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Also in this week's edition:
A packed programme of events is planned in the Cumberland area over Easter Bank Holiday weekend and during Spring.
Family friendly events are planned in a variety of locations. These include Carlisle’s Easter International Market (Thursday 28 March - Monday 1 April).
The open-air market will be held outside the Old Town Hall in the pedestrianised shopping area. Organised by Market Place Europe, there will more than 40 traders with a mix of stalls, including food and flowers.
When you’re all shopped out you can relax and unwind in a Continental Street Bar with a variety of continental beers and wine.
Stalls will be open between:
- Thursday 28 March: 9am-6pm
- Friday 29 March: 9am-6pm
- Saturday 30 March: 9am-6pm
- Sunday 31 March: 10am-5pm
- Bank Holiday Monday (1 April): 10am-5pm
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The Easter fairground will be coming to Castle Car Park, Carlisle on Thursday 28 March until Monday 8 April - which means the car park will remain open but will have limited spaces at the top of the car park (on the left as you enter the car park).
There is also a temporary road closure to Devonshire Walk from Monday 1 April to Tuesday 9 April, as Electricity North West will be carrying utility works, for more information please go to https://one.network/?tm=137399489 - this means that when coming from the west of the city, there will be an alternative route in place, but Castle Car Park will be accessible during this time!
There are several other car parks available nearby, including Bitts Park, The Sands, Swifts Bank and our city centre car parks are available.
The award-winning community archaeological dig, Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC), is set to return to Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse to discover more of the remaining mysteries of the site.
The dig at Carlisle Cricket Club will take place between Saturday 11 May and Saturday 15 June.
Once again, there is the opportunity to take in the dig by signing up to be a volunteer. Anyone interested in taking part can register their interest at www.uncoveringromancarlisle.co.uk
Hundreds of volunteers have already contributed to the dig. Limited spaces are available for volunteers. No prior experience in archaeology is needed, just enthusiasm in learning about Carlisle’s past.
This project is delivered by a partnership of Cumberland Council, Carlisle Cricket Club, Tullie, and Wardell Armstrong LLP.
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A new app for library members in Cumbria is now available to download, revolutionising the way patrons experience their local library with a few taps on a smartphone.
Westmorland and Furness Libraries, along with Cumberland Libraries, have been working on an exciting project to launch a free mobile application for library users.
The CWF Libraries’ brand-new library app is available for download and is set to transform the way patrons experience their local library. With the app, users can access their library card digitally, renew and reserve items from anywhere, search an extensive catalogue of e-books, newspapers, magazines and audiobooks that are available to read online for free, and even scan books to check availability at their local library.
Thanks to funding from LibraryOn, as well as the mobile application, immersive virtual tours of libraries have also been created. These virtual tours offer a sneak peek into the layout of the library building before visiting, providing an engaging and informative experience.
LibraryOn is a national grants programme supported by Arts Council England that funds public libraries to improve their online presence and discoverability.
Search for 'CWF Libraries' on your app store to download it today.
Around £250,000 of government funding has been secured for public swimming pools in Carlisle, Wigton and Workington.
Cumberland Council successfully bid for the money as part of the Swimming Pool Support Fund phase two after securing £350,000 last year as part of the phase one application process.
It has recently been announced that £254,227 capital support was granted by government.
Sport England is managing the fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
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Cumberland Council has secured a substantial funding boost of £870,588 for Active Travel initiatives.
Funding of £674,926, granted through the government's Active Travel Fund, aims to enhance cycling, walking, and wheeling routes in the Cumberland area. The Active Travel Fund is part of the government's larger £2 billion commitment outlined in Gear Change, with a focus on promoting active travel for everyday trips and creating better streets for everyone.
The council successfully secured this funding by submitting a bid, in line with the criteria set by Active Travel England (ATE), back in November 2023. The allocated funds will be distributed across various schemes.
Works to renovate Eskdale House Residential Care Home in Longtown are now complete, with £2.3 million invested in refurbishments, focusing on dementia care and sustainability.
The refurbishment of the 21-bed care home incorporates bathroom improvements, new rise and fall baths, additional and enhanced ensuite facilities, more spacious bedrooms, and a full redecoration of the entire property.
Laundry and kitchen facilities have also been redesigned to support excellent infection control. There have been significant changes to staff welfare facilities, including a staff shower room, changing area, and a dedicated break room.
The outside space has undergone extensive development, with the installation of new access ramps, balustrades, raised flower beds, and the relocation of the oil tank to create level access to the garden area.
Works included the instillation of new boilers, increased insulation, and LED lighting. These features will contribute to thermal efficiencies and reduced energy consumption.
The project team are hosting an official opening event on Wednesday 10 April to showcase the fantastic renovation with key stakeholders and dignitaries. Following the event, care home residents will be moved into the home through a phased and managed approach.
Cumberland Council enlisted the services of local contractor, Thomas Armstrong, to carry out some of the works and collaborate with residents and staff in the design plans.
The Lake National Park has confirmed a timetable for a FREE bus running from Good Friday to Easter Monday (29 March - 1 April).
Take the Wasdale Shuttlebus and make your visit to Wasdale easier and better for the climate, the community and the landscape.
See this timetable on this webpage.
Parking in the valley is very limited, but you can catch the shuttlebus to Wasdale Head. Wasdale Head is the starting point for walks to Sca Fell, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and other fells as well as Wastwater. As a pilot for Easter the bus is running to Muncaster Castle and Gardens, providing links to this great historic house as well as an opportunity to leave your car in the car park there and use the bus to reach Wasdale. Due to wet ground the pop up car park in Nether Wasdale will not be available at Easter.
They’ve included more journeys that link up with Ravenglass train station, where there's lots of parking and you can travel along the scenic Cumbria Coast railway line.
Check train times before you travel on National Rail.
If walking in Wasdale (and anywhere else!) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself three questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR?
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We are pleased to announce the successful completion of significant road infrastructure enhancements, made possible by a substantial £14.3 million investment from the Government's Levelling Up Fund.
The completed road projects include:
A5086 Scallow Farm to Rowrah:
- Carriageway resurfacing spanning 1,860 linear metres (12,106m2) with a 100mm depth.
- Renewal of gully grates and all ironwork within the carriageway.
- Replacement of traffic signs, road markings, and road studs.
- Total investment: £445,440
A595 Whicham Valley:
- Carriageway resurfacing covering 3,016 metres with a 100mm overlay/inlay, totalling 14,167m2.
- Renewal of gully grates and all ironwork within the carriageway.
- Replacement of traffic signs, road markings, and road studs.
- Total investment: £609,584
A5086 Crossgates to Kirkland:
- Carriageway resurfacing along 1,844 metres (17,758m2) with hot rolled asphalt (HRA) of 110mm inlay/overlay.
- Renewal of ironwork, road markings, road studs, footway resurfacing, and sign renewals.
- Total investment: £619,856
There is still time to sign up to our free landlord’s training event.
We are providing the training to property landlords in the area, with the support of the National Residential Landlords Association.
The event will take place on Friday 5 April, from 9.30am until 5pm at the Civic Centre, Carlisle.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Book your place now via the NRLA website.
The first stage of improvement works at Distington Hall Crematorium will get underway from Friday 29 March and are expected to take around two weeks to complete.
The works, undertaken by Roland Hill Ltd on Cumberland Council’s behalf, will include:
- Complete refurbishment of the foyer, chapel and cloisters.
- New family room.
- Update of the Wesley music system.
- Refurbishment of the toilets.
To allow the work to be carried out quickly and efficiently there will be a full closure of the building and the site will also be unable to accommodate the strewing of ashes in the crematorium grounds.
All services will remain operational in the site’s cemeteries and the Chapel of Remembrance will also remain open.
The crematorium refurbishment is scheduled to take place between 29 March and 14 April, with the last service at 12 noon on Thursday 28 March and reopening at 12 noon on Monday 15 April.
Carlisle Crematorium, also managed by Cumberland Council, which is fully open and can be used as an alternative during the temporary closure of the Distington site.
Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have taken important steps in approving proposals for the integration of programmes and functions previously delivered by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) into local authorities.
The proposals were agreed at Cumberland Council’s Executive meeting in Carlisle on 19 March and Westmorland and Furness’s Cabinet in Kendal today (26 March) in line with Government guidance and will see the CLEP staff transfer into Cumberland Council with a new Cumbria Economic Growth team being established.
A key aspect of the proposal is that although Cumberland will be the delivery authority with responsibility for the CLEP functions and programmes from 1 April 2024, the programmes and functions will continue to be delivered across the Cumbria geography.
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