.
Our approach is deliberately phased. We want to get on with early “quick wins” – improving key streets, supporting local businesses, making the town centre more welcoming – while also laying the groundwork for bigger, longer-term changes like new housing, better connections and a revitalised waterfront.
Regeneration doesn’t happen overnight. But with a clear plan, strong local leadership and continued community involvement, we can build momentum and deliver lasting change.
Whitehaven has always had the foundations – history, character and a stunning coastal setting. Now, we are almost there with a plan to match that potential.
I’m hosting a public meeting to walk residents through the final plan on Friday 29th May. Register to attend at joshmacalister.uk/meetjosh
Josh MacAlister MP 