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Also in this week's edition:
Join us on Saturday 18 October for Carlisle’s big day – the official opening of Market Square and Greenmarket - and we’re celebrating in style!
Join us from 10am–4pm Carlisle City Centre and here’s what’s in store:
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The Quirky Eclectica Market – local makers, artists & indie traders
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Live entertainment in Greenmarket
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Craft drinks from The Rolling Pub Company
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Mr Wilson’s Second Liners – a roaming brass band blending New Orleans energy with 90s club anthems!
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A big thank you to Steven and Michelle Milton for their donation of a beautiful post box for Distington Hall’s Chapel of Remembrance, given in loving memory of their daughter, Ivy Mae Milton.
This special post box offers a comforting and meaningful way for visitors to share messages of love, remembrance, and reflection for their loved ones. It will be available throughout the year, providing a quiet space for anyone who wishes to connect with those we’ve lost.
Paper and envelopes will be provided, so please feel free to take a moment to write, reflect, and post your message.
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Bigger and even better - Taste Cumbria is coming back to Carlisle for the second time this Autumn.
Following the success of the first event in 2024, the city will play host to the county’s favourite food and drink festivals on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 November 2025.
This year it will be held across two locations in the heart of the community. The big Producers’ Market, hot food court and bar, will be in the grounds of Carlisle Cathedral, while the newly-transformed Market Square and Greenmarket will be the destination for the festival’s music stage.
The Taste Carlisle event also coincides with the annual Fireshow, which takes place on the Saturday night in Bitts Park. The two events will make the city the place to be for a fantastic family weekend.
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Communities from across the North of England and South of Scotland came together on Monday 13 October at Carlisle’s Civic Centre to celebrate the progress of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal’s Place Programme.
Throughout the conference, updates were given on some of the projects benefiting from the investment.
The Place Programme is a central part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and will support the towns’ economic growth through Place and Town Investment Plans.
Following the completion of all the Place Plans, there are now six Town Investment Plans approved in England, and four projects within these are now underway with funding from the programme.
Key presentations included insights from Programme Board Chair Mark Shucksmith, a panel Q&A led by Borderlands Inclusive Growth Director Rick O’Farrell, and project updates from Egremont Town team and The Roxy in Ulverston.
Egremont, in Cumbria, will see up to £3 million of Borderlands investment transforming a central brownfield site into a community hub, enhancing the Florence Arts Centre, and improving town connectivity to support local businesses.
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New section of Carlisle Southern Link Road set to open between Newby West and Cummersdale
The section of new link road between Newby West Roundabout and Cummersdale Roundabout (part of the new Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR) will open to traffic at 5am on Monday 20 October.
This new section of the link road will replace the existing route between Wigton Road and Dalston Road, previously provided via Peter Lane. As a result, Peter Lane will now formally and permanently close at the Newby West end. Access to Peter Lane from Dalston Road will remain for residents and landowners on Peter Lane.
Please note that ongoing work to provide a new access to Kingrigg Livery Stables will require traffic management and temporary traffic lights on the A595.
Carlisle Southern Link Road - Ivegill Road Drainage Works
Contractors working on the Carlisle Southern Link Road will shortly return to Ivegill Road to complete essential works, with closures carefully planned during half-term, evenings, and weekends to minimise disruption to Stoneraise School and local residents.
Essential Repair Works to Sandy Lane Retaining Wall, Great Corby
We arer undertaking essential repair works to the Sandy Lane South Retaining Wall in Great Corby. These essential works are vital to maintain the integrity of the retaining wall and to ensure the continued safety of road users.
The works are scheduled to commence on Monday 20 October 2025 and are expected to take approximately six weeks to complete.
Carriageway works in Wetheral
We will be carrying out essential carriageway improvements in Wetheral from Monday 20 October 2025.
The works taking place from The Grange towards Wetheral train station are expected to last for five days, subject to weather and site conditions.
To ensure the safety of both the workforce and the public, the works will be carried out under a full road closure during working hours, from 8am to 4pm. Access for residents will be restricted during these times; however, traffic marshals will be on-site to assist residents in reaching their properties wherever possible.
We will be carrying out essential maintenance and improvements in a number of our car parks from next week (w/c Monday 20 October).
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Bootle car park – Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 October – the car park will be fully closed from Sunday evening and not reopen until Wednesday morning while we carry out a full resurfacing of the site.
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Lakeside car park, Keswick – Monday 20 October – the car park will remain open while the work takes place with sections closed off throughout the day meaning a temporary reduced capacity.
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Water Street car park, Wigton – Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October - the car park will remain open while the work takes place with sections closed off, meaning a temporary reduced capacity.
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Allonby – Friday 24 October – the three car parks to the north of the village will be closed to allow improvement works to be carried out on the sites’ junctions with the B5300.
We’re currently carrying out our first survey of residents to help us plan our services.
Thousands of randomly selected households have been sent the survey by post. If you are lucky enough to receive one, please do fill it in. Anyone in the household who is over 18 can do this.
The survey is being conducted by independent researchers M·E·L Research Ltd, accredited by the Market Research Society. All responses are anonymous and securely handled in line with data protection laws.
The survey can be completed online, or by filling in the paper copy and using the pre-paid envelope provided.
A £1 donation to the Chairman of the Council’s charity, the Alzheimer’s Society, will be made by M·E·L for every response received beyond the first 1,000.
Make sure you follow the advice of our Trading Standards team if you are buying fireworks this year.
Only licensed shops are permitted to sell fireworks, and these sellers must follow strict regulations to ensure that all products meet national safety standards. Buying fireworks from unlicensed sources — including markets, car boot sales, social media or door-to-door sellers — can put you, your family, and your community at serious risk.
Adoption Cumbria is the newly refreshed Regional Adoption Agency for Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils. Operating across the whole of Cumbria, and beyond, it is now welcoming people who are interested in adopting a child, or brothers and sisters together.
During National Adoption Week (20–26 October 2025), Adoption Cumbria is calling on people across the county to consider whether they could open their hearts — and their homes — to a child who needs one.
Find out more at an event
To mark the week, Adoption Cumbria is hosting a special online information event on Tuesday 28 October at 6pm, open to anyone who’s curious about adoption. You can book your free place at www.trybooking.com/uk/events/59944/sessions. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure opportunity to meet the team, hear real stories from adopters, and ask the questions that matter to you.
For those who prefer a personal conversation, private one-to-one sessions are also available throughout the week at local venues:
- Monday 20 Oct – Ulverston
- Tuesday 21 Oct – Penrith
- Wednesday 22 Oct – Workington
- Thursday 23 Oct – Carlisle
Stoptober is back! Join thousands of other smokers committing to quit this October.
Even if it’s your first time or you’ve tried before, now is the perfect time to quit smoking. Make it to 28 days smoke-free and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
There’s no need to go it alone. With the free tools, advice and support, quitting is easier than you think. We've got your back as you take on the challenge.
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Following the formal competitive process, Cumberland Council is pleased to announce that Ms Margaret Taylor has been appointed as the new full-time HM Area Coroner for Cumbria. Ms Taylor’s appointment has been approved by both the Chief Coroner and the Lady Chief Justice.
Ms Taylor had a long career as a partner at a leading medical healthcare law firm in Manchester, and she was also appointed as HM Assistant Coroner for Cumbria in 2018. In 2024 Ms Taylor was appointed as part-time HM Area Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, whilst continuing to sit as HM Assistant Coroner in Cumbria on a regular basis. Ms Taylor will take up this full-time HM Area Coroner appointment in Cumbria in January 2026.
HM Area Coroner supports HM Senior Coroner and is their designated deputy and can act in their place when needed. They share the same judicial powers as the Senior Coroner.
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Carlisle Library will close temporarily from Saturday 1 November to Monday 1 December. Although Carlisle Library will be fully closed, a limited reception service will be available at Carlisle Library for:
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Book requests and returns (Please note: browsing, PC access, and bus pass services will be suspended during this time.)
The temporary library service which will be available from Monday 1 December is based on the second and third floors of the existing building. This will be accessible from the top floor of The Lanes car park. Signage and staff support will guide visitors to the new entrance.
The project will transform the existing library into a state-of-the-art learning and community hub opening later in 2026 and featuring:
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A dedicated children’s zone and social space
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Adult learning classrooms and study areas
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Improved facilities for technology and digital services
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Access to The Jackson Collection
Services available during the closure
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Library Links will remain at Morton Manor, Denton Holme, Harraby Community Centre, Carlisle West, Longtown Library, and Brampton Library will offer book borrowing, PC access, and free Wi-Fi.
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A limited reception service will operate at Carlisle Library for hearing aid batteries, book requests, and returns.
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BorrowBox and other digital services will remain available online.
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Adult Learning Services will continue at Carlisle Civic Centre.
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Local history resources (archives, maps, photographs, and more) can be accessed at Carlisle Archive Centre by appointment. Visit Cumberland Archives.
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Another step forward for Cleator Moor Town Deal project
Improvement plans for Cleator Moor have moved forward with the submission of additional plans to create a new community hub.
Revitalised Town, part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal, aims to tackle the issue of underutilised buildings and improve the presentation and perception of Cleator Moor town centre, making the town more attractive to investors and providing skills and employment opportunities for local people.
A new public services and cultural community hub will be created by reconfiguring and linking two existing buildings in the Town Square - the library and the former Credit Union building.
We’re holding public consultation events on the draft Cumberland Local Plan giving residents the opportunity to speak to council officers and ask questions.
- Frizington Library: Monday 20 October, 2.15pm to 4.45pm
- Silloth Library: Wednesday 22 October, 11am to 3pm
Consultation on the Issues and Options for the Cumberland Local Plan will run until Friday 31 October 2025.
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