Details on the energy rebate scheme, two years since the Covid-emergency, get your annual bin calendar, our food waste campaign and more...

The government announced on 3 February that households in England, which are in council tax bands A-D, will receive a £150 rebate to help those affected by rising energy costs. This rebate will be paid by ourselves, and unlike another scheme announced by the government, this will not need to be repaid.

Therefore we’re encouraging residents in Allerdale to sign up to pay their council tax by direct debit. 

By doing this they will receive the government’s £150 rebate payment direct to their bank account in April.   

We'll provide details on how residents who are not paying by direct debit can receive the payment on our website once these are agreed. 

Those paying by direct debit will also rest assured that they will not forget to make a payment. 

Signing up is easy, all they need to do is go online. Residents can also ring the council’s customer service team on 0303 123 1702. 

So please if you speak to or know anyone who does not pay by direct debit, do encourage them to sign up asap. 

If you pay your council tax through the salary deduction, arrangements will also be made to get the payment to you.

Sadly there are also text message scammers out there suggesting there are only a few days left to claim the money. These claims are false, with the aim to get people to click on links. So please do be vigilant.  

If you drive your car on Allerdale Business (even if you are an ad-hoc driver), you must hold car insurance which covers you for business use. Most policies have "domestic and pleasure" which is ok for commuting only, however it won't cover you for business use.   

If you had an accident whilst on business duties, your car insurance could be invalid.  

If you haven't already sent in your new updated car insurance certificate, can you please send to Human.resources@allerdale.gov.uk 

If you haven’t been sent a copy the new time recording sheet can be found on the Intranet.  

Please use this from 21 March 2022. 

One of the side-effects of the conflict in Ukraine, is the possibility that Russia may try to undermine computer systems here in the UK. Therefore, the government is advising all organisations to ensure their IT is suitably secure. Keith and team are leading on this. 

However, we all have a role to play. So please be extra vigilant to any emails which look dodgy and report this to IT – don’t click on any links or share your passwords.

Any requests made in person or to the document management inbox after this date will not be actioned.  When you make a request via the form you can specify size, number required, request lamination etc. and let the team know when your request is required by so they can prioritise work.  You can also indicate if the documents are to be collected or posted and you will also receive an update to let you know when these have been actioned. 

If you have any suggestions for making improvements to the form, please contact Emma Dawes as we are looking at increasing what we can offer within this service.  Feel free to have a look at the form before Monday just so you are familiar with it. 

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of former councillor Allan Caine who died recently aged 94. Allan was elected to Allerdale Council in 1999 as Liberal Democrat and over his 13 years on the Council represented Moorclose, Stainburn, Clifton and Harrington before retiring in 2011. 

Allan served as Mayor of Allerdale in 2008-2009 and was also Chairman of Cumbria County Council. 

From a colleague: to Paul Young 'Can I give you my sincere thanks for your help, guidance and most of all patience in our application. I would have been lost without you.' 

To Paul Shearsby and the team on the enforcement action they have been undertaking: 'Well done, Paul and team! Exactly what is needed to spread the message' 

To Caroline Fearon with regards to Silloth Footbal Club applications: Hi Caroline, Just a quick note to say thank you for dealing with the application so that the funding canbe secured and work can be commenced within the timescale set by the Football Foundation once the conditions have been discharged. 

We have joined the Keep Britain Tidy campaign to cut down on Food waste.  

Did you know that the average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste. 

To find out some hints and tips on not wasting food go to: Love Food Hate Waste | 

Thank you to everyone who attended the briefing on Monday. The reset slides are now available on the LGR intranet site. 

Please do take the time to complete the Pulse Survey.  

The purpose of this survey is to identify important areas such as how you as an employee feel the LGR process is being managed, how effective the communications are and how you are feeling generally.  

Completing the survey  will help us learn what areas are working well and where things can be done better to support all employees through this time of change. 

Tell us how Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is feeling for you Survey (surveymonkey.co.uk) 

We’d really appreciate for you to respond by Friday 25 March 2022.  

Please note that the information you supply will be treated anonymously and the data collected will help to ensure that we are providing you with the right information and support. 

Hard copies of the survey are available in the kitchens in Allerdale House. There is a box for completed forms in the middle floor kitchen. 

We have another new starter in the comms team. Luke Stamper joined us on Monday. He has been recently working at Sefton Council and before that in various media roles in the Liverpool area. Welcome to the team Luke. 

And I must also mention my daughter Emilia who has joined us for a 30 hour work placement as part of her course Carlisle College. She is joining the events team, so a big thank you to Ellie, and Kelly in HR, from me.  

We have the Development Panel meeting on Tuesday morning. On the agenda is an application (previously deferred) for 71 dwellings at Derwent Forest. There is also applications for a house at Hayton, a barn conversion at Kelsick and a Caravan development at Gale Brow.  

Also in the diary is the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

Allerdale Borough Council - Monthly meetings calendar - March 2022 

The Allerdale GDF Community Partnership has launched a campaign to recruit around seven new members to join them, as they work to broaden the conversation about whether Allerdale could be the right place to build a Geological Disposal Facility, or GDF. 

Formed in January 2022, the Partnership sits at the heart of an official Government consent-based siting process which is exploring if Allerdale could be a suitable host for a Geological Disposal Facility, to dispose of the UK’s higher-activity radioactive waste. 

The Partnership are eager to hear from any local individuals with experience and knowledge of the Search Area, to create a Community Partnership that is both representative and diverse. Members will ensure that people in or affected by the Search Area have continued opportunities to engage, be involved and have their questions answered, and will work with the community to develop a vision for the area. 

Grant funding of up to £1 million annually has been made available by central government for the Allerdale GDF Community Partnership, and as well as new members, the group are seeking to recruit Community Investment Funding Panel members to help consider applications and award grants. 

The Community Partnership are also inviting local people to join their general interest and topic-based stakeholder forums and are encouraging expressions of interest through the same application process.  

Applications for any or all of these roles can be made online by visiting the Allerdale GDF Community Partnership website or contacting the Community Partnership on 0300 369 0000 to request an application pack. 

The closing date for applications is Friday 8th April at 12 noon. Visit the Community Partnership website for more.