The £8.2m transformation of a landmark West Cumbrian building is nearing completion as it is revealed that Barclays will be based at the site.
Whitehaven Bus Station will be the home of the finance giant’s first Eagle Lab in Cumbria.
Sellafield Ltd invested £5.7 million to kickstart the bus station redevelopment with developer BEC.
The Bus Station is scheduled to open on May 25. The building will also feature an all-day, 125-seat food and drink venue called The Peddler.
The Whitehaven Eagle Lab is the 24th in Barclays’ nationwide network.
It will offer co-working, office, and meeting space, plus a ‘makerspace’ for rapid prototyping.
Building residents can also access banking services, business expertise, mentoring, and coaching.
Mike Starkie, Mayor of Copeland, said: “This is an incredibly exciting development. Barclays choosing to invest in Whitehaven is a real acknowledgement of the exciting opportunities and business environment here.
“The Eagle Lab will be a key enabler for our economic strategy for Copeland to become a globally recognised place of innovation and opportunity.”
Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said: “I’m delighted to welcome Barclays back to Whitehaven. It’s wonderful to see such a prestigious, blue chip brand investing in our community.”
Jamie Reed, Sellafield Ltd’s head of corporate affairs, said: “The opening of the Eagle Lab is a new chapter in the economic development of West Cumbria.
“This is the culmination of a vision that began when we unveiled our plans for the bus station in 2018.
“I’m thrilled with the transformation of the building and excited to see our community grasp the opportunities it will bring.
“The project has been designed to support the NDA group’s strategy to deliver sustainable investment to drive long-term economic growth for local communities.”
Eagle Labs philosophy
Jon Hope, director of Barclays Eagle Labs, said: “We’ll bring our Eagle Labs philosophy to Whitehaven, helping to provide start-ups and scale-ups a home and fostering the connections to help them grow, while our Digital Eagles will provide training in digital skills to help upskill the wider community.”
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Barclays, Sellafield Ltd and BEC are showing what can be achieved away from major urban conurbations right across the north of England.
“The Eagle Lab is a real coup for West Cumbria that will help to drive economic growth. The leadership shown by Sellafield Ltd on this agenda as well as in education, regeneration, and economic diversification is an example to businesses right across the country.”
