Whitehaven set for 69-bed budget hotel

Plans to construct a hotel on the former bus depot site off Bransty Row are due to be submitted within three months by developer and landowner BEC.

Cumberland Council Leader Cllr Mark Fryer has already voiced his support for the scheme, which leans into the promises of the Whitehaven Masterplan recently approved by the council. In that masterplan, the bus depot had been earmarked for leisure use, including a hotel.

“Working with partners, we are driving forward with investment and regeneration plans for Whitehaven,” Fryer said. “The masterplan is a catalyst and will support the area’s future development.

“This is an exciting time for the town, and we look forward to seeing Whitehaven thrive.”

The local MP, Josh MacAlister, also praised the proposal.

“This is exactly the kind of investment we want the Whitehaven Masterplan to unlock,” he said.

He added later: “A new 69-bed hotel on such a prominent site would support our shops, pubs and restaurants, strengthen the visitor economy and help us make more of Whitehaven’s position as the gateway to the western Lake District.”

The designs for the hotel are being worked up by Unwin Jones Partnership, with Savills leading on the planning process. BEC said that it is lined up to deliver the scheme within 18 months of securing planning permission from Cumberland Council.

BEC chief executive Michael Pemberton described the plans as “another major vote of confidence in Whitehaven”.

He said: “This is exactly the type of private sector investment we want to see coming into the town. A 69-bed hotel operated by a nationally recognised brand would bring many more people into Whitehaven.”

“The timing is significant too. We have just seen the publication of an ambitious new masterplan for Whitehaven, and there is a growing sense of momentum around the town. We have demonstrated through our developments such as The Bus Station and LEVELS what can happen when strong ideas, investment and delivery come together.

“Whitehaven has enormous potential. We need to continue creating the conditions that give investors confidence, bring vacant and underused sites back into productive use, and ensure that wider economic growth translates into real benefits for the town centre.”

Elsewhere in Cumbria, BEC is working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Cumberland Council on the 400-acre Pioneer Park, which is set to become a leading development for clean energy, AI, and innovation.

Hear Michael Pemberton speak at Place’s Energy and Power conference on 17 September. Book your ticket.