Hello and welcome to our special summer Environment and Climate Newsletter!
Welcome to a special edition of the Environment and Climate Newsletter!
At the July Executive meeting I presented the Climate and Nature Strategy and I’m delighted to say that it was adopted.
We have always said this is a working strategy and that there are topics that we want to further investigate, which we will do alongside delivering the programmes set out.
This Strategy is joined up with the council's work with communities and partnerships. We have taken on board the request to meet with local groups who are active and look forward to collaborating with them.
In this issue, we delve into innovative projects and initiatives led by our partners, highlighting the creative approaches they are taking to address pressing environmental challenges. We also feature the latest research and reports that explore trends in climate science and sustainability.
Our own contributors offer a fresh perspective on topics ranging from renewable energy to biodiversity conservation. Through these stories, we aim to inspire you to take action and contribute to a healthier planet.
Thank you for joining us on this journey towards a more sustainable future.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter as much as we have enjoyed writing it, and remember if you know someone who wants to be placed on this mailing list to receive this Newsletter, please send them a copy with this link
Image description: Councillor Bob Kelly Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Cumberland Policy and Regulatory Services
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Cumberland Council adopted its first Capital Investment Strategy and Asset Strategy in July.
These are two high-level documents which set out our general approach to capital investment and how we make best use of our assets. They are the first steps in this process and will be revised in the coming months as the capital investment programme is developed as part of the budget setting process. It’s also part of the harmonisation process as we bring the different councils’ approaches together to how we, as Cumberland Council, want to operate.
The Capital Investment Strategy sets out the framework by which we will review our capital investment programme going forward. We have a large portfolio of assets and buildings, and we want to make the most effective use of them all so that they work for all of us and help provide our services.
The Asset Strategy sets out how we could achieve this. This is also an opportunity to take account of our environmental commitments tackling climate change, and also be mindful of the impact of the role many of our buildings play in our communities and cultural heritage.
Both reports provide a strong foundation on which we can transform our organisation and achieve the ambitions in our Council Plan.
Please follow the attached link to the council meeting:
Agenda for Council on Tuesday, 9th July, 2024, 1.00 pm | Cumberland Council (moderngov.co.uk)
As you may know, we recently celebrated the successful completion of one of our key Carlisle Regeneration Projects on Devonshire Street! To mark this milestone, we hosted a community street party to thank residents and businesses for their unwavering support. The event was a fantastic celebration, featuring lively performances from local bands and a vibrant atmosphere that truly reflected the spirit of our community.
What you might not know is that we used GreenBlue Urban tree pits in this project. This innovative solution not only supports urban trees in their struggle to establish and thrive in the harshest environments but also promotes sustainability. By combining feedback from landscape architects and urban designers, GreenBlue created pre-configured tree planting packages that integrate soil cells, root management, irrigation, aeration, and anchoring—all using 100% recycled plastics.
Cumberland Council is committed to making our environment more sustainable.
Images show - top - tree pits on Devonshire Street. Bottom - opening celebration of completed project.
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 The LNRS team hosted a series of workshops in June to further develop our Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). These workshops helped identify measures or actions for nature recovery across Cumbria, aligned with our previously developed draft priorities.
Following an internal review by our Steering Group, the updated draft priorities and measures are available to view on the LNRS website, and can be found here: cumbrialnrs.org.uk
Image is of a Cumbrian coastal sunrise
 After a rigorous application process, National Trust together with Natural England, have worked to have the Borrowdale rainforest declared a National Nature Reserve as part of the new King's Series.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/borrowdale-and-derwent-water/borrowdale-nnr
Image is of Borrowdale area
 Take a look at the community groups that attended the Youth Climate Summit at Whitehaven Academy on Friday 5 July.
Have a read of what the above Youth Reporters had to day!
Image show the reporters Phoebe Akinloye, Jorja Fox, Stanley Hines & Bethany Bone
 We are excited to launch new proposals to transform the bus network into a more sustainable and convenient system for the Cumberland community. The first phase of the Bus Service Improvement Plan, developed in collaboration with local members, bus operators, and community stakeholders, will create a more reliable and accessible network in partnership with Stagecoach.
Starting this autumn, we will implement key enhancements to local bus services, including:
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Route 60: Silloth – Maryport will be reintroduced between key towns.
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Route 101: Rockcliffe – Durdar will be restored and improved.
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Route 300: Workington – Carlisle will run every 30 minutes.
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Route 30: Egremont / Frizington – Maryport will now run every 30 minutes on Sundays.
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Route M1: Millom Town Service will be reintroduced, including Haverigg, to strengthen community connections.
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Route 22: Cleator Moor – Cleator – Whitehaven Hospital will provide reliable transport with a focus on accessibility.
We are also working with Lamplugh, Arlecdon, Frizington, and Dean Parish Councils to extend Route 217 (Frizington – Lamplugh – Dean – Cockermouth) until March 2025.
With £2.4 million in funding from the Department for Transport under the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), we will continue to ask for community input on further improvements to meet everyone’s needs.
You Tube video of BSIP announcement: https://youtu.be/WXo34ASoqcE
Images by Stuart Walker Photography:
Images feature left to right: Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director of Stagecoach and Graeme Innes, Senior Manager - Infrastructure Planning and Transport.
 Drop-in into one of our events and get your voice heard about biking in Carlisle.
- Wednesday 11 September 2.30pm - 6pm at the Sands Centre, CA1 1JQ
- Wednesday 25 September 10am - 3pm at Botcherby Community Centre, Victoria Road, CA1 2UE
In return for your honest thoughts, you will receive:
- Free refreshments
- Freebies
- Entered into a draw for Amazon gift cards (if you share your email address)
If you can't make any of the scheduled events you could share your thoughts through our mini-survey www.surveymechanics.com/s/CarlisleBikeStorage
Image of two cyclists in Carlisle
 Join the Solway Coast National Landscape for a beach clean and litter survey of Mawbray Banks. We will provide all the equipment and tools that are needed for the beach clean - we just need you to come along and join in!
Meet on Monday 23 September, at 10am, at the Mawbray Banks south car park (CA15 6QS, What3Words nowadays.tolerable.sprays) and we will all walk down to the beach from there.
Please wear appropriate footwear and dress for the weather - it can be very windy on the beach! Bring any drinks and snacks you may need.
To let the team know you are going, please hit this link - thank you.
Image of the solway coast
Cumberland Council and the Environment Agency are inviting residents affected by the May 2024 floods to upcoming drop-in sessions. These events will provide updates on ongoing flood investigations and offer an opportunity for residents to engage with findings and contribute to final reports.
Please pop along to one of the sessions at:
Stockdalewath, Bridge End, and Gaitsgill:
Venue: Raughton Head CofE Primary School
Date: Wednesday 25 September
Time: 2pm – 7pm
Scotby, Cumwhinton, and Great Corby:
Venue: Wetheral Village Community Hall
Date: Wednesday 2 October 2024
Time: 4pm – 7pm
Residents are encouraged to attend, review draft reports, provide feedback, and discuss measures to reduce future flood risks. For more information, contact Cumberland Council at LFRM@cumberland.gov.uk.
Image is of a sign in flood water
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Work to replace the RAAC auditorium roof at the Sands Centre, Carlisle, will commence in September. This follows a detailed structural assessment by specialist engineers last year, which recommended replacing the RAAC panels due to updated government guidance on their use in buildings.
We have appointed Carlisle-based Cubby Construction Ltd to undertake the project. With the design phase complete, the construction phase will now begin. Funding for the £2.5 million project has been secured from existing council capital budgets, and work is expected to be completed by Spring 2025.
In addition to replacing the RAAC panels, we are also investing in further improvements to the auditorium, including a full replacement of customer seating and upgrades to back-of-house facilities, enhancing the overall experience for visitors.
Image is of The Sands Centre, Carlisle
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 Beginning in Spring 2014, the collaboration between Cumberland Council and Workington Town Council has been a superb example of partnership working and the power of joint initiatives in achieving and sustaining shared environmental goals.
https://www.workingtonnaturepartnership.co.uk/
Image of Raegan the Workington Nature Partnership Officer, and tribe of merry volunteers hard at work collecting and redistributing kidney vetch seed to improve habitat for the Small Blue butterfly with views of Workington in the background
 Second Hand September is a campaign that promotes donating, reusing, re-wearing and restyling your clothes during September – and beyond!
Have you thought about what you already have in your wardrobe? Research shows that a quarter (26%, WRAP 2022) of our clothes haven’t been worn in the past year, but we still buy more. On average there are 118 items of clothing in our wardrobes, you may find items you can’t fit into anymore or items you simply don’t want to keep any longer.
A new campaign by the charity Hubbub is challenging people to count their clothes and rediscover fresh fits in their wardrobe. Why not take the challenge at www.hubbub.org.uk/off-the-hanger Use the Off The Hanger counter to find out how much you own, how much you’ve spent and get a personalised reading of your collection of clothes. Doing the count could save you money, help you fall back in love with your wardrobe and rediscover hidden gems. You could donate the ones that you don’t want to a charity shop or make a bit of money by selling through one of the many pre-loved clothing apps for example Vinted.
Buying second hand is becoming increasingly popular and keeps clothes in use for longer. During Second Hand September thousands of people shop only second hand for 30 days (or more!) to help people and the planet. Why not give it a try? You could find something unique, and bag yourself a bargain!
Charity shops are replenished by donations all the time so it’s worthwhile popping in on a regular basis. You may not find something every time you go in but that’s what makes it feel like you’ve struck gold when you do find something.
Image of two people sorting through their wardrobe
West Cumbria Rivers Trust’s application for Bathing Water status was approved for Derwent Water on 13 May and now the Environment Agency will monitor the water quality at Crow Park during the bathing water season (15 May until the end of September).
To learn more, read Jodie Mills article here.
Image of Jodie Mills, West Cumbria Rivers Trust
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Join Cumbria Wildlife Trust for planting of wildflowers as pollinators.
- Irthing Park Field and Play Park, Brampton, CA8 1EB
- Wednesday 18 September
- Anytime from 10.30am to 2.30pm
All equipment and plants provided. Please bring a drink and lunch and wear appropriate clothing that you are happy to get a little muddy!
If you have any questions, please contact Charlotte at pollinators@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
Large image is of a poster about the event, small image is of plug plants.
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The popular inclusive cycling hub at CSA, Hensingham has been relaunched.
The hub was one of the first projects delivered as part of our Coastal Programme, but unfortunately ceased operating during the pandemic.
We are pleased to announce that with the help of The Outdoor Partnership, Cyclewise, Cumbria Sports Academy, Wheels for All and some great volunteers we are now in a position to offer inclusive cycling sessions once again.
The first event was held on Friday 23 August at CSA Stadium using a range of adapted bikes; from trikes and quads, recumbents and side to sides alongside standard two wheelers.
The event offered the opportunity to try cycling in a safe and pleasant setting, on a dedicated circuit and with support, thank you to everyone who attended.
More event dates are already in the pipeline and are to be announced soon.
To keep informed about the progress of the Coastal Programme, please hit the link.
Image of an adapted bike
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 Planting on the Mill Hill Field in Cleator Moor, owned by Cleator Moor Town Council, was completed in June. The area was prepared and seeded by Cumberland Council Parks & Open Spaces team, and two community days were organised with Cleator Moor Town Council to plant a wide range of wildflowers. Despite the rain and wind, spirits weren’t dampened and volunteers helped plant 5,000 wildflowers at Mill Hill, marking the 13,000th wildflower to be planted through the project.
To find out more about Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s pollinator partnership work, please visit https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/planting-pollinators.
Image is of volunteers planting pollinators
Are you passionate about teaching children about caring for the world that they live in? Perhaps you are looking at how you can involve the children in recycling, or finding ways to grow more bee-friendly wildflowers in your outdoor area?
We have received an offer of support through Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) for a small number of schools or settings who would like to explore reducing our carbon footprint further through some (or all) of the following:
- Help to set up a vermiculture, worm friendly composting bin with the children (they will enjoy feeding the worms and watching them grow!)
- Workshop to explore recipes that you use and explore lower carbon alternatives
If you are interested in taking part in the above fully funded offer or want to find out more, please contact katie.clarke@Cumberland.gov.uk or karen.norman@Cumberland.gov.uk to register your interest.
Image of child planting seeds
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3.2 million batteries are thrown away in Cumbria every year, this is the equivalent to the weight of approximately 3650 Cumbrian Herdwick Sheep.
Cumberland Councils’ Waste Reduction team have been out and about at various events around the County talking to people about how to recycle batteries properly. They have had the help of a ‘flock’ of 8000 PomPom sheep! By answering a question on battery recycling correctly, people had the opportunity to win a pom pom sheep and take it away with them – the Baaattery recycling campaign has run in tandem with a project called ‘Release the Flock’ which ran out of Penrith rail station and encouraged people to pick up a pompom sheep and take it on their travels – the idea of dispersing the ‘Flock’ and seeing how far around the world they could get. People have posted pictures onto the Release the Flock Facebook page from all over the world
FLOCK! began in 2011 as a community project by Eden Arts and engaged schools, groups and individuals around the world as part of this public art project. Thousands of people created sheep for an installation, which then went on to tour Cumbria in the summer of 2012. The FLOCK were also exhibited at London Zoo to join with a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest collection of handmade sheep.
What should I do with my used baatteries?
Always recycle batteries properly.
Never put them into your general waste bin or any of your home recycling boxes or bags
Always take your used batteries to a proper battery recycling container – you can find them in shops and supermarkets and at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Baaaaa baaaaa fluffy sheep
How are you today
Can you show me what to do
Rather than throw my baatteries away?
Take them shopping with you
They love a little trip
Leave them in the baattery bank
Or take them to the tip!
Never put them in the bin
It’s a very baaad thing to do
Always recycle them properly
Ewe know it’s the right thing to do.
Image is of a flock of wooly sheep
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 Nutrient Neutrality restrictions are in place in areas where Habitat Sites are in an unfavourable condition due to nutrient pollution. The following Habitat Sites are in an unfavourable condition due to phosphorus:
- River Eden SAC
- River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake SAC
- River Kent SAC
- Esthwaite Water Ramsar
Replacing septic tanks and package treatment plants with more modern systems can reduce the amount of phosphorus entering watercourses.
Earlier this month we launched our Enhance your Tank scheme. This allows people with a septic tank or Package treatment plant to submit an expression of interest in replacing their systems through a site matching service (which would link them with a developer needing mitigation solutions) or, if funding becomes available, a replacement grant scheme.
Further information can be found here: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/planning-for-nature-recovery/nutrient-neutrality/call-for-sites.
Image is of Esthwaite Water Ramsar
Cumberland Council is thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with The Rebuild Site CIC and its Carlisle Southern Link Road project.
The Rebuild Site aim to transform the construction industry by supporting local communities and encourage reusing and recycling construction materials.
For more information - please click the link.
Image of the Rebuild logo
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 Have you ever wanted to learn new skills? Rebuild is offering unique community workshops in the following areas. Click this link to book directly!
- An Introduction to Woodturning
- Sustainable Crafts - Make a Display Frame
- Introduction to Patch Plastering
- Sustainable Crafts - Ceramic Tile Painting
- Paper Upcycling - Make a Sketchbook
- Sustainable Crafts - Glass Painting
- Wall Tiling for Beginners
Image is of the rebuild logo with tins of paint around it.
Holtec Britain has announced a shortlist of four sites that have made it through to the final stage of its competition to find a new factory and production site to build a fleet of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which will be used in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. The inclusion of Kingmoor Park in Carlisle was warmly welcomed by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (Cumbria LEP) and Cumberland Council, which jointly developed the Expression of Interest.
For more information please click this link.
 Check your kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer regularly and make a note of what’s in there.
You may already have everything you need to whip up a delicious dinner or tea time treat!
Doing this will help you plan your meals more effectively and use up what you already have.
You'll also be able to build a more accurate shopping list. It’ll save time at the shops, and you’ll only buy what you need.
Image is of people cutting up vegetables in their kitchen.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is working with Northern Gas Networks (NGN) to offer funding to grassroots organisations in their area to provide energy saving advice to vulnerable households so they can achieve affordable warmth and safety. The Affordable Warmth and Safety scheme is being administered by CSE, and the deadline for applications is midday on Monday 30 September.
For more information, use the link below:
NGN affordable warmth and safety scheme - Centre for Sustainable Energy (cse.org.uk)
Image is of the Centre for Sustainable Energy logo.
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£250,000 is available to support rural community-led activities in Cumbria.
Organisations can apply for up to £30,000 over a period of 18 months to deliver activities along the themes of:
Powering up rural communities
Increasing environmental sustainability.
Supporting Rural Communities in Cumbria - The Royal Countryside Fund
The Travel Actively Fund (TAF) is part of the Travel Actively programme. It can be applied for by any organisation that works with, or plans to work with, our targeted audiences within Barrow or Carlisle.
Applications to the Travel Actively Fund have been coming in thick and fast recently. The following organisations have received funding for projects which will support our target audiences to travel actively for everyday journeys.
- Yewdale Nursery
- Carlisle Sight Support
- The Hiking Household
- Re-bike Cumbria CIC
- Cumbria Refugee Action Group (CRAG)
- Age UK Barrow and District
- Bram Longstaffe Children's Centre
Successful grant applications can be found on the website using the links below:
For more information on what the fund can be used for and criteria please click here
Travel Actively Fund Guidance and Application Form
Image is of Travel Actively Logo
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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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