Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Lord R Liddle and Mrs M Rae.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises:-

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for       profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)       Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

            (b)       Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority. 

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)       The landlord is the authority; and

(b)       The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial                                        interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)       That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the         area of the authority; and

(b)       Either –

(i)      The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one       hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii)     If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A “disclosable pecuniary interest” is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

RESOLVED that,                 the press and public be not excluded from the meeting during consideration of any items of business.

There were no petitions, statements or questions submitted at time of publication.

A statement was received from the Mr Christopher Lasper which supported his objection to the proposals made as part of the Cockermouth & Surrounding Area Traffic Regulation Order Review.

Mr Lasper was unable to attend the meeting but his statement was read to the Committee by the Traffic Management Team Leader and went as follows:-

“Statement in support of Objection 1 listed on page 77 of the Agenda ( for the 7th November 2022 meeting of the Local Committee for Allerdale.

The correct form of my Objection is that I seek a modification to “prohibit vehicular parking on Beech Lane, Castlegate Drive and Isel Road (and on the roads within that triangle) by anyone visiting Cockermouth School as a student or a member of staff”.

Daily over the last few years, I have been visiting Beech Lane and adjoining lengths of other roads and have photographed the registration plates of parked cars: two morning visits (at least 2 hours apart) and one afternoon visit (around 2.00 pm) on a school day and one morning visit on a non-school day. The observed presence of a car on school days and its observed absence on non-school days establish both the predominance of the School related parking and the triviality of the parking by residents, their tradesmen etc.

During a school year, the number of School related cars is not constant, but increases as the sixth-formers obtain their driving licences, and suddenly falls after the examinations are over.

My first two attachments are tables covering the same 10 days and showing the culmination of last year’s car parking: a total of 43 School related cars, a vast majority of which were present on any one of the 10 days.

My third attachment copies a photograph that I took at 9.37 am on March 28 2022, capturing the whole length of Beech Lane from number 19 (a then typical starting point of the parking): there are 21 cars (all School related) in addition to those in Oaktree Crescent and Castlegate Drive.

This photograph fairly illustrates the School related parking’s imposition of single file vehicular traffic (for a good 150 yards during the seven hour school day), the denial to Beech Lane’s even numbers of all use of their frontages and the restriction (to driveways) of the odd numbers’ use of their frontages. Nor is this one of the commonplaces of highway life, such as residents’ parking along the frontage of their own terrace of houses or parking (by the public generally) along a row of shops or indeed, a temporary scrummage of cars delivering/collecting children at the start/end of a school day.

My fourth attachment is a table showing the car parking early in the present school year: there is one more car than in the comparable table for last year and so, a clear likelihood that this year’s culmination will exceed last year’s 43.

The “monitoring” upon which the “Officers recommendation” rests is, at most, occasional and is incapable of yielding the factual  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 13 September 2022.

RESOLVED that,                 the minutes of the previous meeting of Allerdale Local Committee held on 13 September 2022 be agreed as an accurate and complete record.

To receive a presentation from the social enterprise group Together We.

(to follow)

Members considered a presentation from Director of Together We which focused on the following areas:-

           About us

-       Together We was founded in 2017 by Sam Joughin and Janine Ward

-       Four core services, Talk, Carry, Fitness and Recovery

-       Offer a range of interventions which combine well to provide care from “cradle to grave”

-       Service delivery is co designed with service users and intends to be based on evidence and guided discovery.

-       Target multi-model psychological intervention, education and physical activity to improve a person’s wellbeing and aiming to reduce the impact of mental health and physical health problems on individuals and on their wider community

The Past Two Years

-          Recruited a further 4 skilled directors, most have thematical roles which improve the day to day running of Together We.

-          Subcontracted HR and H&S consultant to support our expanding team.

-          Recruited a Volunteer Manager to help us best support our lived experience volunteers back into volunteering and employment.

-          Strengthened finance management and undertaken several business improvement activities.

-          Aiming to recruit an organizational manager to support day to day running of Together We.

Our Services

-       Together We Talk

-       Recovery College

-       Together Fitness

-       Together We Carry

Our Aims

-       We aim to increase a person's understanding of their health and factors and determinants that may contribute to improving their overall health and Wellbeing.

-       We aim to increase access to low level interventions and stop referrals into other services.

-       We aim to provide a whole person approach to health that covers all ages, social economic background, and ability.

-       We aim to provide support that is individually tailored for the person and group sessions which provides psychoeducation to educate and put the person at the centre of their care.

-       We also aim to provide training and opportunities for staff to undertake a very different and niche role working with mental and physical wellbeing together.

To receive a presentation from the Environment and Sustainability team.

(to follow)

Members received a presentation from the Project Development Officer on the topic of Cumbria Coastal Community Forest which highlighted the following key areas:-

•       Cumbria Coastal Community Forest (CCCF) is the newest of England’s Community Forests – now 13 in total, soon to be 15

•       Prioritising woodland creation in areas of:

–     low tree cover

–     high levels of socio-economic deprivation

–     significant concentrations of people

•       CCCF will be a bespoke programme to make sure we deliver benefits for our communities

•       England’s Community Forests & the Community Forest Trust are there to support

•       Core forest area focuses around urban locations in West Cumbria

•       Extends up to 5km (3 miles) from areas with a high index of multiple deprivation

•       We can also operate within a ‘halo’ of up to 10 miles from our core area boundary

•       Aiming to plant 150 ha over the next 3 years 

•       Long term ambition to plant up to 5000 ha over the next 25 years

•       A ‘Forest Plan’ is under development

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure.

Members considered a report which provided an overview of policy and market conditions driving current high levels of telecoms deployment activity in the county. The Program Management Office (PMO) Specialist reminded members that the UK Government had committed to expanding access to gigabit capable broadband to at least 85% of properties in the UK by 2025 with the aim of reaching all properties in the UK by 2033.

It was explained that Cumbria was the regional pilot for the delivery of the public funded deployment into areas where no commercial gigabit deployment is planned by 2025 or where no supplier has expressed an interest in developing a voucher funded project. The Project Gigabit procurement was being run by Building Digital UK (BDUK), on behalf of UK Government and a contract was expected to be formally awarded before the end of November 2022. In Cumbria it was anticipated that circa 190,000 properties to be targeted via commercial deployment activity and up to 60,000 properties would be targeted through the public funded contract. To date 20,000 properties were already gigabit capable.

Since 2018, a large number of new companies had entered the broadband market developing their own full fibre broadband networks in competition with incumbents and each other. Members heard that there were nine such deployments currently in Cumbria.

The County Council team were actively engaging with broadband suppliers in an effort to understand their plans, encourage investment into Cumbria and create forums to resolve issues as they arise.

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure.

RESOLVED that,                 members noted the contents of the report.

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure.

Members considered a report which provided details of the outcome of the meeting of the Highways Working Group (HWG) held on6 October 2022 and presents HWG recommendations to the Local Committee for approval.

The Local Area Network manager introduced the report by explaining that the recommendations relating to the Devolved Capital Budget for Allerdale 2022/23 be disregarded as it had been clarified that the responsibility for setting both the financial strategy and the budgets for 2023/24 rests solely with the two shadow authorities, Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland. However, officers would continue working with the Shadow Authorities in the development of their budgets, constitution and scheme of delegation and members could be assured that the list of schemes would be shared with the Shadow Authorities for their consideration.

The Traffic Management Team Leader provided an overview of the recommendations made by HWG in relation to the Cockermouth and Surrounding Area Traffic Regulation Order Review. The statutory consultation and advertisement took place between 25 August and 15 September 2022 which included the following 4 proposals:-

·         U2212 Park Bridge, Loweswater

To introduce an 18 tonnes maximum gross vehicle weight restriction along a section of the U2212 at Park Bridge, Loweswater. The proposed restriction followed structural assessment of Park Bridge, Loweswater and had been recommended in the interests of safety.

A total of 4 responses were received to this proposal.

·         U2212 Church Bridge, Loweswater

To introduce a 33 tonnes maximum gross vehicle weight restriction along a section of the U2212 at Church Bridge, Loweswater.  The proposed restriction followed structural assessment of Church Bridge, Loweswater and had been recommended in the interests of safety. 

A total of 1 response was received to this proposal.

·         U2103 Torpenhow

To introduce a Prohibition of Motor Vehicles (except for access) along a section of the U2103 Torpenhow. The proposed restriction and associated exemptions support its use as a safe active travel route whilst allowing access to adjacent land, in conjunction with the new junction improvements.

A total of 2 responses were received to the proposal. 

·         B5289 Buttermere and Crummock Water

To extend No Waiting at any Time restrictions (double yellow lines) at several sections along the B5289 at Buttermere and Crummock Water.

A total of 3 responses were received to this proposal. 

Members heard that an additional 2 objections were received to the proposed Traffic Regulation Order that didn’t directly relate to any of the individual proposals.

The first objection was from a resident who objected to owners of vehicles attending Cockermouth School parking on Beech Lane, Castlegate Drive, Oaktree Crescent and Limetree Crescent, Cockermouth, causing obstruction of the highway. It was requested that the Council considered implementing parking restrictions to prevent those aforementioned from parking in this residential area. 

Following a discussion about the objection, the Traffic Management Team Leader explained that the team had been monitoring the area and undertaking periodic inspections relating to this matter. On-street parking had been noted, but not to the extent that would require changes to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

To consider a report from the Assistant Director - Customer & Community Services.

Members considered a report from the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services which sought to bring members up to date with activity across Allerdale and recent developments.

The Area Manager provided an overview of the report beginning with an update on the Aspatria Community Hub. Members heard that planning permission had been obtained and tenders for the works had been received. A project update had been submitted to the Strategic Investment Group for approval to proceed with the works. If approved, it was anticipated that works would commence towards the end of November and would last until early April 2023.

Following this an update was provided on the Flimby Flood Alleviation Scheme. Members heard that work had now started on site and upon completion of the replacement culvert across the A596 at Brag Beck, was due to finish March 2023.

The notice for Wigton Infant School was published in the Times and Star on Thursday 13 October followed by a four week period ending 10 November 2022, during which anyone could send in a formal representation in response to the legal notice. A final decision on the implementation of the proposals would be taken by Cabinet on 15 December 2022.

Members then heard that it had been announced that the refurbishment of Parkside Care Home in Maryport was nearing completion and would reopen in autumn. The County Council invested almost £1m to refurbish Parkside Care Home in Maryport to help it meet the Dementia Gold Standard.

In relation to the development of ‘warm spots/hubs’, information had now been circulated with detail of what a warm spot / hub should include, how to register on the county wide interactive map and details about funding available to support those wishing to set up a warm welcome space.

A detailed update was then provided on the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge increased compared to the 2021 challenge. This year, it had a STEM focus with the Reading Agency teaming up with the Science Museum Group to bring us Gadgeteers, a challenge that focused on inspiring children to see the science and innovation behind everyday objects and showing that reading and science are for everyone.

This was complemented by a weekly programme of themed activities for the duration of the summer holidays across all Allerdale libraries. 49 sessions were delivered across 8 libraries and were attended by over 600 children and adults. 24 of these were Feed & Read sessions where over 150 recipe bags were handed out providing over 600 meals to families within Allerdale communities.

RESOLVED that,                 members note the contents of the report.

To consider a report from the Assistant Director - Customer & Community Services.

Members considered a report from the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services which presented grant applications in excess of £5,000 for consideration and approval from the 2022-23 budget.

The Area Planning Manager provided an overview of the applications and reminded members that grant applications under £5,000 had also been included in the report where funding had previously been awarded to the applying organisation which would take the full amount applied for over £5,000.

The Community Rail Partnership applied for £1,500 for the cost of 4 large planters as they had been working with a local community group to enhance Maryport Railway Station. The group have undertaken planting around the station. However anti-social behaviour resulted in the  fibreglass planters being damaged. The group would like to replace the planters with stone or an alternative durable material.

The Cumbria Countryside Access Team sought funds so as to be to replace two trees that were felled due to disease on Cherry Lane, Cockermouth. The cost includes replanting of two trees, stump removal and landscaping. At a meeting held on 6th May 2022, members agreed funding of £500 for this project.

Further funding had been required to take into account revised costs. The total cost of the project is £1,580 but due to a previous allocation, an amount of £1,080 was required.

Members heard that Caldbeck Parish Council took over ownership of Hesket Newmarket Pond from the Lake District National Park Authority in July 2021. 

The Parish Council would like to make repairs to the pond to ensure safety. It would also enhance the local environment by promoting a biodiverse area for the benefit of wildlife.

The total cost of the project was £4,346 and the organisation were applying to local committee for £2,346 of Environment Funding.

Lorton Parish Council had applied for funding for interpretation boards highlighting their biodiversity project and the wildlife in Lorton. This would include the history and attractions within the parish boundary.

The total cost of the project is £3,500 and the organisation were applying to local committee for £500 from the Environment Fund.  A further £1,000 had been committed to the project from the Local Member’s general provision allocation.

The Port of Workington would like to improve the land around Merchants’ Quay by creating a circular walking route, they would undertake strimming to clear the pathways making them more accessible. To enhance the area, they would also like to provide a bench and an interpretation board illustrating the route of the walk, history of the port and points of interest.

The total cost of the project is £2,000 and the Port of Workington were applying to local committee for £2,000 from the Environment Fund.

Allerdale Borough Council had recently re-surfaced 2 sections of the cycle path running from Harrington Road to Central Way and would like to replicate the work for the remainder of the path.

The total cost of the project is £11,500 and the Allerdale Borough Council were applying to local committee for an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

To receive updates from Allerdale’s Local Committee Champions

There were no Champions updates on this occasion.

There were no updates from members serving on outside bodies on this occasion.

The next meeting will be held at ***** at 10am.

The next meeting of the Allerdale Local Committee is due to take place on 18 January 2023