Access Minister Baroness Hayman and Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, launched the new Coast to Coast National Trail with a special walk at Ennerdale this week.

The Coast to Coast Path – first devised by Alfred Wainwright – has now been formally upgraded to National Trail status, becoming one of England’s premier long-distance routes and the first National Trail to pass through the Lake District.

The 190-mile route stretches from St. Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea, taking in some of the country’s most iconic landscapes. The Cumbrian section begins along the coastline before heading inland through Cleator Moor and Ennerdale, and across the fells towards Shap.

The upgrade follows a £5.5 million investment to bring the route up to National Trail standard, including improved accessibility, upgraded paths and bridges, and consistent, high-quality signage. The trail will also benefit from dedicated funding for ongoing maintenance, ensuring it can be enjoyed for generations to come. 

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“Today marks a hugely significant moment for our area and for the Lake District. The Coast to Coast is one of the UK’s most iconic walks, and it’s fantastic to see it officially recognised as a National Trail.

“Starting at St. Bees and passing through communities like Cleator Moor and Ennerdale, this route showcases the very best of West Cumbria. It’s not just about stunning scenery – it’s about supporting local businesses, boosting tourism, and helping more people connect with nature.

“I was delighted to have Minister Hayman join me at Ennerdale to celebrate this milestone and to see first-hand the improvements that have been made to make the trail more accessible to everyone.”

Access Minister Baroness Hayman said:

“The Coast to Coast National Trail showcases some of the very best of England’s landscapes, and the Lake District section is truly spectacular. This investment means more people than ever can enjoy these incredible places, with improved paths and signage helping them explore safely and sustainably. We are proud to support a trail that connects communities, boosts local economies, and protects our natural environment for future generations.” 

More than 6,000 people complete the full Coast to Coast route each year, with many thousands more walking sections of it. The trail plays an important role in supporting local economies, with the vast majority of walkers using local food, accommodation and other services along the way. 

The designation of the Coast to Coast Path as a National Trail places it alongside some of England’s most celebrated walking routes and marks a major milestone for the Lake District, which has not previously had a National Trail.

The launch at Ennerdale forms part of a wider week of celebrations organised by Natural England to mark the official opening of the route.

Today, the Health Secretary announced the inclusion of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in a new NHS Intensive Recovery programme to help the trust improve further, faster.

Read the Government’s announcement here

Josh MacAlister MP and Julie Minns MP lobbied for this support and welcome the news. Please find their joint statement below:

“We welcome today’s announcement that North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust will be part of the NHS Intensive Recovery programme – something we have been actively pushing for with Ministers in recent months.

There has been real progress at the Trust, thanks to the hard work of staff and leadership, and that must be recognised. This is not about failure – it’s about backing that progress and helping the trust to go further, faster.

Given the unique challenges our area faces, from rurality to workforce pressures, additional expert support is exactly what’s needed to accelerate improvement and deliver better care for patients.

We were clear in our discussions with Government that North and West Cumbria should benefit from targeted national support, and we’re pleased that call has been heard.

Our priority is simple: making sure people in our communities see faster improvements in NHS services. We will keep working with the Trust and Ministers to ensure this programme delivers real results locally.”

Josh MacAlister OBE MP, Whitehaven & Workington

Julie Minns MP, Carlisle

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

Children and families across West Cumbria will benefit from a major funding boost to improve support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as part of the government’s record investment in inclusive education.

Cumberland Council will receive £4.2 million from the latest round of high needs capital funding – an increase of £1.3 million compared to last year – to create more specialist places and improve facilities for children with SEND.

The funding forms part of a national package worth more than £3 billion, with £860 million being allocated to councils this year alone – the largest ever single investment in SEND school places.

This will help ensure more children and young people in West Cumbria can attend a school closer to home, reducing long travel times and enabling them to learn alongside their peers in supportive, inclusive environments.

Whitehaven and Workington MP and Minister for Children and Families Josh MacAlister said:

“Every child in West Cumbria deserves the chance to thrive at their local school, supported to achieve their full potential.

“This £4.2 million investment is a major step forward for families across our communities. It will help create more specialist places, improve school facilities, and ensure children with SEND can access the support they need without having to travel miles from home.

“For too long, families have faced a postcode lottery when it comes to SEND provision. This funding is about putting that right – delivering better outcomes for children and restoring parents’ confidence in the system.”

As part of the funding, councils are expected to prioritise increasing SEND provision within mainstream schools, including the expansion of Inclusion Bases – specialist facilities within schools that provide tailored support while allowing pupils to remain part of mainstream education.

The investment can also be used to improve school buildings, making them more accessible and inclusive through adaptations such as better lighting, acoustics, and sensory-friendly environments.

The announcement comes alongside wider investment, including £500 million per year for schools and colleges to improve inclusion, and additional funding to expand specialist places for pupils with the most complex needs.

This latest investment marks a significant step in the government’s long-term reforms to ensure every child – regardless of need – can access a high-quality, inclusive education close to home.

Josh MacAlister MP and Cllr Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s portfolio holder for waste, have welcomed the Government’s new Waste Crime Action Plan, which sets out the toughest-ever crackdown on fly-tipping and illegal waste activity.

The plan comes as waste crime continues to blight communities across the country, with around 1.3 million incidents of fly-tipping recorded last year and costing the economy an estimated £1 billion annually.

Locally, residents have raised concerns about illegal dumping across Workington, with waste causing environmental damage, health risks, and frustration for the community.

The Government’s new plan introduces a zero-tolerance approach built around preventing crime, enforcing the law, and cleaning up affected areas. It includes:

• New “clean-up squads” requiring offenders to complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work clearing waste
• Powers to make fly-tippers pay the full cost of clean-up
• Penalty points on driving licences, with repeat offenders risking disqualification
• £45 million in additional funding for the Environment Agency to boost enforcement
• New police-style powers for enforcement officers to search premises, seize assets, and make arrests 

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“Residents across Workington are fed up with the damage caused by fly-tipping – from unsightly rubbish to real environmental harm.

“This new Waste Crime Action Plan sends a clear message: if you dump waste illegally in our community, there will be serious consequences.

“I welcome the tougher enforcement powers, investment in tackling organised waste crime, and the introduction of clean-up squads so offenders take responsibility for the mess they create. I’ll be working closely with local partners to make sure these powers are used effectively here.”

Cllr Denise Rollo, Cabinet Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places on Cumberland Council, said:

“Fly-tipping is a huge issue for councils and residents alike. It costs taxpayers money, harms our environment, and undermines pride in our communities.

“These new measures will give Cumberland Council and enforcement agencies the tools we need to crack down on offenders and protect our neighbourhoods. We are committed to working with the Government and partners to ensure our area benefits from this tougher approach.”

The plan will also introduce measures to clamp down on organised waste crime, including tighter regulation of waste operators, improved tracking of waste, and stronger action against criminal networks.

Together, these steps aim to restore local environments, protect green spaces, and ensure communities are no longer left to deal with the consequences of illegal dumping.

Josh MacAlister MP has welcomed the Government’s new Land Use Framework, describing it as a “vital step forward in making smarter decisions about how we use our land – backing farmers, restoring nature, and delivering growth in the right places.”

The Framework sets out a clear national approach to balancing competing demands on land – from food production and nature recovery to housebuilding and major economic projects – using better data, clearer planning, and long-term certainty. 

Josh MacAlister made representations to Ministers on behalf of local farmers and developers during the development of the Framework to ensure the final plan reflects the needs of both food producers and those driving economic growth.

He said:

“I’ve worked closely with Ministers throughout the development of this Framework, bringing forward the views of local farmers and businesses. It’s important that we get this balance right – and I’m pleased that this plan reflects those priorities.”

The Framework includes a strong commitment to protect the country’s most productive agricultural land and maintain domestic food production, giving farmers the certainty they need to invest and plan for the future. It also introduces simpler systems, reduced red tape and clearer long-term direction for the sector. 

Alongside this, the Framework puts nature recovery at the heart of economic development, identifying where action such as tree planting, peatland restoration and habitat creation can deliver the greatest benefits, while ensuring growth can still go ahead. 

It will also support major economic developments, including projects such as Pioneer Park, by reducing planning uncertainty, unlocking investment and accelerating delivery.

Josh added:

“Food security is national security. This Framework makes clear that we will safeguard our best farmland while supporting farmers to grow their businesses and remain resilient in the face of climate change.

“The Framework also makes clear that choosing between growth and nature is a false choice. We can restore our environment while also delivering the homes, infrastructure and jobs our communities need.

“Whether it’s new homes or major projects like Pioneer Park, this Framework gives us the clarity to move forward – cutting delays, unlocking investment and supporting jobs, while protecting our countryside.”

The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes, and the Framework will help ensure these are delivered in the right places – using better data to avoid unnecessary pressure on high-quality farmland and environmentally sensitive areas, while speeding up planning decisions. 

The Framework marks a shift towards a more co-ordinated, strategic approach to land use, ensuring England has enough land to grow food, build homes, generate clean energy and restore nature.

Read the Land Use Framework here

Plans to expand the number of dentists working in the NHS were announced last week, as part of wider efforts to improve access to NHS dentistry.

The government has confirmed it will increase the number of dental training places – the first major expansion of dental training places in nearly twenty years – helping to grow the NHS dental workforce in the years ahead.

The announcement also included measures to strengthen the NHS dental workforce by improving routes for overseas-qualified dentists to practise in the UK and introducing requirements to ensure more newly trained dentists spend time working in the NHS.

Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister said the announcement builds on action taken since summer 2024 to rebuild NHS dentistry and improve access to care.

Over the past 18 months the government has introduced additional funding and incentives to encourage dentists to provide NHS treatment, including payments for dentists who take on new NHS patients and recruitment incentives aimed at areas facing shortages.

Encouragingly, people in West Cumbria are already beginning to see improvements. Over the last year, new NHS dentists have begun working in Egremont, Whitehaven and Workington and an Urgent Dental Access Centre in Whitehaven is now treating around 140 patients every week

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“Access to NHS dentistry has been a major concern for many people across West Cumbria.

“Over the past 18 months I’ve been working with local dentists, the NHS and ministers to push for improvements, and the government has introduced additional funding and incentives to encourage dentists to provide NHS care.

“This latest announcement to expand dental training places – the first major expansion in nearly twenty years – alongside reforms to bring more dentists into the NHS workforce will help strengthen dentistry for the future.

“Importantly, we’re already starting to see progress locally, with new NHS dentists now working in Egremont, Whitehaven and Workington and an Urgent Dental Access Centre treating around 140 patients every week.

“There is still more to do, but these are important steps in the right direction for patients across West Cumbria.”

Homes and businesses across West Cumbria are set to benefit from strengthened protection against flooding, as Josh MacAlister MP has secured £627,000 for local flood defence projects, part of a wider £34 million investment across Cumbria.

The funding forms part of a major national programme delivering new and improved flood defences, helping protect communities from the growing risks of extreme weather and coastal erosion. 

In West Cumbria, this investment will support vital work to strengthen local flood resilience in Parton and Egremont – helping to safeguard homes, protect businesses, and give communities greater security in the face of increasingly frequent severe weather.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“Flooding has caused real worry and disruption for families and businesses across West Cumbria, and strengthening our local defences is absolutely essential.

“I’m delighted to have secured £627,000 for flood defence projects in our area, as part of a £34 million investment across Cumbria. This funding will make a real difference – helping to protect homes, support local businesses, and give our communities the resilience they need for the future.

“I will continue working closely with the Environment Agency and Cumberland Council to ensure West Cumbria gets the long-term protection it deserves.”

The funding is part of a wider national commitment to invest heavily in flood protection, including maintaining and upgrading existing defences and delivering new infrastructure to reduce risk. The programme also supports economic growth, protects critical infrastructure, and helps communities adapt to climate change.

With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, this investment represents a significant step forward in protecting West Cumbria and ensuring the region is better prepared for the future.

When fuel prices start rising, communities like ours in West Cumbria feel it straight away.

For many families here, driving isn’t optional. It’s how people get to work, take the kids to school, get to hospital appointments, and keep small businesses running. And unlike many parts of the country, a lot of homes here also rely on heating oil. So when global oil prices climb, it hits us twice – at the pump and at home.

In recent weeks oil prices have been moving upwards again because of instability and conflict in the Middle East. That’s something none of us locally can control, but it does feed through quickly into the cost of petrol, diesel and heating oil here in Cumbria.

What people rightly struggle to understand, though, is when prices vary wildly between petrol stations only a few miles apart.

I recently looked at petrol prices along the corridor between Workington, Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Egremont and Cockermouth. Prices ranged from around 136p per litre to as high as 152p for petrol and from 148p up to 167p per litre for diesel.

That’s a gap of 16-19p per litre. For a typical family car, that means you could be paying around £10 more just depending on where you fill up.

At a time when families are already watching every penny, that just isn’t right. Where petrol stations are charging significantly more than others nearby, they should be prepared to explain why. And where there’s no good reason for it, they should bring their prices down.

I’ve launched a Fair Fuel campaign locally and submitted evidence to the Competition and Markets Authority so they can look at whether competition in rural fuel markets is working properly. People in West Cumbria should not be treated as a captive market.

The cost of heating oil is also hitting thousands of local households hard. The Government is taking these rising costs seriously. The Chancellor hauled in fuel companies last week and made clear we expect fair pricing, and we’ve warned retailers and suppliers that if there is evidence of price gouging the authorities won’t hesitate to investigate.

We’re also stepping in with financial support for households. In addition to the cut to everyone’s energy bills from April through our removal of levies and the lower price cap and the £150 Warm Home Discount for thousands of the lowest income households, a new £53 million fund is coming for households who rely on off-grid fuel. Contact my office to find out more.

My job as your MP is to stand up for you and make sure you get a fair deal. I’ll keep pushing fuel retailers, energy companies, regulators and government to make sure motorists and households in West Cumbria are not paying over the odds.

Back my Fair Fuel campaign at joshmacalister.uk/fair-fuel

I welcome the announcement from the Government setting out a major overhaul of the UK’s nuclear regulatory system – a crucial step towards delivering new nuclear power faster, at lower cost, and with strong environmental protections.

For too long, overly complex and bureaucratic processes have slowed down the delivery of vital infrastructure. These reforms will introduce a more streamlined, proportionate system – focused on real risk, grounded in evidence, and designed to unlock investment while continuing to protect nature.

This is about delivering energy security for the UK. In an increasingly uncertain world, reducing our reliance on volatile international fossil fuel markets is essential. Nuclear power has a central role to play in providing clean, reliable, homegrown energy for decades to come.

For West Cumbria, this announcement is particularly significant.

Our area has a proud nuclear heritage, world-leading expertise, and a workforce ready to deliver the next generation of projects. With the Government now taking decisive action to speed up delivery and improve the investment environment, we are in a strong position to build on that legacy.

That is why initiatives like Pioneer Park are so important. By creating the space for innovation, skills development and new businesses, we are ensuring West Cumbria is ready to attract and support future nuclear investment.

These reforms strengthen our case locally – helping to bring forward new opportunities, high-quality jobs, and long-term economic growth for our communities.

I will continue to work with Government and local partners to ensure West Cumbria is at the forefront of the UK’s new nuclear programme.

This is how we secure our energy future, back British industry, and deliver for our communities.

Read the Government’s announcement