My weekly column for the Whitehaven News – 02.09.2026
There is a real sense of momentum building in Whitehaven.
When Whitehaven councillors and I launched the Whitehaven Town Centre Masterplan earlier this summer, we said it could not simply be another document that sat on a shelf. It had to be a practical plan for bringing new investment, more visitors, more jobs and more life back into our town centre.
We are now beginning to see the first signs of that happening.
Over the last few weeks, work has been taking place on an exciting proposal for a fast passenger boat service between Whitehaven and the Isle of Man. The idea is still at an early stage and we are testing demand, costs and the practicalities, but the prospect of being able to travel directly from Whitehaven Harbour to Douglas is an exciting one.
It would give local people a new connection to the island, bring more visitors into Whitehaven and make better use of one of our town’s greatest assets: the harbour.
At the same time, terms have been agreed with BEC for a new 69-bedroom hotel on the former bus depot site opposite Wetherspoons.
That would bring a national hotel operator into the heart of Whitehaven, create jobs, increase the number of people staying overnight in the town and support our pubs, restaurants, shops and visitor attractions.
These are exactly the kinds of developments we wanted the Masterplan to unlock.
They also reinforce one another. A stronger visitor economy needs better places to stay, better transport links and more reasons to spend time in Whitehaven. A new hotel, a potential passenger service to the Isle of Man and the wider improvements planned around the harbour and town centre all form part of the same picture.
And, importantly, they send a signal of confidence. Whitehaven is a place worth investing in, worth visiting and worth backing. Every new project makes the next one more achievable and helps build the case for further private investment.
Of course, some of the biggest projects in the Masterplan will require significant investment and will take longer to deliver.
I have been working with government, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Cumberland Council and other partners on a long-term funding package that could help us move those larger schemes forward. Those conversations are progressing well, and I hope we will be able to say more about that soon.
For too long, people in Whitehaven have heard promises about regeneration without seeing enough happen on the ground. My focus is on turning plans into projects and projects into visible change.
There is still a lot of work ahead, but these first developments show what is possible.
Whitehaven has enormous potential. Our job now is to keep the momentum going.