Agenda item

[Electoral Divisions: All]

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Corporate, Customer and Community Services

This report provides Local Committeewith an update on the work of each area, identified activity againstpriorities, highlights current issues and provides an overview of thebudget position

Members considered a report from the Executive Director – Corporate, Customer and Community Services regarding Area Planning in Eden. The report provided Local Committee with an update on the work of each area, identified activity against priorities, highlighted current issues and provided an overview of the budget position.

The Area Manager presented the report highlighting the impact that COVID was having on the work of the Community Team. He welcomed that the Control Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) would be used to meet the needs of the community and meet the strategic objectives of the Committee. He highlighted a number of events in Eden supported by the COMF. Members’ attention was drawn to the five grant applications before the Committee and were advised of outstanding applications. The Team was working jointly to identify people who would benefit from the COVID Hardship Fund. The Outdoor Space Fund was progressing well. An updated figure was presented for the Unallocated Resource or Variance for the 11-19 Budget. The Area Manager expressed his optimism for a Universal Service in Penrith.

Following a member query, the Network Manager, Eden advised that dropped kerbs may be considered on the B5288 Greystoke Road to Wildriggs and B5320 Ullswater so cyclists could use the route.

A member asked about the grant application from Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council regarding the supply of larger capacity bins to meet the additional demand for current services in the village created by the COVID pandemic. She was surprised that the application had been made as the District Council was the waste authority. She considered that there was an opportunity to change behaviour if recycling was encouraged. She supported the application in principle as she did not want to hold up the initiative and thought that it would benefit the community.

The same member supported the grant application from Inspira and asked officers to encourage Inspira to work with young people from the Pupil Referral Unit as they may be working with the same students. This would be progressed once information from Mrs Bell on the matter was received by the Community Team.

Discussion ensued on the grant application from Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council. A member queried how often the District Council emptied the bins as more frequent emptying could reduce the need for larger bins. The Area Manager suggested that the County Council’s Waste Prevention Team could be engaged to support waste reduction in the area.

A member asked if a recycling element was added to the application, would the grant application remain the same or would more funding be required. He considered that the Parish Council could be asked to support more recycling facilities. He provided background on the reason for the grant application.

Another member thought that that the County Council could be viewed as being hypocritical by providing bins before establishing the reason why there was a need for them. She offered her support for the grant application but highlighted that there was a fundamental behavioural issue of throwing away rubbish/recycling to address as well as there being a rubbish capacity issue to address.

In expressing her support for the Parish Council, one member commented on the popularity of the area but stressed that changing behaviour was a long term process and there needed to be an immediate resolution to the rubbish problem.

The Chair concluded that there was Local Committee support for the grant application but there needed to be an additional emphasis on recycling in the area.

A member suggested that the item be deferred until the Local Committee understood all of the recycling issues in the area whereas another member considered that providing larger bins would address the rubbish problem. In welcoming the points made, a member considered that the provision of a park and ride scheme to the area would resolve the litter problem as visitors would carry less and therefore have less rubbish to dispose of.

A member asked a question about Appleby Horse Fair. Residents of Asby had raised concerns about how the Fair was managed in the parish and had asked for more contact with the Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordination Group. The Chair detailed his work with and his excellent working relationship with the Chair and Clerk of the Parish Council. He extolled the Parish Council’s virtues of working with the Gypsy and Traveller community and commented positively on the Sergeant locally responsible for the Fair.

The same member referred to a local transport project in Kirkby Stephen during the COVID period that had received funding which had been spent but the project had not commenced. He asked for an update on this matter to be circulated to members before the next meeting of the Committee. The Community Development Officer explained that funding to support the work on a local transport audit for Kirkby Stephen would be applied for from the BSOG which wouldn’t require a Local Committee decision. The Area Manager and Chair noted that the Rural Issues Working Group had the remit for this work. The Community Development Officer undertook to follow the issue up outside of the meeting.

Miss Fearon moved that that the recommendations as set out in the report be agreed.

In reference to the Shap Area Planning Group, a member asked if it had met recently. The Community Development Officer confirmed it had. In reference to the Health and Wellbeing update, the same member asked for clarity on joint working with regard to Local Government Reform. The Area Manager undertook to provide a written response to this question in due course. The same member requested that the Local Committee was proactive with health providers in Eden.

The same member asked whether any unspent 11-19 Universal Services budget would be rolled over to the next financial year. The Area Manager advised that this had not yet been confirmed.

Discussion returned to the grant application from Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council. A member suggested that rather than making it a condition to include recycling in the grant award, the grant application be referred to the Waste Prevention Team.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer gave procedural advice on motions and on how to deal with the recommendations set out in the report. She asked if there was a seconder to Miss Fearon’s motion. There was no seconder so the motion fell.

The Chair proposed the recommendations as set out in the report -  3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 be agreed. These were agreed by assent of the Committee.

Discussion took place on the wording of a motion for the Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council grant application as recycling was important to members but was not included in the recommendation as set out in the report.

Mrs Bell moved that recommendation 3.5 of the report be agreed with the addition of the following words ‘and the Local Committee recommends that the Parish Council has more recycling provision and support from Cumbria County Council’s Waste Prevention Team’

This was seconded by Mr Hughes.

The motion was then discussed by the Local Committee.

A question was asked about how this would be monitored with members being reassured that the grant award would require a monitoring element within it. Members asked how often the bins would be emptied and questioned whether encouraging recycling would mean that the grant award would need to be increased. It was noted by the Area Manager that it was being assumed that the area needed increased recycling provision but it may not do.

Following consideration of the motion on the floor, a refinement was made to the words, with the agreement of the Local Committee, as follows: ‘Members agree a funding award of £7,832.96 to Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council to increase the capacity of their waste bins as described at 4.17 of the report and the Local Committee strongly recommends that the Parish Council considers waste prevention in the area with the support offered from Cumbria County Council’s Waste Prevention Team’.

The Chair put the motion to the Local Committee. This was agreed by majority vote with Miss Fearon and Mr Whipp abstaining from the vote.

RESOLVED that,

1             Members note the budget allocations for 2021-22 and the commitments and expenditure recorded to date.

2             Members note the provisional unallocated resources in the 2021-22 Communities Revenue Budget of £77,279 at 30 September 2021.

3             Members agree a funding award of £12,300 to Carlisle and Eden Mind to enable an online wellbeing and support platform for parents and carers as described at 4.15 of the report.

4             Members agree a funding award of £7,500 to Stainmore Railway Company to contribute towards the renovation of a rail coach as described at 4.16 of the report.

5             Members agree a funding award of £7,832.96 to Barton and Pooley Bridge Parish Council to increase the capacity of their waste bins as described at 4.17 of the report and the Local Committee strongly recommends that the Parish Council considers waste prevention in the area with the support offered from Cumbria County Council’s Waste Prevention Team.

6             Members agree a funding award of £7,504 to Every Life Matters to support the Suicide Safer Eden training programme as described at 4.18 of the report.

7             Members agree a funding award of £7,400 to Inspira to enable bespoke training around life and employment skills during the pandemic as described at 4.19 of the report.

8             Members note the area planning update contained in 4.5 to 4.41 of the report