Hello and welcome to our spring Environment and Climate Newsletter!
 Our Enforcement Officer, Gary Banks has won the Excellence in Enforcement Award at the Keep Britain Tidy local authority Network Awards 2024.
Gary discovered he had won the Excellence in Enforcement Award at the charity’s annual Network Conference and Awards held in York on Thursday 29 February. The Award recognises Gary Banks’, dedication, determination, passion, and drive to improve the beautiful place that is Cumberland. Continuously going above and beyond in tackling waste crime, empowering communities and being a friendly face on the streets.
The Keep Britain Tidy Network Conference and Awards is dedicated to recognising and promoting excellence in local environmental initiatives and brings together more than 150 influential decision-makers from local authorities across England.
We are all exceptionally proud of Gary and the whole team for constantly going above and beyond their day to day duties - well done Gary.
Image shows:
From Left to Right: Gary Banks, Enforcement Officer for Cumberland Council, Dominic, who is a Work Fit Scheme Volunteer at Biffa, Biffa General Manager Mark Hodkinson
Business leaders from across Cumberland took part in the area’s first ever Economic Summit on Thursday 29 February.
More than 300 delegates attended the event at Carlisle’s Civic Centre.
The full-day event, organised by Cumberland Council, included The Rt Hon Ed Miliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero as the keynote speaker.
Rt Hon Ed Miliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero said:
"The clean energy transition is the economic opportunity of the 21st century and would be at the centre of a mission-led Labour government. Cumbria has a proud energy history. From the skills of its workforce to a world-leading nuclear industry, to the potential for renewables across the region, it can lead the way again and Labour's Green Prosperity Plan would harness this potential to make Cumbria a clean energy superpower."
He was joined by additional speakers including Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, Carlisle MP, John Stevenson, Cumberland Council’s Chief Executive, Andrew Seekings, Professor John Fyfe, Emma Porter, MD Story Contracting and The Rebuild Site, and Tom Lloyd-Goodwin, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES).
Images show the guests at the Economic Summit on the top image. The image below shows and the Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer (on the right) with Rt Hon Ed Miliband, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (on the left).
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 Katharine Banks, Waste Reduction Officer and Cllr Bob Kelly, Executive Member - Cumberland Policy and Regulatory Services were delighted to visit the Millom Network Centre.
The Millom Network Centre, in Millom, is a charitable organisation, that is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of the local community. The centre actively engages in various praiseworthy projects, highlighting its dedication to sustainability and community welfare.
We have also seen the launch of the newest compost demonstration site at the Millom Network Centre. This initiative involves partnering with Garden Organic to equip volunteer Master Composters with the skills to offer home composting advice.
Funding from Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) played a crucial role in supporting the compost demonstration site, covering the expenses for additional compost bins and signage, which was greatly appreciated by the council.
A huge thanks to all the team for their dedication to this project.
Image shows: from left to Right: Debbie Adkins, Project Coordinator for Cumbria Master Composters (Cumberland); Katharine Banks, Waste Reduction Officer, Cllr Bob Kelly, Executive Member - Cumberland Policy and Regulatory Services and Tony Dixon, Millom Network Centre
 The purpose of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is to restore and connect habitats so that locally important species can thrive; the LNRS agrees the best places to plant trees, restore peatland, improve grassland condition, mitigate flood, and fire risk, and create green spaces for local people to enjoy. The LNRS will serve as a blueprint for Cumbria aiming to enhance and protect our Natural Environments by mapping out areas of ecological significance and prioritising actions for biodiversity enhancement.
For further information on how to get involved in the strategy development process and to have your say, please visit our website where you will find the link to our survey.
By letting us know what is important to you, you’ll be helping to make more space for nature in Cumbria, and we will share your priorities and ideas with the organisations who look after local green spaces, nature reserves and the countryside.
Image of solway coastline
 As part of the Cumbria Local Nature Partnership initiative, we went to Whitehaven and planted some wild flowers as pollinators on Saturday 16 March,
The event was a key component of the Planting for Pollinators project, funded by Cumberland Council, and Westmorland and Furness Council. Launched in the summer of 2023, this project aims to create or restore approximately six hectares of habitat across 19 different sites by 2024.
The Planting for Pollinators event took place in Whitehaven, behind The Beacon Museum, and was very well attended.
Thank you to everyone who helped.
Image shows an early bee provided by Charlotte Rankin from Cumbria Wildlife Trust
 After the recent changes in local government, it's now a chance to re-think how we handle waste across Cumberland. We're aiming to make things simpler, more consistent, and sustainable for everyone in our community, and is in line with legislation too.
We wanted to thank everyone who helped us with our recent engagement about waste services for either popping along to one of our drop in sessions, or completing the survey.
We have over 2000 surveys returned which we are analysing to make help us make decisions about future collections.
Image of one of our Waste Managers at one of the drop in sessions.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a new planning rule that makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development.
The new rule for developers of major developments began on 12 February 2024; for developers of small sites it starts from 2 April 2024.
From these start dates developers must deliver a BNG of 10%. This means a development will result in more or better quality natural habitat than there was before development.
The guidance on what BNG is and how it affects land managers, developers and local planning authorities can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain
Image show a world being held by hands
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This years’ Food Waste Action Week takes place from 18 – 24 March and the theme is Choose only what you’ll use – fresh fruit and veg
With spring on the horizon, our thoughts often turn to the new green shoots and flowers growing and colourful blossom bursting like popcorn on our trees. Spring also brings a wider range of colourful fresh fruit and veg for us to eat and cook into amazingly tasty meals.
Think ‘loose’ first – to buy only what you’ll eat
Habits are tough to undo and are generally based on our subconsious desire to follow the ‘path of least resistance’, like grabbing a bag of fruit or veg while shopping. It’s easy, so why not?
- Every day in UK homes, we throw away 2.9million potatoes, 1million bananas and 2.1million carrots!
- And 35% of all edible food binned in UK homes is fresh fruit, veg and salad.
However, if we consider the positive impact of doing something different – for us, our pockets and the planet – then it can inspire us to try something new. So why not aim to buy more fresh fruit and veg loose instead? Do something good by:
- being able to stick to your budget by buying only the amount of fresh fruit and veg you know you’ll eat during the week.
- not wasting the farmers time and energy and the planet's resources used to grow and transport your food by buying only what you know you'll use.
- saving money and helping to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging.
Join us and show your support for 'Choosing what you'll use' during our Food Waste Action Week 18 - 24 March 2024. There'll be a live web page on the Love Food Hate Waste website with all the details and a quiz you can take too.
Image of a carrot that you can buy loose
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The next time you come to replace an electrical appliance such as a refrigerator or washing machine, check its efficiency rating label. A rating is the most efficient product of its class, and G is the least efficient
Switch to LED lighting
Replace old-style bulbs (e.g. incandescent, halogen, curly low-energy bulbs).
Don’t wait until they blow, replace them now – they’re using more power and costing you more.
Don't leave electricals on standby
Turn off your electricals when you’re not using them. You’d be surprised how much power they’re still using on standby. It all adds up over the year.
Draughtproofing your home!
Draughtproofing stands out as a cost-effective and highly efficient method to conserve energy and cut down on expenses. Controlled ventilation is crucial for minimising condensation and dampness by allowing fresh air in as necessary. However, uncontrolled draughts pose a problem, as they bring in excessive cold air and squander valuable heat.
To draughtproof your home, focus on sealing undesirable gaps that permit cold air to enter and warm air to escape. Preserving warm air translates to reduced energy consumption for heating, leading to both financial savings and a cosier, warmer home.
Image of a lightbulb and coins to indicate energy saving
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Our enforcement officers have had some successful patrols recently.
Amongst other things, they've carried out some targeted enforcement in the Maryport area, ensuring those owners with dogs were behaving responsibly and not letting their dogs foul without bagging it up.
Our communications team have been sharing details of this on our social media channels which has been really well received - reassuring the public that come rain or shine, day or night, we're always about!
Thank you to the team for their continued commitment, to keep Cumberland spick and span.
Image of our vehicle
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 If you live in or around Cleator Moor you might be interested in joining Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Cleator Moor Town Council for an evening talk exploring the world of pollinators, and see how you can play your part to help.
It's on Monday 25 March 6.30pm – 7.30pm at Cleator Moor Town Council Office.
The evening event is free – please just email Charlotte.Rankin@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk to hold your spot.
Image of poster about Planting for Pollinators event
 On 12 March, resource management company Renewi launched a new battery recycling campaign with the support of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. The campaign will see battery recycling boxes distributed to all primary schools across Cumbria. A staggering 3.2 million batteries are discarded in Cumbrian waste each year, the equivalent to the weight of 3,650 Herdwick sheep.
Renewi who is responsible for processing all the local authority collected waste from both councils, increasingly sees the problematic side of these batteries. When incorrectly disposed in general waste, discarded batteries can cause fires in the waste – either in the collection trucks or more usually at the waste treatment plants. General waste collected from households is processed in one of two Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants in Cumbria – however, like waste operators across the country Renewi is seeing an increasing number of fires in the facilities. These are often caused by lithium ion, or lithium batteries which are increasingly found incorrectly disposed in general waste. Batteries are commonly found in household items including, toys, phones and electronic equipment. All household batteries should be recycled in specialised recycling points at supermarkets and shops which sell batteries – usually near to the checkout and should not be disposed in the general waste or recycling.
The Renewi Baa-ttery campaign is supported by both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council and seeks to raise awareness of the fire risk of batteries disposed in general waste, and promote the proper recycling of batteries. Renewi has partnered with Reconomy brand, Valpak to issue battery boxes to schools in order to raise awareness of the importance of battery recycling - encouraging children to become super-heroes.
The campaign has been designed to be appealing to children, featuring a sheep as a mascot of the campaign. Baa-ttery recycling collection boxes are also available to all businesses and organisations across Cumbria. If you would like a collection box, which will be emptied free-of charge, go to www.recycle-more.co.uk
Image is of a refuse wagon with a campaign promotion regarding the battery campaign
 Cumberland Trading Standards Service are continuing to crackdown on the sale of illegal vapes in Cumberland.
Since 1 January 2024, the team has successfully removed almost 2000 illegal single-use disposable vapes from five businesses across the county.
Their work has successfully prevented illegal and oversized vape products from being marketed and sold to Cumberland residents.
Officers visited the premises to assess whether the disposable vapes offered for sale were compliant with the strict requirements of the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations 2016. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in heavy fines.
Checks were carried out across January and February in the Whitehaven and Carlisle areas with the team finding illegal oversize vapes.
Officers were disappointed to find a number of the premises visited were selling vapes which were five times the legal capacity limit.
Illegal and oversized vaping products are becoming increasingly popular ahead of the upcoming vape ban, which is why the council is working with partner agencies to tackle illegal vape sales.
These visits compliment the work the team has recently conducted on preventing vapes being sold to under 18s.
Image shows someone holding multicoloured vapes
Community Panels are a new way of putting people at the heart of local decision making.
Cumberland Council has eight panels, each made up of ward councillors. The panels meet four times a year to decide what their communities need, and to direct investment towards projects that tackle those priorities.
The work of the Community Panel is shaped by a network of partners, residents, businesses, parish and town councils, and third sector organisations. The panel gets input from the network in a variety of formal and informal ways, including consultations and events. The network helps set priorities, and guide the Community Panel’s Neighbourhood Investment Plan.
The plan sets out where the panel will direct resources and investment. It helps them address local need and support residents with the right investment.
Find out more about community panels – including when they meet and how to get in contact – here: Community Panels | Cumberland Council. You can also sign up to newsletters about each panel.
Image description: logo for Community Panels
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 Thanks to Sandra from Long Meadow Roose, who got in touch and asked us to provide some more information about our Allotments in the Cumberland patch.
Allotment gardens offer numerous advantages to communities and the environment, providing a source of fresh produce and promoting physical activity. Engaging in allotment gardening allows individuals to cultivate their own food while enjoying the outdoors and connecting with nature.
In Carlisle, the demand for allotments is high, resulting in a wait time anywhere from three years upwards, with some areas looking closer to a five-eight year wait time for Council managed allotments. Wait times are typically shorter for self-managed sites, and those interested in any of these sites, please contact us so we can pass on site contact details- allotments@cumberland.gov.uk
Irthing Vale Wanderers Cricket Club in Brampton has transformed its grounds to accommodate 43 allotments, with a few plots still available. If interested, please contact them directly at IrthingValeWanderersCC@gmail.com or call 01228 590 288 or 07749 865 649.
Self-managed allotment sites in Carlisle are situated in various areas, including Adelaide St, Bardsley St, Cant Crescent, Chertsey Bank, Kingstown Main & Kingstown Nobles, Mayfield A, Scalegate Rd, St. Aidan's, St. Nicholas Bridge, and Thorney Flatt.
Residents in the Copeland area can explore the Brisco Mount allotment site in Egremont, managed by the council. Other allotment sites in Copeland are overseen by town/parish councils or associations.
Brisco Mount offers a secure, gated environment with running water and scenic views of Dent, featuring two pigeon lofts alongside the allotment plots.
Individuals interested in obtaining an allotment plot can reach out to Allotments@cumberland.gov.uk. For information on sites other than Brisco Mount, it is recommended to contact the respective managing organisation, usually a town or parish council.
All information about our allotments can be found on our website.
Image of someone planting a seedling
 The Government introduced a ban on certain single use plastics on 1 October:
- Single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls
- Single-use plastic cutlery
- Balloon sticks
- Ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers
The ban will be enforced by Local Authority inspectors with the power to inspect premises, obtain samples of the items in which the food and drink are being provided and impose fines for non-compliance.
Cumberland Council officers are now able to:
- visit a shop or store
- make test purchases
- speak to staff
- ask to see records
If you break the law, inspectors can order your business to cover the cost of the investigation.
Complaints about a business breaking the law can be made to Trading Standards.
More information is available on the Government's website.
Image description: examples of single use plastic
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