Homes England activates Whitehaven housing contest
After years spent rumbling through planning, a large greenfield site in West Cumbria has come to market via sole agent Cushman & Wakefield.
The 51-acre development area comes with permission for 300 homes, with 15% affordable, and is located at Harras Moor, eight miles west from the Lake District National Park. A later phase of around six acres with permission for 70 homes is being held back for sale separately.
Hannah Gradwell, associate in Cushman & Wakefield’s residential, development and strategic advisory team, anticipated strong interest from a mix of developers. She added: “There are ambitious growth plans for Whitehaven and the wider region, which adds to the appeal of this development opportunity.”
The land being marketed sits between an industrial estate, 1990s housing and woodland. Copeland and Cumbria sold the land to Homes England in 2017. Copeland was among the districts absorbed into Cumberland Council on its creation in 2023.
The path to planning consent followed numerous twists and turns as objections over perceived traffic impact led councillors to refuse, then revise, their decision following updated highways advice. Arup, Tetra Tech, WYG were all involved as planning or highways advisers at some point.
Gradwell added: “The launch of this major site in Whitehaven presents an attractive opportunity to develop a significant new neighbourhood in a highly sustainable location – on the edge of the Lake District National Park – one of the most celebrated natural environments in the country.”
The site is being sold via an informal tender process. Homes England expects to sell the land by March 2025.
