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Also in this week's edition:
Refuse and recycling collections are set to change in the Cumberland area, providing a fairer and more efficient service.
Following a public consultation and comprehensive review of the current arrangements, Cumberland Council will soon introduce the following:
Garden waste collections - From week commencing Monday 31 March 2025 all householders with garden waste bins will continue to have one bin collected every fortnight (March - November).
There will be a yearly charge of £40 per additional bin that residents request to be collected. This is consistent with the approach in the former Copeland area.
Residents will be able to make a payment for extra bins from week commencing 10 March.
Collections are fortnightly between March and November each year.
Waste collections: former Allerdale area - Collections will be the same as the Carlisle and Copeland areas. Waste collections will be fortnightly from May 2025.Cardboard/paper collections will increase from monthly to fortnightly from September 2025.
Householders will be given the opportunity to request a free replacement 180 litre bin (most residents have a 120-litre bin). Requests can be made from April.
Recycling: Carlisle area - Carlisle households currently have a mix of boxes and bags for their recycling collections. From May 2026 they will be provided with wheeled bins to make it consistent with other areas within Cumberland. Paper and cardboard will be collected in one bin while glass, tins, cans and plastics in another. The frequency of these refuse and recycling collections will not change.
Copeland area
Your waste and recycling collections will remain the same.
From April 2025 if you are using refuse sacks you will be able to pick up a seagull proof sack from Market Hall, Whitehaven to keep your waste secure.
The changes will:
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Support fairness: the plan is to provide all residents with the same level of waste collection service.
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Increase recycling: These changes will help increase recycling rates, reducing the impact of waste on our environment in Cumberland.
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Ensure a more efficient service: The council collects 99% of bins on time. These changes will help them improve efficiency and maintain a high level of reliability across Cumberland.
Councillors agreed our budget for 2025/26 which will deliver millions of pounds of investment into the area and improve key services for the public.
Members agreed a gross revenue budget of over £800m of which the net budget of £333m is paid for through council tax, business rates and government grants. This all pays for the day-to-day delivery of services on which the people of Cumberland rely.
Also central to the plans is £298m of capital investment. This includes money to deliver improvements to schools, roads, children’s services, care homes and town regeneration projects for communities across Cumberland.
Like councils across the country, we face budget pressures from rising costs, inflation, and increased demand for social care services. Inflation alone adds a further £15m to the council’s spending. Our budget sets out how we are placing our finances on a more sustainable footing through a comprehensive transformation plan, while continuing to provide high-quality services for residents.
To help balance the budget and protect vital services, councillors agreed a 4.99% increase in our share of council tax. This is made up of a 2.99% rise in core council tax and a 2% increase in the Adult Social Care precept.
This represents an additional £1.74 a week for a Band D property. The vast majority of properties are in bands A to C, with the bill for a Band A property increasing by £1.16 a week.
In 2024/25 council tax bills in Cumberland were below the national average for similar unitary authorities, and more than £300 less than the highest bill.
For those residents on low incomes who might need help with paying their council tax bill, the budget continues to include funding for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. This scheme is worth £22m a year and more information on the scheme, and how to apply, is on our website.
For the first year, the budget includes an additional 100% premium on council tax for second homes which was agreed last year.
Over 97% of parents and carers have been offered their first-choice secondary school in the Cumberland Council area for children starting secondary school this September.
Nearly all pupils were offered a school of their choice with 100% of families securing an offer at their first, second or third preference school, where these were provided. Those who only stated one preference, who could not be accommodated in their first choice, have been offered an alternative school.
We remind parents to make full use of all the preferences, only naming one school does not make it more likely you will be allocated this one and can make it more challenging to offer a suitable alternative.
As part of this year’s Day of Reflection on Sunday 9 March, we lit up some of our buildings in yellow as a symbol of remembrance and solidarity.
The Day of Reflection is a special moment to remember everyone who died during the COVID-19 pandemic, to lend our support to all those who are grieving, and to take time and space to recognise and reflect on the loss we've collectively experienced since the pandemic began.
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On Monday, 10 March, we will mark Commonwealth Day 2025 by raising the Commonwealth flag outside Cumbria House, Carlisle.
This year’s theme, ‘Together We Thrive’, highlights the importance of unity and strong communities across the 56 Commonwealth nations. It’s also a special milestone as we celebrate 60 years of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the executive arm of the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Day will be celebrated worldwide with civic gatherings, school events, cultural activities, and more throughout March.
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Cumberland is among 53 places set to benefit from a share of Sport England’s £250million investment into the heart of communities across England, designed so that those in greatest need are able to be physically active.
Three places in Cumberland have been selected to be part of this work. They are Flimby, Ellenborough and Broughton Moor (Maryport), Workington West (Workington), Mirehouse, Kells and Woodhouse (Whitehaven).
Active Cumbria are co-ordinating the work known as ‘Let’s Move! bringing together key stakeholders from the public, voluntary, and private sectors each with a keen interest to support our communities to be more active.
March is prostate cancer awareness month.
In the UK, about 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. It is the most common cancer among men in the UK. For Black men the rate is 1 in 4.
If you are a trans woman or are non-binary assigned male at birth, you also need to be aware of prostate cancer and its symptoms.
Prostate cancer is a common cancer which starts in the cells of the prostate.
The prostate is a small gland that is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum (back passage).
You may not experience any symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer. It is only when the cancer is large enough to press on the tube that carries the urine from the bladder (urethra) that symptoms can occur.
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Needing to pee more often than usual, especially at night
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Difficulty peeing – for example, a weak flow or having to strain to start peeing
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Feeling like you have not completely emptied your bladder
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Straining or taking a long time while peeing
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Needing to rush to the toilet
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Blood in urine or blood in semen
Sometimes the symptoms of benign (non-cancerous) prostate conditions and prostate cancer are similar. If you have prostate cancer symptoms, it is important to have them checked by your doctor.
Your GP can do tests to find out if you need a referral to a specialist doctor.
More information regarding prostate cancer, the symptoms of prostate cancer, and information surrounding risk factors can be accessed via the Prostate Cancer UK website: Prostate Cancer UK | Prostate Cancer UK
Check your risk in 30 seconds
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. And if you’re over 50, or you’re Black, or you have a family history of the disease, then your risk is even higher.
But the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. And the first step is to check your risk
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Our Lakes to Sea Community Panel is inviting people to join them for an informal chat ahead of its meeting on Thursday, March 13, at the Globe Hall, The Square, Ireby.
People can come along at 5.30pm to talk to your local councillors over a cuppa. This precedes the formal quarterly Community Panel meeting at 6pm. People are welcome to stay for the formal meeting, as observers.
The Lakes to Sea Community Panel covers the wards of Bothel and Wharrels, Cockermouth North, Cockermouth South, Dearham and Broughton, Keswick, Maryport North and Maryport South.
Join us next month to tell us - and get updates on other local issues.
When: Tuesday 15 April, 1pm until 3pm
Where: Silloth Library, Liddell Street.
Help shape future events and activities:
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Give us your ideas for the Discovery Centre
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Hear about the Solway Coast National Landscape, and council services like adult learning, libraries, and social prescribing
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Meet your local councillors
Free snacks, no need to book, everyone welcome
This event is hosted by your Fells and Solway Community Panel.
Cumberland Council has given their go ahead for a consultation on a new draft development plan that will result in 10,000 new homes, new schools and employment sites being built in Carlisle.
St Cuthbert’s Garden Village is one of the largest projects of its kind nationally and the largest in the north of England. The scale and location will provide a genuine opportunity to make a difference - in a well-planned and coherent way.
Following the Council’s approval this week (Tuesday, 4 March), the draft Local Plan for the St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, located in the south of Carlisle, will go out for final public consultation later this month.
The plan spans the next 30 to 40 years and the development area also includes commercial, retail and employment space as well as five new primary schools and a secondary school. The public consultation will be held between Monday 17 March and Tuesday 6 May 2025.
It will consult on the draft policies and map and is the last chance for comments before the plan goes before an independent inspector. Public consultation events will be held on:
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Tuesday 18 March: 10am - 8pm, Cummersdale Village Hall.
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Wednesday 19 March: 10am - 8pm, Carlisle Racecourse.
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Thursday 20 March: 10am - 8pm, Creighton Rugby Club.
Everyone Here are currently looking for new jury members for Jury for Joy - a citizens' jury about art and creativity in West Cumbria.
Twice a year, the jury decides how funding is spent on creative projects in the area. It’s made up of everyday people from all walks of life, randomly selected by lottery to represent our community.
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Anyone aged 18+ who lives in West Cumbria can register
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You don't need any prior knowledge to take part
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They provide a safe space for discussions with new people
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Access and childcare support will be provided
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If you're selected as a jury member and take part you'll receive £200 in shopping vouchers as a thank you gift.
Everyone is welcome to register, and the next lottery is taking place in April 2025. Anyone registered by Monday 7 April will automatically go into the lottery and could be selected to join the jury for the Spring 2025 Jury for Joy taking place on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June.
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Nuclear Waste Services are hosting another event on Areas of Focus in Haverigg on Tuesday 11 March.
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