Bransty & Harbour Forum Area

Community Activity

Within the town centre there are a wide range of community groups and societies, many of whom pull members in from throughout Copeland. One of the most active of these groups is the Whitehaven Heritage Action Group. This organisation actively protects, restores and promotes the rich and varied heritage and history of Whitehaven. During the present financial year they have received financial support from the Forum to help with the restoration of a number of C17th cannon that were found in Whitehaven harbour during the dredging phase of the harbour restoration. The work is now complete and the cannons are on display in the harbour area. For more information on the activities of Whitehaven Heritage Action Group contact: - Gordon Smith on 01946 690946.

The Sea Cadets have their base within the harbour area though, like many town centre based groups, they attract members from throughout Copeland. The group has a long history within the town and continues to be well supported. The Forum recently provided financial support for the group to purchase a trailer to carry boats so the group could practice launching in a variety of different situations. For more information on Whitehaven Sea Cadets contact: - Lt. Cdr. Anthony Holliday on 01946 830663.

The Harbour Youth project works with schools and youth groups in the area to help young people with personal development by building confidence and developing social skills. In addition to these activities a youth club runs on Mondays and Thursdays for young people to meet to take part in activities, outings to the cinema and Blackpool etc. For further information contact Mike Mills on 01946 690404Copeland Rail Users Group (CRUG), which was formed in 2003, wish to see improvements to the quality of the rail service, its' infrastructure and the way it is perceived. The members of CRUG have an interest in the rail service from Carlisle to Barrow and more specifically from Whitehaven to Millom; membership consists of regular users, occasional users and would-be users, all of who have an interest in the Coastal Railway. For further details contact Tony Potts on 01946 694065 or Dave Smith on 01946 855022.

Forum Area

The Bransty and Harbour forum area covers Whitehaven town centre, the Bransty Estate to the north of the town centre and the housing in between the two.

After many years of neglect, Whitehaven town centre is now thriving with a number of regeneration and new build projects having had a real impact on the way the town looks and feels. The work carried out in the harbour area in particular is worthy of note.

Bransty Estate is a well-maintained, pre-war social housing scheme with good views over The Irish Sea and Whitehaven town centre. Demand for houses on the estate is good with some 30% now in private ownership.

The population of the forum area remains relatively constant at approximately 8,200, though there is quite a high turnover of young people living in the town centre.

As might be expected in any town centre, transport congestion, road works and parking are major issues within this forum area.