Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Mr S Stoddard.

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 at the meeting.

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

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

There was no public participation received for this meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 January 2023 (copy enclosed).

Amendment – Minute 60 – Apologies for absence – include Mr M Johnson’s name in apologies for absence.

Amendment – Minute 65 – Allerdale Highways Working Group Minutes – add the following sentence to the end of paragraph 4:-

“Members expressed that there was still a strong desire in the community to pursue a pedestrian crossing at this location, however acknowledged that this would need to be considered by the new Cumberland Council.”

Subject to the amendments above, it was

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2023 be agreed as a true record of the meeting and signed by the Chair.

Further to Minute 65, the Local Member for Seaton raised serious safety concerns on the Siddick Road, Northside junction.  It was reported that there had been a number of accidents, injuries and fatalities at the site and pedestrian footfall had increased due to the opening of a new cinema.  The Local Member had raised this issue at a number of Forums and asked for a safe route to school assessment be undertaken.

Further to Minute 69, the Area Manager assured Members that the issues had been clarified, the Member raising the concerns was being kept up to date and that an audit had been requested and was underway.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

Members received a report and appendices that detailed the Devolved Highways Revenue Budget 2022/23, the Devolved Highways Capital Budget 2022/23 and the Non-Devolved Principal Road Network Capital Budget 2023.

The Local Area Network Manager gave a positive overview of the various budgets to members.  The Chair asked when phase 2 of the works on Solway Street, Silloth would commence.  It was reported that this would be under the remit of the new Cumberland Authority.  A member requested the underspend on the cleansing budget be used at Red Dial, Wigton.  It was reported that Connect was responsible for this and the Local Area Network Manager agreed to raise this with them.

Following a member’s question, the safety inspections process was explained.  The Vice-Chair questioned whether work was undertaken in conjunction with utility companies, giving the example of Dean Avenue, High Harrington that had been resurfaced and then consequently dug up by a utility company.  The Local Area Network Manager advised on conjoined working wherever possible but the companies had the right/duty to maintain their equipment.  It was noted that the utility companies were responsible for defects arising from their repairs for a period of two years.

Members thanked the Local Area Network Manager and the Team for their excellent work in the Allerdale area.  The Local Area Network Manager and Traffic Management Team Leader thanked members for all their support.

RESOLVED,that

(1)  the Highways Devolved Revenue budget, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be noted;

(2)   the Highways Devolved Capital Budget, attached as Appendix 2 to the report, be noted;

(3)  the Highways Non-Devolved Principal Road Network Capital Budget, attached as Appendix 3 to the report, be noted.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that provided an update on the activity undertaken by the Community Development Team since the last meeting of the Committee.

The Area Manager reported on the Aspatria Community Hub.  Members noted that work was due to take place on the new Community Hub at the end of March, with the opening expected in the Autumn.  The existing library building would be renovated and extended to create a new Community Hub with a family focus.  Publicity on this would take place before the end of March.

The Area Manager gave a Borderlands, Wigton update advising members that five Project Initiation Documents (PIDs) had been submitted for consideration for the Borderlands fund.  The PIDs had been reviewed by an external consultant and a recommendation report had been presented to the Town Team for consideration.  It was noted that the Borderlands programme would move across to the new Cumberland Council and the next steps would be for the consultants’ recommendations to be presented for approval to submit to the Borderlands Partnership Board and to facilitate the process for schemes to move to the next stage of developing project level business cases.

Members were informed that a West Cumbria Cost of Living and Better Health Expo event had been held at Workington to better inform professionals and the public around the wide range of support and advice that was currently available in the area in relation to cost of living and health related matters.  Great feedback from this event had been received. 

An update on the A595 Bothel Strategic Improvements was given at the meeting.  It was noted that the DfT was not providing the funding for the second phase of the Improvements.  It was further noted that the current works were due to be completed in May 2023.

Members received library, adult learning and public health updates.  The Public Health Locality Manager outlined events that had and were taking place in the area.  A discussion took place on the best way to encourage eligible people to take up the offer of free school meals.  The Development Officer, Active Cumbria outlined “Activate Kits” which had been trialled at a Workington warm hub and work that had commenced with young people, encouraging physical activity, to improve low level mental health. 

The Vice Chair thanked the Team for all their diligent work and support given to members to help them achieve their priorities and goals to support their communities.  The Vice-Chair also gave specific thanks to partners who, in working alongside the Team, had enabled more service delivery.

To conclude the Area Manager gave updates on the Cost of Living Reserve, the NDA Cost of Living Fund and advised members that Allerdale Citizens Advice had produced their money advice report for the period April 22 - March 23.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that usually presented grant applications in excess of £5,000 for consideration and approval from the 2022-23 budget and also presented any proposals from the Environment Fund, regardless of the amount.  Members were informed that as this was the final meeting of the Local Committee, the majority of funds had been previously agreed/spent, and there were no current applications exceeding £5,000 that required the agreement of the Committee.

In the absence of applications, the report presented, through its appendices, details of all grants awarded throughout 2022-23 (Appendix 1) and details of the budget for 2022-23 (Appendix 2).  It was noted that any further expenditure from the remaining balances would be agreed by the Chair of Local Committee in consultation with the Area Manager.

The Local Member for Maryport South thanked the Committee for grant funding given to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.  It was noted that a similar grant funding criteria would be used in the new Cumberland Authority.  Advice on obtaining a “rolling road closure” for the Wigton Carnival was given to the Local Member for Bothel and Wharrels.  The Area Manager confirmed that funding had been granted for a BMX track to Allerdale Borough Council as further information on this had been obtained.  It was confirmed that benches and commemorative plaques would also be placed in Maryport and Wigton as well as the other towns listed in the report.

RESOLVED,that the report be noted.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that celebrated the achievements of Allerdale Local Committee as this was the final meeting with the County Council ceasing to exist with effect from 31 March 2023.  The report looked back on what the Committee had experienced and achieved in its last 5 years under the current administration.

The report outlined the establishment of Local Committees in 2001with the aim of “optimising the use of Council assets and resources in their area; to influence Council policies and strategies affecting their area; and through the "whole area approach", to work with communities and partner organisations to enable public services to be shaped locally, to achieve the best possible outcomes within available resources.” 

The Elected Members of Allerdale Local Committee had an integral role in supporting their communities and ensuring the best possible outcomes. In recognition of their achievements, Members had offered contributions, listed in the report, demonstrating the variety of work they had undertaken in their respective divisions.  Local Committee’s responses to major incidents and their allocation of funding were listed in the report.  To conclude, in recognition of the work done by Cumbria County Council’s Allerdale Local Committee, commemorative benches would be sited in Aspatria, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Silloth, Wigton and Workington.  A plaque would be included on each bench with an inscription: To recognise the Achievements of the Councillors of Cumbria County Council’s Allerdale Local Committee between 2001 and 2023.

RESOLVED,that the report be noted.

To receive updates from Allerdale’s Local Committee Champions

There were no Champion updates given at the meeting.

There were no updates from members serving on outside bodies.

As this was the last meeting of Allerdale Local Committee, members thanked the Chair and Vice-Chair for the cross party work that had taken place supporting the Committee and the community.

The Chair and Vice-Chair gave speeches in which they also thanked members and officers for their support and hard work and outlined the differences the Committee had made.  The Chair concluded by wishing everyone all the best for the future.