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Also in this week's edition:
Cumbria Fostering’s foster carers are sharing their special ‘fostering moments’ in a new short film and on social media, during Foster Care Fortnight (13 to 26 May).
This year the theme of the fortnight is ‘fostering moments’, which celebrates the moments that define fostering journeys, big and small, and our carers have talked about their special moments in a short film which you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
For foster carer Ian, from Egremont, who (along with wife Alex) has fostered for more than two decades, the special moments sometimes come long after the young person has left their care. He explained: “We are still in touch with one young lady who stayed with us and she is now in the process of starting her own family. It was a really nice moment was when she chose to tell us, as one of the first people, that she was pregnant. That was lovely.”
With only weeks to go until this year’s Cumberland Cobbler Solway Coast Cycling Festival, cycling enthusiasts are encouraging visitors to try out the packed programme of free activities.
Following the success of last year’s event, closed circuit town centre racing returns to the pretty seaside town of Silloth on Saturday 8 June, between 10am and 5pm.
This year sees a new route with more of the circuit on tarmac but this is still a tight, technically demanding course with a significant stretch of cobbles and a lot of corners to test your skills.
All cycling events are organised by Carlisle Cycling Association with support from British Cycling. The deadline to sign up is Saturday 24 May. Apply online on the British Cycling website.
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We are also pleased to be supporting this year’s Lakesman event in Keswick on Sunday 16 June.
The event features a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run, as well as a swim/bike and bike/run option, with almost 1000 athletes taking part this year.
There is a Friday night swim event open to everyone (not just competitors) on the Friday night with distances of 500m, 1000m and 1900m.
There is a children’s event on the Saturday open to everyone under 16 in a variety of age groups.
Buckbarrow Bridge on the Corney Fell Road, connecting Duddon Bridge and Corney Village is to be replaced.
In August 2023, the closure of Buckbarrow Bridge became necessary due to significant structural concerns, prompting fears of a potential collapse under vehicle weight.
Following an extensive assessment and options appraisal, it has been concluded that repairing the existing bridge is not feasible. Therefore, the preferred course of action is to replace the bridge. A preferred replacement structure has been selected based on factors such as cost, project duration, and environmental impact. Further hydrology and scour assessments, to understand how the river flows, its speed and potential scour risk, will be conducted to facilitate the replacement process.
The timeline for the replacement bridge project is as follows:
- Mid-April: receipt of topographical survey and hydrological assessment results.
- Mid-May: tender issued for the design and build project.
- End of July: awarding of the contract for the design and replacement bridge project.
- Sept – Nov: detailed design
- June 2025 – installation of new bridge
Cumberland Council's Annual Council was held on Wednesday 15 May in Carlisle’s Civic Centre.
At the meeting, the following appointments were made:
- Chair of the Council: Cllr Andrew Semple
- Deputy Chair of the Council: Cllr Linda Jones-Bulman
The Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Fryer confirmed the names of the Deputy Leader(s) and Members of the Executive for 2024-25:
- Deputy Leader (Statutory) and Adults and Executive Member for Community Health, Cllr Lisa Brown
- Deputy Leader (Non-Statutory) Statutory Lead Member for Children's Services and Executive Member for Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing, Cllr Emma Williamson
- Executive Member for Cumberland Policy and Regulatory Services, Cllr Bob Kelly
- Executive Member for Digital Connectivity and Customer Focus, Cllr Chris Southward
- Executive Member for Financial Planning and Assets, Cllr Barbara Cannon
- Executive Member for Governance and Transformation, Cllr Marcus Campbell-Savours
- Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Development, Cllr Elaine Lynch
- Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, Cllr Denise Rollo
- Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, Cllr Anne Quilter
Councillors also agreed the chairs of each committee for the next 12 months.
Operator sought for new Maryport food venue
A hospitality expert is being sought to run one of Cumbria’s most exciting new venues.
A new eatery is being created on Maryport’s Promenade, which will have amazing views across the Solway. This destination venue is part of Cumberland Council’s £12 million regeneration of the town, which will feature new facilities for residents and visitors alike.
The team at property agents Edwin Thompson in Carlisle has been tasked with finding an operator for the new property, which, subject to planning approval, will be built this Summer.
Interested food and drink providers can contact the Edwin Thompson office for more details on 01228 548385 or by emailing carlisle@edwin-thompson.co.uk
Planning application approved for changes to Maryport’s Carlton
Amendments to a planning application for the transformation of Maryport’s former Carlton Cinema have been approved.
Cumberland Council’s Maryport regeneration team applied for an amendment to the planning application for the Carlton on Senhouse Street to increase audience capacity in the main ground floor auditorium to ensure the space is as flexible as possible for the future. The proposed redesign meant the need to rearrange the ventilation and acoustic measures too.
The building’s recreation as a community arts, music, and theatre venue is part of the £12 million regeneration of Maryport which is being carried out by the Council. Funding for this has been provided by the Government’s Future High Streets initiative.
The benefits of investing in Cumberland will be showcased at a three-day business conference (Tuesday 21 - Thursday 23 May) which is set to attract 12,000 delegates and more than 1,500 potential investors.
UKREiiF, hosted in Leeds, gets underway next Tuesday (21 May) and connects people, places and businesses to accelerate and unlock sustainable, inclusive and transformational investment.
The annual event brings together the public sector - with every core UK city and region involved - alongside government, investors, funders, developers, housebuilders and more.
Cumberland Council is attending the business event for the second time and aims to promote the area, its investment opportunities and development plans.
They will also be hosting a showcase on Wednesday, 22 May between 11am and 12pm, on the SCAPE Public Sector Stage in the Royal Armouries.
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We know that some people may not be getting Pension Credit when they might be eligible for it. Please help us to change that so that those who are entitled to it do claim it. On average people could be missing out on £3,900 a year.
- people of State Pension age may be entitled to Pension Credit even though they may have modest savings, or a retirement income or own their own home
- an award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and for those aged 75 or over, a free TV licence
There are four main questions when considering whether a pensioner may get Pension Credit:
- How old are they?
- If they have a partner who lives with them, how how old is their partner?
- What is their weekly income? Is it less that £218.15 if they are single or £332.95 if they are a couple?
- Do they have any savings? Have they got less than £10,000?
People who have more income or savings than this may still qualify for Pension Credit. But these questions are a good basic indication of who is likely to qualify.
If they are over 65 and reached their State Pension age before 6 April 2016, they could still qualify for Pension Credit if their weekly income is less than:
- £260.68 if they are single
- £380.55 if they are a couple
If you are over State Pension age and meet the eligibility requirements, or know someone who does, but not claiming Pension Credit, then do so today.
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