Cumberland is located in the Northwest of England, bordering Westmorland and Furness and Northumberland to the east and Scotland to the north.

Cumberland is a place of contrasts. With a population of 277,000 lives in an area covering 3,012 square km it is a large, characterised by urban settlements with large rural hinterlands.

Cumberland is home to some of the world’s most stunning rural and coastal landscapes (including two World Heritage Sites the Lake District National Park and Hadrian’s Wall) which draw in millions of visitors a year.

Reflecting our geography Cumberland has a diverse economy with two major centres of economic activity: the city of Carlisle located in the east and the ‘energy coast’ area located in the west, that incorporates the towns of Workington and Whitehaven.

The city of Carlisle is our largest urban centre and at the heart of the regional economy delivering services for communities and business across much of Cumbria, south Scotland and Northumberland. Situated alongside the M6 motorway and West Coast Mainline railway the city has excellent connectivity to the north, east and south.

The West Cumbrian coast is characterised by rich industrial and maritime heritages but has now established itself as both a visitor destination with the landscapes of the Western Lake District and as a centre for industry, nuclear excellence in decommissioning and research and development.

Our Energy Coast is home to a density of industrial capability which spans the full nuclear fuel cycle, including operations, reprocessing, waste management and decommissioning as well as Research and Development (R&D), nuclear materials, transportation, construction, manufacturing and robotics.

We are host to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority headquarters, the Sellafield site, UK Low Level Waste Repository and National Nuclear Laboratory’s central labs and support investment into our area through Westlakes Science Park and the emerging Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH).

Our inherent nuclear and wider energy supply chain capability is reflected in the Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC), a 325-strong member organisation including global multinationals and local SMEs from public, private, academic and third sectors.

All of this is connected with the UK and the world by logistics hubs at the Port of Workington, the West Coast railway line and the M6.

Our academic and training facilities include University of Manchester Dalton Facility, UCLan, University of Cumbria Project Academy, Energus - host to the world-leading nuclear graduates programme, National College for Nuclear, Gen2 and the Energy Coast UTC. With over 2,000 trainees on graduate and apprentice programmes at any time, we are creating the nuclear workforce of the future.

With this world-leading innovation and industry, are in a unique position to build on our history as pioneers of the nuclear industry, to become significant contributors to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, and a major growth engine for the UK economy and the Northern Powerhouse.

As the capital of Cumbria and the Borderlands, the City of Carlisle is bursting with opportunity, uniquely positioned to lead the way in unleashing the full economic potential of our entire region, for the benefit of the wider UK.

An exciting £100 million regeneration programme is underway in the city. Investment has been secured from a variety of sources including the multi-million pound Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, the government’s Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund, plus UK Shared Prosperity funding.

The delivery of our two flagship regeneration schemes is underway: the redevelopment of the historic Citadels site into a new campus for the University of Cumbria and the transformation of the Carlisle Railway Station.

We are also investing over £13 million in public realm improvement scheme across the city to enhance our outdoor spaces to make them more pedestrian-friendly and improve the experience for residents and visitors.

Our Town Deal programme includes the creation of a new Digital and Community Learning Hub at Carlisle Library, a Carlisle Business Exchange Centre as part of the University of Cumbria’s new campus at the Citadels and improvements to the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.

Our Future High Streets Fund programme has supported site preparation works on a key vacant site opposite the Citadels and the railway station, which has been recently acquired and will be redeveloped as a Premier Inn hotel.

Located at Junction 44 of the M6 in Carlisle, Kingmoor Park is one of the strategic industrial estates in Cumberland, offering over 2 million square feet of flexible industrial, office, and warehouse space. Home to over 150 companies, including DPD, UPS, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Story Homes, and Thomas Graham, Kingmoor supports a workforce of 2,500 people. Planning permission has been secured for an extension to the estate that allows for up to 1,100,000 sq ft of industrial/distribution buildings in sizes from 30,000 sq ft to 600,000 sq ft, specified to the occupier’s exact requirements, up to and including BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+.

The Morton site is a greenfield site that is owned by Cumberland Council. It is located on the southern edge of the city, close to the A595 and the new Southern Link Road. It is allocated in the Carlisle Local Plan for the creation of a district centre, which could accommodate a foodstore, additional retail, leisure, local services and community facilities to meet the needs of existing and future residents.

Strategically located directly off Junction 42 of the M6, the 26 hectare Newlands Manufacturing and Logistics Park is being brought forward through the St Cuthbert’s Garden Village Local Plan. The site will have the capacity to deliver up to 2,000,000 sq ft of for a range of occupiers seeking larger floorplates.

Through targeted investment from the Town Deal programme, Workington is growing its economy and employment base by focusing on its strengths in manufacturing and clean energy. Capitalising on a skilled workforce, a competitive cost base, and localised support the aim is to attract new and growing businesses.

We are currently delivering a £13 million Innovation Centre within the town centre and a £6 million Logistics and Clean Energy Hub at the Port of Workington. Supporting this towns leisure, sporting strengths and town centre offer a new modern stadium is being delivered.

We are also improving access into the town through the £9.6 million Workington Gateway project, which will improve strategic connectivity from the M6/A66.

With over £13 million of funding from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and Heritage Action Zone, we are transforming Maryport into a destination for arts, heritage and leisure.

The town is the largest settlement within the Solway Coast National Landscape and the aim is to develop the offer to draw new users, improve facilities for residents and attract new visitors.

We have invested heavily in the public realm, which has led to a 35% increase in footfall in the town over the past 12 months and an uplift in demand for commercial property within the main shopping area.

Lillyhall Business Park and Industrial Estate is located approximately 4km to the South East of Workington Town Centre and is a major strategic employment site and has attracted a significant number of commercial occupiers. The development extends to some 40 Ha of mixed use commercial and education accommodation with around 100 businesses and education facilities including the Lakes College Campus which incorporates a construction and civils skills centre and the National College for Nuclear.

The Port of Workington is a 2.6-hectare site handles up to 500,000 tonnes of cargo per year. As part of the Workington Town Deal, we will remediate approximately 8.5 hectares of land at the Port of Workington and the adjacent designated employment site. The land is available for development for a range of industrial or storage and distribution uses and is envisaged that the site will be of particular interest to businesses in the logistics and clean energy sectors.

At the heart of Cumberland’s Energy Coast is Whitehaven, a Georgian harbour town, providing a base for Sellafield Ltd and world-leading innovation in nuclear decommissioning. Supporting our knowledge economy are a range of key employment sites, including the West Lakes Science Park.

We are also focusing on developing the 'experience economy', that draws upon the town’s history, beautiful harbour and coastal location and links into active challenge routes including the Coast 2 Coast. Investment on the harbour includes the £5m Edge Coastal Activities Centre and the creation of a £4.1m digital and gaming hub. Supporting the towns growth is a recently adopted Local Plan which sets out an ambitious plan for the towns growth. This is also supported by an ambitious new masterplan which is underway.

Millom was successful in securing £20.6 million from the Government’s Town Deal fund to deliver transformational projects supporting opportunities in the tourism, leisure, arts and culture sectors.

One of the key projects, the ‘Iron Line’ that will transforming the existing Hodbarrow RSPB Reserve and former railway line into a unique 7.5km walking and cycling route. In addition to the creation of a fully accessible route, the project will also deliver a new visitors centre will act as a base for visitors, schools, and community groups. The aim is to improve the health, wellbeing of the local community while also attracting visitors and supporting the local economy.

We are also delivering a project to improve community health proposals that includes a multi-purpose community and leisure hub that will include a swimming pool and 3G pitch. We are also investing in in outdoor amenity space and parks across the town.

Cleator Moor, west Cumbria, secured a Town Deal with £22.5 million coming from the Government’s Towns Fund. The aim is to capitalise on the economic growth potential of the Sellafield supply chain by creating new enterprise, commercial and community space to increase activity and footfall within the town centre.

In additional to the creation of the iSH Enterprise Hub at the Leconfield Estate, a new public services and cultural community hub will be created by refurbishing and reconfiguring two existing buildings in the town centre to provide a tourist information point, exhibition and arts space and a digital media studio.

We are also creating a modern multi-purpose centre in the town aimed as improving local health and wellbeing and creating more reasons for people to visit and spend time in the town. The Centre will include an indoor sports hall, flexible studio space, gym and café, alongside wider health and well-being provision and targeted youth activity.

Over £50 million is being invested Leconfield Industrial Estate to develop an enterprise campus aimed at leveraging the economic growth potential of the Sellafield supply chain through a cluster approach to growing and diversifying the West Cumbria economy.

The Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) Enterprise Campus is an economic regeneration initiative led by Cumberland Council with funding and support from Government (MHCLG) through Town Deal and Levelling Up programmes, and other strategic partners including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd.

The development of the site forms part of the wider regeneration programme being delivered across West Cumbria by iSH focused upon delivering economic growth opportunities around robotics, AI and advanced engineering and manufacturing.

Located on the A595 south of Whitehaven, Westlakes Science Park is already home to more than 2,000 professionals and offers premium business premises of all sizes in a beautiful setting.

Approximately 8 miles north of Sellafield Nuclear site, Westlakes is in a strategic location, benefiting from close links to the nuclear, R&D and energy sectors within the area. The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has a campus on the Science Park, delivering a range of courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development levels in nuclear science and technology, business leadership and management.