Regen NE Copeland has been created to oversee and assist in the development of the parishes of Arlecdon & Frizington, Cleator Moor, Ennerdale & Kinniside, Lamplugh and Weddicar. The group consists of volunteers from Cumbria County Council, Copeland Borough Council and Town & Parish Councils, as well as members of local agencies and community, who are committed to making our area a better place to live.

Our priorities are:

To Broaden the Economic Base:

• Support the Growth of our Industrial Estates and Business Accommodation
• Develop the Area’s Tourism Base
• Encourage wider use of the IT Network and Access to IT
• Promote Business Support
• Help existing & new residents to start-up new Businesses

To Strengthen and Redefine our Area:

• Support and develop the Retail and Commercial Sector
• Develop Community Services
• Improve local Transport Links
• Implement key Environmental Improvements
• Develop our villages including Cleator Moor Historic Town Square

The Regeneration Group meets at 5.30pm on the third wednesday on a bi-monthly basis (please contact our office for further information if you would like to attend) to develop and oversee the Work Programme,  which is designed to tackle these priorities and meet local needs. Projects are being developed that focus on upgrading local buildings and green areas; helping businesses; developing local services; supporting our community strategy and obtaining the necessary funds to enable all of this to happen.

Co-operation between our members ensures that we can tackle most aspects of regeneration, but the group also needs to hear from local businesses and community groups with new ideas, and in what way they would like extra support. We’re also keen to work with all persons and businesses who would just like to volunteer to help in some way.

Regen NE Copeland Ltd Director's are:

Chairman:

Richard W Mulholland (Community Representative)

Vice Chair:
Bob Metcalfe (Phoenix Enterprise Centre)

Dave Banks (Phoenix Enterprise Centre) 
awaiting appointment Jan 2010 (Cleator Moor Town Council)
Vic Chilton (Ennerdale & Kinniside Parish Council)
Tim Knowles (Cumbria County Council/Copeland Borough Council & Copeland Borough Council/Arlecdon & Frizington Parish Council)
Rosalie Parker (Lamplugh Parish Council)
Graham Fairhall (Weddicar Parish Council)
Bill Southward (Copeland Borough Council)

Support Officers:
Sarah Mitchell (Regeneration Manager)
Alan Hurton (Regeneration Assistant) 
Jenny Benson (West Lakes Renaissance)
Chris Pickles (CBC Community Regeneration)
Andrew Sproat (North West Development Agency)
Elaine Simpson (Home Group)
Mike Priestley (Connexions)
Mike Heaslip ( West Cumbria Strategic Partnership)

The Work Programme:

The Regeneration Work Programme looks at five areas of improvement and development:

Maximising Investment and Funding into the Area

£3M has been allocated to the area by Westlakes Renaissance, giving us the opportunity to attract more funding to invest in our town and villages. Part of the Regen team’s job is to work with Westlakes Renaissance to spend this on projects that have been identified by the community as ways that will help improve and develop the area.

We will also be working to secure money from other government; private and charitable sources to form a solid financial basis for the regeneration projects to get underway.

Regen NE Copeland is supported by European Regional Development Fund, Westlakes Renaissance, Cumbria County Council, Copeland Borough Council, Home Group and the five local Parish Councils. We are hosted by Phoenix Enterprise Centre.

Supporting New Investment in the Area and Alternative Opportunities for Employment

We aim to work with the owners of our industrial estates and providers of office accommodation to market the area as an ideal location to do business. We have the opportunity to identify strategic development sites that will attract new investment and look at alternative sources of employment that will help to reduce our reliance on the local nuclear industry.

Located on the fringes of the national park, with local assets such as Ennerdale valley and Dent fell, we attract visitors that wish to enjoy the natural environment or visit local attractions and hostelries. The Coast to Coast cycleway passes through the heart of the area and provides us with real opportunities to build on the passing tourist trade.

Support Business and Skills Growth

Education, training and business development are all included in this section of the work programme. The Regen team look to help improve basic skills training and educational facilities in the area; to assist people in getting into work and help to set up new businesses and develop existing ones.

We work with other companies and agencies, such as Phoenix Enterprise Centre, WCDA, Gen II, Inbiz and the Remploy Training Centre, all of which have been created to help people train, develop and thrive in business.

We are also working with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to establish a Business Forum for the area that will help support our local commercial and retail sector. Please get in touch if you would like to join the network.

Physical and Environmental Improvements

Developing the image of the towns and parishes and improving our parks and green spaces are just some of the aspects covered. We are working on ideas from large scale plans to upgrade local buildings and derelict sites to supporting village planting schemes and brightening our streets with Christmas lights! These physical improvements will not only be enjoyed by local residents, but will also make Cleator Moor and the surrounding area more appealing to investors and tourists.

Support and Maintain our Community Services

For our community to prosper, we need to stay healthy, live in quality houses, feel safe on our streets, have access to a flexible transport system and know that our children and young people have access to learning and leisure opportunities that will give them the best start in life.

Community groups, voluntary organisations, local sports and youth clubs will receive support and guidance from the team, to help them promote, develop and maintain local services