Cleator Moor has secured significant investment through the government’s Towns Fund to support regeneration and long-term growth.
In September 2019, Cleator Moor was invited to develop a Town Deal as part of a £3.6 billion national programme. In November 2022, £22.5 million was secured for local projects, alongside £18.4 million in match funding.
Work is now underway to deliver a programme of projects across the town.
Vision
The vision for Cleator Moor is to create a place where people can live, work and access opportunities within a high-quality environment.
This includes:
- access to employment, education and training
- a town centre that supports local businesses and community activity
- improved cultural, leisure and health facilities
- a focus on inclusive and sustainable growth
Visit the Cleator Moor Town Deal website for updates and further information.
Projects
The Town Deal investment will support four main projects.
Enterprising Town
Development of an enterprise campus at Leconfield Industrial Estate to support business growth and create jobs, including opportunites linked to the Sellafield supply chain.
Revitalised Town
Improvements to the town centre, including bringing vacant buildings back into use and creating a new public space. Plans include a cultural community hub and workspace for local businesses.
Healthy Town
Redevelopment of sports and leisure facilities to create a modern multi-purpose centre with indoor sports, flexible studio space, a gym and café, alongside wider health and well-being provision
Connected Town
Improvements to transport and public spaces to make it easier to travel between key locations, including access to jobs, education and local services.
Town Deal Investment Plan
Town Deal Board and documents
You can view information about the Town Deal Board and download related documents.
Governance documents
Board agendas and minutes
Cleator Moor Board members
Meet the Town Deal board members and download their register of interests.
Chair of Cleator Moor Town Deal Board - Bob Metcalfe
Bob is chair of the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board and is a Chartered Town Planner with 27 years’ service in Local Government, 14 of which were as a Chief Officer.
Since the late 1990’s Bob has run a planning and regeneration consultancy across the UK and abroad. He is currently a director and chair of Phoenix Enterprise Centre in Cleator Moor and a director and chair of Regen North East Copeland, a public/private partnership supporting regeneration in the north eastern parishes of Copeland including Cleator Moor.
Josh MacAlister (Member of Parliament)
Josh MacAlister MP OBE is the Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s for Nuclear Energy and Care Experienced Children and Young People and Member of the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee.
Before being elected in July, Josh founded charity Frontline and chaired the Government’s Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. He is also a member of Mountain Rescue.
Bernard McDowell (Sports representative)
Bernard is the representative for sport on the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board.
He retired in 2020 after more than 40 years working in the nuclear industry for Sellafield and LLW Repository.
He is Cleator born and bred, and still lives in the town. Bernard’s passion is cricket and he has been associated with Cleator Cricket Club for most of his life. He is currently club Chairman. Bernard is also a cricket umpire and has stood in the Cumbria Cricket League for over 20 years. He is chairman of the Cumbria Cricket League Umpires’ Federation and enjoys supporting Wath Brow Hornets when time and circumstances allow.
Joanne Crowe (Community representative)
Joanne has been the Operations Manager at Phoenix Enterprise Centre (a Community Interest Company) for the past 17 years. Previous roles include three years with a national charity and 16 years within the Nuclear sector.
Qualified in operational management, Joanne has extensive experience in the delivery and management of both capital and revenue funded projects. Born and raised in Cleator Moor, Joanne is committed to supporting the needs of the local community, encouraging equality of access to opportunity for all. Joanne has two daughters and lives in Cleator Moor.
Paul Rowe (Youth representative)
Paul has been project manager of The Phoenix Youth Project since May 2005. He has almost 20 years’ experience working with children and young people in West Cumbria. He has fundraised more than £2m to The Phoenix Youth Project over this period.
Paul previously worked for Young Cumbria and volunteered for The Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project. He is JNC qualified in youth and community work (post-graduate diploma) and also holds a BA (hons) History degree.
Paul is the chair of Copeland Practitioner Forum, vice-chair of the Copeland Youth Network and a member of Cumbria Community Foundation’s West Cumbria Grants Panel.
He has also been a resident of Cleator Moor for more than 15 years. Paul plans to champion children and young people with his role on the board.
John Bamforth (Business representative)
John is a chartered accountant and is finance director of S Brannan & Sons Limited in Cleator Moor, one of the town’s oldest businesses.
In his spare time, he is chair and a fell-going member of Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team and has attended several hundred callouts in his 25 years to date.
John is also trustee and treasurer for the Lake District’s association of 12 mountain rescue teams.
He lives in Copeland with his family and is a keen runner, cyclist and swimmer often found on the fells at any time!
Mark Telford (Business representative)
Engineering entrepreneur Mark Telford is passionate about making a positive difference in a Cleator Moor community which is home to his family and his business.
Born and brought up in nearby Frizington where he went to primary school before attending Ehenside secondary school at Wath Brow. Mark’s first job was as an apprentice at Sellafield.
With his technical know-how, strong work ethic, astute business brain and eye for an opportunity, he had bought his first company by the age of 21.
Fast forward to today and Mark has just celebrated 21 years at Forth where as managing director he employs 56 people, many in Cleator Moor, a community which is also very much home to Mark, Nicola, children Elise; Matthew, and two Great Danes Arthur and Albert.
Chairman of forward-thinking Cleator Moor charity Works4You and vice president of Wath Brow Hornets, Mark said: “The local community is massively important to me. I have always believed we should do our best to provide for our local people. I genuinely believe people in this area are very special.”
David Farrell (Business representative)
David is a self-employed businessman born in Cleator Moor where his family have owned a number of businesses in the town’s High Street.
He was educated at St Patrick’s Junior School, Whitehaven Grammar School and Manchester Polytechnic where he graduated with a degree in business studies.
David joined the nuclear industry and spent 30 years working in the HR, training and IT functions.
In 2009 he took voluntary severance and set up in Farrell Sports in Cleator Moor town centre which is still trading.
David has worked with the Chamber of Trade and the Cleator Moor Town Council on initiatives aimed at improving and regenerating the town centre. He represents small businesses on the board.
Councillor Peter Burns (Cleator Moor Town Council)
Peter was born in Cleator Moor and has been a town councillor for three years.
He is employed by Cumbria County Council as a casual driver and is a retired Civil Engineer from Sellafield.
Peter served with The Royal Engineers Army Reserve (TA) for 26 years and toured Iraq/Afghanistan. He also served with Cumbria Army Cadet Force for 18 years as an adult instructor and held the position of Detachment Commander at Whitehaven and Cockermouth. He is a member of the Royal Engineers Association West Cumberland Branch and a member of the Wath Brow and District Branch, the Royal British Legion and holds the position of Branch Secretary.
Peter is also a member of the Cleator Moor World War One Project and a Commonwealth War Graves volunteer on the ‘Eyes On’ project for local War Graves. In his spare time he enjoys walking, fell running and cycling.
David Banks (Community representative)
I’m a retired engineer from Sellafield where my interests in people led me to becoming a TU shop steward and safety rep. Later, I became a team leader and took on various engineering roles, latterly in controlling remote handling development work.
Outside of work I was elected as a County Councillor and later a District Councillor for Cleator Moor. On the County I was chair of Industrial Estates for 12 years overseeing major projects like Project Furness, Moss Bay, and Whitehaven Harbour. I was involved with obtaining £3m European funding for Cleator Moor as well as Workington Town Centre bid.
I have been a director of PEC for many years and of RNEC since its formation. On CBC I was most recently chair of standards and ethics, and a member of licencing and nuclear boards.
Michael Pemberton (Business representative)
Currently the CEO of BEC and have been for the last nine years. In that time I have transformed the organisation into what you see today. I am a business leader with an outstanding record of unlocking commercial value return on investment.
Expertise in restructuring, turnaround, scale-up and business as usual in private, public & third sector
Resilient, “hands-on” and collaborative, I deliver with energy, grip, pace, and empathy
I build teams that make the difference and deliver the results
I am a leader with a record of driving growth and commercial impact nationally and internationally across diverse businesses and industry sectors. I know how to devise successful strategies, harness the right resources and empower my teams to deliver change that resonates and sticks. I am motivated by the possibilities of what we can achieve when we push boundaries, seize opportunities and overcome obstacles that can get in the way of success.
I believe in:
- values-led organisations
- attracting the right leaders through vision and action
- building and nurturing high-performing teams
- finding new ways to solve problems
- instilling a growth and outcomes mindset
- open and honest collaboration
In my career I have created strategies transforming business performance; regenerating and repurposing grey/brown land sites, building sustainable community developments and projects, producing significant income and profit, invested in technology to drive efficiencies and agile working, and embedded commercial structures and cultures, delivering value to owners, shareholders and local communities.
I am passionate about building and improving the performance of individuals and teams. This is achieved through an intuitive and hands-on approach. Inclusion and emotional intelligence form the cornerstones of my leadership principles.
My focus on community, social impact and regeneration extends beyond my executive career. I am an active member of the British Army Reserve, where I am an Officer for CIMIC & NATO’s commitment to preventing conflict & post-conflict rebuilding.
Expertise:
- devising strategy and plans driving growth
- business transformation and value creation
- P&L ownership and accountability
- operational leadership across large geographical areas
- awareness of public and third sector leadership requirements
- launching and developing international markets in conflict zones
- communication, engagement and growth mindset culture change
- corporate governance, ESG and risk management
“The world will not move forward if you don’t make bold moves. Make your move with courage and conviction”.
Councillor Michael Eldon (Community representative)
I have lived in the town all my life, I love the place, people and the plans for the future. I am proud of the town’s history, born in the back of Irish immigration, and proud of how it reflects in the way the town has developed a sense of community.
I enjoy time with my family and travelling to watch football games in random places. I’m extremely excited for the future of the town and how it can shape generations to come.