The first meeting of the newly formed West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group was held on July 7th 2005 at Maryport Civic Hall, a deliberate move outside of the borough of Copeland to attract as many views and opinions as possible. The event took the format of a ‘drop in’ and operated between the hours of 1800hrs – 2000hrs.

The objective of the evening was to promote understanding of the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group and some of the representatives who are members of it. Exhibition stands were commissioned to promote and explain the following organisations:

Calder Hall, NDA, UKAEA, Environment Agency
Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
LLW site at Drigg, Westlakes Renaissance
West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group

There was an area for discussion set up for members of the community to have a say on the issues that concerned them the most and on the ‘future of Sellafield’

Advertisements for the event were placed in the Whitehaven News, Times and Star and the free evening gazette, and promotion was obtained via CFM radio and Radio Cumbria. Correspondence was sent to Allerdale Borough Council and Cumbria County Council for onward communication to all councillors and contact was made with representatives at Maryport Rotary Club, Dearham Parish Council, the Lions Club and Maryport Residents Association. Posters were displayed at several locations in Maryport and flyers were distributed to various organisations, libraries and posted onto the SLLC website.