£300m development will mark the start of a new era for town

More details have emerged of a major £300m scheme in Cumbria which will include a four star hotel, offices and multi-storey parking.

Property company BEC has revealed more detailed information about its scheme at North Shore in Whitehaven.

The scheme, is being developed with partners including Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and Copeland Borough Council, and includes a four star hotel, 400 space multi-story parking and a five-story office development.

A further development will see a mixed-use office and restaurant aimed at start-ups and innovators.

Sellafield Ltd is investing £2.6m to convert the derelict transport exchange in Whitehaven into a £4.1m hothouse for tech, digital, media, and creative start-ups.

The scheme, called the Buzz Station, is being funded by Sellafield Ltd’s owner the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

The building will be developed with strategic input from Sellafield Ltd and could be open next year.

Improvements to the road infrastructure are being overseen by Cumbria County Council.

The hotel will have five storeys, 100 rooms and will help realise the long held local ambitions for increased tourism on the Cumbrian coast.

The hotel will be a leading social spot in Whitehaven, and a destination for post work and weekend drinks in the “sky bay” overlooking the harbour.

The former Mark House site will be home to a five storey, 75,000 sq ft office development with ground floor mixed use space – delivering more footfall to the harbour area and town centre.

The site will help retain and attract high-skilled public services together with private sector nuclear and advanced manufacturing supply chain employment for the area.

Whitehaven’s parking problems have long been seen as a thorny issue by officials and public alike.

BEC hopes to cater for the development and help ease existing parking issues with an affordable multi-storey car park on land to the west of North Shore Road.

The parking provision is designed to become available in stages, growing with the scheme.

BEC intends to integrate ‘living walls’ into the structure to improve the schemes overall carbon footprint and visual appeal.

BEC is also working in partnership with Cumbria County Council to deliver a new road layout which will not only service the North Shore scheme but deliver a improvement upgrade to the main entrance to Whitehaven town centre from the northern access.
A further development on the old bus station site will see a new hub with flexible office and meeting space that supports start-ups and innovators combined with a wholesome, artisan eatery that is open to the public.

Rob Miller, head of property and development, said: “The scheme has been estimated as a £300m development in total.

“Funding will be a mix of private commercial finance, social and civic funding, and direct investment from BEC. We’ve worked hard to not only develop exciting plants for Whitehaven, but commercially viable ones too.

“This is the start of a new era, where Whitehaven and beyond can attract top investment from across the country.”

These developments make up phase one of North Shore plans and make up a £55m investment.

The scheme has the potential to be part of improvements to the town, during a second phase, worth £300m.

Mike Starkie, mayor of Copeland, said: “I believe the plans for the North Shore area of Whitehaven will be transformational for the town.

“They tick every box. The high-quality hotel ties in with our ambitions to increase tourism and give people working in and around Whitehaven another option to stay in town, rather than staying elsewhere and traveling in.”