Good news on our Maryport plans, review of the Jubilee weekend, Clean Air Day, awards success and more...

Plans have been approved which will transform one of Maryport’s most historic buildings.  

At a meeting of Allerdale Borough Council’s development panel this week (Tuesday 7 June 2022), councillors voted in favour of changing Christ Church on King Street into a new home for Maryport Maritime Museum.  

The Grade II listed building, which dates to 1872, has sat empty for a number of years. Allerdale Council bought it in 2020 with the intention of restoring it and bringing it back into public use. The project is being paid for by the Government’s Future High Streets fund and will cost in excess of £1 million.  

Christ Church is a prominent landmark on Maryport’s harbourside and has connections to the artist LS Lowry who featured it in his paintings during visits to West Cumbria, as well as in the work of Sheila Fell, his protégé, who was from Aspatria.  

The building was listed by Historic England in 2020 and their report notes: “The church was originally referred to as The New Church, The Free Church and the Mission Church but by 1879 it was referred to as Christ Church.  

“The spire was completed in 1874 and the clock installed by 1879, the latter donated by Mr. T H Ismay, formerly of Maryport. founder of the White Star Line. A secondary source describes the clock being visible across the harbour and reports it acting as a welcoming beacon for sailors.”  

The Development Panel report also referenced the church’s history and location. It said: “It is very original, retaining its single glazed lancet windows and other features synonymous with Gothic style architecture that was revived in ecclesiastical buildings of the 19th century.  

“It is a landmark whose appearance and setting has changed little since it was built. It was, and still is, a beacon that sits at the head of the harbour and highlights the older area of the town clustered around the water’s edge. This is as true for visitors and those returning from the sea as it is from the land.”  

Now planning permission has been granted, repairs will be carried out to the exterior of the building while, inside, preparations will be made to accommodate Maryport Maritime Museum. This will include a timber pod with a mezzanine floor to house the current collections and future exhibitions and displays. The materials used will be traditional wood and glass, in keeping with the building’s interior.  

The new visitor attraction is expected to open to the public by the Spring of 2024 while plans are in place to turn the existing Maritime Museum in Senhouse Street into an art gallery and accommodation for an artist in residence.  

Councillor Mike Johnson, Leader of Allerdale Borough Council and Executive Member for Economic Growth, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Maryport with lots of fantastic projects in the pipeline. We’re aiming to put the town firmly on the tourism map with new and better visitor attractions, and to give a new boost to the high street for those lucky enough to live and work here.  

“The Christ Church project is one of the most prominent initiatives which I can’t wait to see it come to fruition and will bring to life our ambitious plans for Maryport.” 

Please do save the date of 13 July in your diaries for the Wellbeing Day. The Employee Engagement Group are organising a range of activities in the office in Workington and it will be a great opportunity to see as many people as possible again. 

Look out for updates in the coming weeks. 

We are looking to recruit staff to assist with the Annual Canvass 2022. Main tasks will include visiting properties in Allerdale to obtain completed Household Enquiry Forms (HEF). 

You can be flexible as to when you visit properties, however it will be in addition to your usual working hours. Full training will be provided. 

This is a short-term role approx two weeks in October/November 2022 (Dates TBC). More details from Lee Jardine in the elections team. 

And congratulations also go to Martin Hilton and the GiS team who at this year’s GeoPlace Annual Awards for excellence in the management of address information won the Platinum Award. This information is essential for the council’s mapping system which includes in the My Property section of the authority’s website. 

The GeoPlace Annual Awards reward best practice and outstanding instances of data management by local authorities. 

The Platinum Award for Address Data is only given to authorities that have consistently reached and maintained the highest standards in national tests on data excellence, supplying regular updates to GeoPlace, the national hub managing receipt of Address and Street data from every local authority in England and Wales. 

We have a number of vacancies at the moment. These are for a Business Support - Energy Assistant (Fixed Term until December 2022); Senior Specialist - Sustainability (Fixed Term for 12 months); Vacancies within The Internal Audit Team; and for a cleaner based at Workington. 

Find out more: Jobs - Allerdale Borough Council 

The Development Panel met this week and as has already been mentioned, they agreed the plans for Christ Church in Maryport. The application for listed building consent on a property in Blennerhasset was also agreed. 

Today we have the Licensing Panel meeting to amongst other matters, agree the Table of Fares. 

Next week The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is meeting to consider a call-in on the Council Strategy Delivery Plan. 

More details on all these meetings can be found at: Allerdale Borough Council - Monthly meetings calendar - June 2022 

Shadow Authority for Cumberland Council

There are two meetings of the Shadow Authority for Cumberland Council next week. They are the Senior Appointments Committee on 13 June. And the Shadow Executive meets for the first time on Wednesday morning. The agenda includes the Implementation Plan and details on the Section 24 Direction. These meetings are all in Carlisle.  

More details can be found at: Monthly meetings calendar - June 2022 | Shadow Authority for Cumberland Council (moderngov.co.uk) 

We’re supporting Counter Terrorism Policing HQ as it launches its Summer Vigilance campaign. The campaign aims to encourage the public to report anything which ‘doesn’t feel right’ and to ‘trust their instincts’.  

Whilst you’re out and about this summer, stay vigilant. If you see something that doesn’t look right, trust your instincts and ACT. Report in confidence at gov.uk/act. 

Cumbria Constabulary have received over 160 weapons from the public during two surrenders of firearms and knives that were held in May. 

A firearms surrender was running between the 12th and 29th May and a week-long knife surrender from 16th till the 22nd May. 

The firearms surrender was part of a national firearms initiative coordinated by the National Ballistic Intelligence Service (NABIS) who offer forensic, tactical and strategic intelligence to tackle all aspects of firearms related crime. 

We appealed to the public to hand in knives, unlicensed and unwanted firearms to ensure that they do not fall into the hands of criminals. 

During the surrender those handing over weapons would not face prosecution for the illegal possession at the point of surrender. 

Weapons handed in during the surrender period are:   

“If you’re worried about the existence of a firearm or any other weapon or need advice, please report online, or contact an officer on 101 or report anonymously via Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111.” 

Peter McCall, Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Weapon surrender schemes such as these are not new but they are essential in removing weapons off our streets and out of the hands of criminals. 

“I am grateful to the public who have responded positively to this campaign; the surrender of 166 weapons really does show that members of the public understand that there is no need to have any form of weapon lying around the house and certainly not carrying them on our streets. 

“I want to thank everyone that handed over these weapons, you are helping to make Cumbria a safer place to live.” 

A proportion of the firearms and knives will be destroyed but some firearms may be retained by NABIS or museums if they are of significant interest or unusual. Any guns which can be proved to be linked to a crime will be kept as evidence and retained for any future court case proceedings. 

If you have a specific enquiry relating to firearms licensing, please visit: Firearms Licensing Unit - Cumbria Constabulary 

Cumbria County Council’s cabinet has approved a significant increase to school clothing grants in response to the cost-of-living crisis. 

£500,000 worth of additional funding has been allocated to the school clothing grant fund as part of a new £2m cost of living reserve fund. This means that eligible parents will now receive a clothing grant worth £50 for each primary school child, up from £25, and £100 for each secondary school child, up from £35. 

Any parents who are eligible for free school meals because of their financial situation are automatically eligible for the school clothing grants. However, many miss out by not applying - partly because all parents of children in reception, year 1 and year 2 automatically receive free school meals and assume they don’t need to apply. Any parents in receipt of income support, Job Seekers Allowance, Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit should formally apply for free school meals through the county council website.   

School clothing grants receive £500k boost in response to cost-of-living crisis (cumbria.gov.uk)