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Also in this week's edition:
Fifteen years on from where it all began - Taste Cumbria is back in Cockermouth on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September 2025.
This celebration of food, drink, fabulous flavours and family fun will take place in the heart of the town and promises to be the biggest event yet as there are three locations this year. Find the producers’ stalls on Main Street, the Street Party on Market Place and even more attractions at the newly-reopened Jennings Brewery.
There will be two music stages, in Market Place and at Jennings, plus street theatre, a caricaturist, the hot food court, picnic areas and fairground rides. Add in a great line-up of experts cooking up some tasty dishes, Q&A sessions at the Brewery, beers from Jennings and Crooked River with al fresco bars there and in Market Place, and this promises to be a fabulous weekend.
The ever-popular Comedy Night takes place in a new venue too, at Cockermouth Rugby Club, Strawberry How. This year, Matt Reed will compere, and he’s joined by JoJo Sutherland, Stuart Thomas and Nick Doody. Matt is a Taste Cumbria regular, perfect for keeping the audience in check with his quick wit. JoJo is a Scottish comic and writer, renowned for her fearless storytelling, while Stuart is the king of the razor sharp one-liners. Nick, a prolific comedy writer for TV and radio, will close the show with his sharp and topical lines.
For more food-related laughter, head to the Demo Stage on Main Street on Saturday for the chaotic Come In and Get Your Tea comedy show. Places will be bookable for both these events via the Taste Cumbria website in September.
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An opportunity to have a say on how land in the Cumberland area can be developed in the future is now available.
We are inviting comments on the first stage of a new Cumberland Local Plan. The Issues and Options consultation is a chance to tell us about any of planning issues and opportunities in the Cumberland area.
We are also welcoming ideas regarding how planning policy might address them and have prepared two documents.
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The main Issues and Options consultation document has a comprehensive set of detailed questions.
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The Summary Issues and Options document contains the same topics as the Main document but asks more general questions about each.
The responses to the public consultation will help develop the production of the draft Cumberland Local Plan.
Consultation on the Issues and Options for the Cumberland Local Plan will run between Monday 1 September and Friday 31 October 2025.
Our preferred method for receiving responses is via the online questionnaire alternatively you can email any comments to: planningpolicy@cumberland.gov.uk or send them by post to: Chris Hoban, Planning Policy Team, Cumberland Council, Civic Centre, Carlisle, CA3 8QG.
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We are set to launch a six-week consultation on a draft plan that aims to protect Carlisle’s cultural heritage.
The consultation on the Carlisle City Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan will start on Wednesday 10 September and will end on Monday 27 October 2025.
As part of the engagement on the draft plan, we have organised a public consultation event at the Old Town Hall, Carlisle on Wednesday 10 September, between 6pm and 7.30pm (doors open at 5.30pm).
The free event is open to all. Refreshments will be provided and there is no need to book.
The Baton of Hope, the UK’s biggest suicide prevention campaign, will travel through Cumbria this Sunday – raising awareness, sparking life-saving conversations, and showing that there is always help, always hope, and always someone who cares.
- Starts: Sellafield Centre of Excellence, Cleator Moor (7:30am–8am)
- Stops: Along the A66 via Penrith
- Finale: Carlisle Castle Celebration (7pm–10pm) – live music, theatre & a speech from co-founder Mike McCarthy.
The baton will be carried by 50 inspiring individuals, each with their own story, as it moves through our towns and communities – a powerful symbol of unity, remembrance, and action in the fight against suicide.
Everyone is welcome to come along, cheer, and be part of the conversation. Together, we can reduce stigma, support one another, and show that no one is ever alone.
💬 “Suicide affects families, friends, and communities in ways that last a lifetime. The Baton of Hope reminds us that there is always help, always hope, and always someone who cares.” – Cllr Justin McDermott
If you or someone you know is struggling:
- Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7)
- Papyrus HOPELINE247 (under 35s): 0800 068 41 41
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Let’s come together, break the silence, and carry hope through Cumbria.
This autumn, The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven will open a new exhibition telling the powerful and personal stories of local people in World War II.
Running from 20 September 2025 through to 1 February 2026, Service, Solidarity and Sacrifice offers a moving story-led journey into the lives of local people during one of history’s most challenging periods.
Visitors will encounter compelling local stories, including a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, a daring Special Operations Executive agent, a Commando, and a member of the French Resistance. First-hand testimonies will share the experiences of the Danish Fishing Fleet, the Women’s Land Army, and an RAF gunner, while historic objects representing active service personnel will be displayed alongside striking images from the various fronts of the war.
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The UK government is testing the Emergency Alerts system on Sunday 7 September 2025 at 3pm. Compatible mobile phones and tablets will receive an alert, make a loud siren-like sound and vibrate. You will not need to take any action.
The Emergency Alerts system is used to warn if there’s a danger to life nearby, including extreme weather. Regular testing ensures the system is functioning correctly, should it need to be used in a life-threatening emergency.
Work to repair the damage caused by a fire at the public toilets in Milburn Court, Brampton has now started and is expected to take around four weeks to complete. The toilets have been closed since November last year following the fire which caused serious damage.
The reopening date, however, is still to be confirmed as due to difficulties in recruiting cleaning staff there is currently no provision for cleaning the toilets. The council has actively advertised for staff in this area and continues to work with our external cleaning provider to find a solution.
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In partnership with Active Cumbria, we have launched a series of new maps for Hammond’s Pond, Carlisle, designed to encourage walking and promote healthier lifestyles across the community.
The maps highlight a variety of walking routes around the park, showing the distance, estimated step count, and approximate calories burned for each. They provide an easy and engaging way for residents to enjoy the outdoors while supporting their health and wellbeing. Along the way, walkers may notice small changes and improvements throughout Hammond’s Pond — almost like a real-life game of spot the difference, with new improvements to be discovered on each route.
Copies of the maps have been distributed to local community hubs, including The Rock Youth Project, St Margaret Mary Parish Community Centre, St Johns Hall, St Margaret Mary Church, the Café at Hammond’s, Youth Zone, Currock Community Centre, Carlisle Library, Eden Valley Hospice, and Chris Trolley & Co, and they can also be accessed online at www.thehikinghousehold.com.
Health and wellbeing remain at the heart of our priorities. By promoting active travel—walking, cycling, and wheeling, we aim to inspire healthier habits, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and help create greener, more connected communities.
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We are pleased to share that Carlisle Youth Zone (CYZ) has received funding from the CSLR Trust, a community grant fund provided by Galliford Try Infrastructure as part of the Carlisle Southern Link Road project.
The funding will support the renovation of CYZ’s youth activity space, creating a refreshed and welcoming environment where young people can engage in activities, explore opportunities, and develop their skills and interests.
This initiative reflects the CSLR Trust’s values of ambition, compassion, innovation, empowerment, and collaboration—principles which Carlisle Youth Zone continues to demonstrate in their work with young people across the community.
We have taken action following an environmental offence in the Ennerdale area, where a group of visitors from Wigan were found to have wild camped and left behind significant amounts of litter and waste.
Although wild camping is not itself an offence, the associated littering and environmental damage breached the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) designed to safeguard this protected landscape.
Working with partner agencies, the individuals involved were identified and agreed to take part in a council-led clean-up operation to take responsibility for their actions. Supported by council officers, the group removed the waste left at the site, with Cumberland Council providing equipment and arranging for the safe disposal of all rubbish.
As a result, those involved now have a greater understanding of the environmental impact of their behaviour, and Ennerdale has been restored for the benefit of the local community and visitors.
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Wildflowers are now in full bloom at Haigh Pit and the Fan House on Kells, brightening up the former empty raised shrub beds. It’s a late burst of colour for everyone to enjoy, thanks to the Moresby Grounds Maintenance Team.
The areas seeded earlier this year in the town centre are also still looking good, adding more colour around the community.
Cumbrian Councils have been awarded £11.8 million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to make fuel-poor homes more energy efficient.
Funded by the UK Government’s Warm Homes Local Grant, the three-year programme will benefit up to 800 homes across Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness by providing fully funded upgrades to improve energy efficiency and help cut household bills.
Works will be tailored to each household and focused on delivering energy efficiency measures such as loft insulation and solar PV. Other measures may also be installed, including more expensive options such as air source heat pumps, although these will be delivered in smaller numbers due to higher costs.
Eligible households are those with an energy efficiency rating of D to G, and either a total annual household income below £36,000 or a resident receiving a means-tested benefit.
A consultation on changing the date of some parish council elections in Cumberland – so they can be aligned with others in the area - closes in just a few days.
The proposal is to amend the dates of scheduled elections for some parish councils in the former Carlisle City Council district, so they align with Cumberland Council and all other town/parish elections in the area which are to be held in 2027, and four-yearly thereafter.
Seven parish councils would be affected, with one election pushed back by one year (Dalston Parish Council) from 2026 to 2027, and six others brought forward by one year from 2028 to 2027. The affected councils are:
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Carlatton & Cumrew Parish Council
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Castle Carrock Parish Council
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Cumwhitton Parish Council
The consultation closes on Monday, 8 September.
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