Whitehaven's Bus Station development has received a special visit after winning several planning awards.

Copeland Borough Council’s role in the BEC development garnered three awards at last year’s Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) North West Awards for Planning Excellence.

Today the President of the RTPI, Timothy David Crawshaw MA MRTPI FRSA, came to Whitehaven to visit the development, and chat to those involved.

Nick Hayhurst, Copeland’s Head of Planning and Place, said: “This development has transformed a key gateway into the town and had a huge impact for businesses and anyone who uses the area.
“I’m delighted to welcome the RTPI here today, and show them what can be brought about by collaborative working. Such a development, incorporating a disused but much-loved structure, has its planning challenges, but the end result is a great asset which has set a high standard for other developments to follow.”

Mr Crawshaw said: “Copeland Borough Council’s impressive overhaul of the Whitehaven Bus Station is a perfect example of a regeneration project that succeeds in breathing new life into a building of historic significance. It shows how planners are making a positive impact on the quality of life in their local area while meeting the needs of the community.”

Mike Starkie, Elected Mayor of Copeland, said: “The Bus Station has been a flagship development for Whitehaven, and from the start we wanted to retain its iconic frontage – which became the central plank in the impressive design.

“As well as being an example of best practice in planning, it’s been a model for partnership working, getting a great result for the town centre, and for those local firms and start-ups accessing its business services.”

Michael Pemberton, Chief Executive Officer of property developers BEC, said: “We are incredibly proud of our development. It’s a culmination of dedicated people coming together, following a passion and tenacity, to make something happen in our local area.

"To redevelop a building is one thing, but to redevelop a building and give a beating heart to it, well that’s where the magic sits - and in the Bus Station we have been able to do just that. This is for our community, now and tomorrow.”

“We have been incredibly blessed to work with so many fantastic local firms, from Sellafield, and Thomas Armstrong in the construction, through to Osprey for the Peddler and Barclays Eagle Labs for the amazing offices and co-working spaces.

“To have received three, yes three, RTPI awards is very special indeed, and just reward for everyone who made the Bus Station development a reality”   Back in November, Copeland’s planning team picked up RTPI awards for ‘Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture,’ ‘Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy’ and ‘Overall Winner,’ all in relation to The Bus Station.

The Bus Station is on Bransty Row and houses flexible office space and the 125-seat ‘The Peddler’ restaurant.href="https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19735700.bus-station-whitehaven-named-overall-winner-rtpi-north-west-awards/">READ MORE: The Bus Station in Whitehaven named overall winner at RTPI North West Awards