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Also in this weeks edition:
The Flying High awards are all about recognising young people who go above and beyond, whether through caring for others, speaking up for change, achieving personal goals or supporting their community. The awards are open to children and young people aged 8 to 25 from across Cumberland.
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Someone who champions mental health and wellbeing by supporting friends or raising awareness.
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A young person who has used their voice to influence positive change in their school, youth group or local community.
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Someone who has made a lasting impact through volunteering, fundraising or helping others.
The awards celebrate effort, determination, kindness and progress. Achievements do not need to be headline-grabbing to deserve recognition. Sometimes it's the quiet acts of support, encouragement and perseverance that make the biggest difference.
Nominations are open until 31 July 2026. If you know a young person whose story deserves to be celebrated, now is the perfect time to nominate them.
Find out more and submit a nomination through the Flying High awards webpage, https://cumberlandfamilyhubs.org.uk/flying-high-awards.
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All schoolchildren aged up to 16 years old from the Cumberland area will be able to go for a swim in a choice of five indoor pools for only 10p over the school summer holidays.
The discounted scheme will be available from next Monday (20 July) until Monday 31 August (on specified days) and has been put in place by Cumberland Council, with the support of Everyone Active, GLL and Wigton Baths Trust.
The council scheme will offer discounted swimming opportunities.
It will be available at the following leisure sites at allocated times during the school summer holidays:
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Cockermouth Leisure Centre: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1pm - 2pm each day.
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Copeland Pool and Fitness Centre (Whitehaven): Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1pm - 2pm each day.
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The Sands Centre (Carlisle) - Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10am - 11am each day.
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Wigton Baths: Monday: 11am - 12pm. Wednesday: 11.30am - 12.30pm and Friday: 11am - 12pm.
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Workington Leisure Centre: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10am - 11am each day.
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TV chef Rosemary Shrager, star of Cooking With the Stars and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, will be appearing on the Demo Stage at this year’s Taste Cumbria festival in Maryport.
The event, which will be the biggest Maryport food festival yet, takes place on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August, with Rosemary appearing at 11am on the Saturday.
Taste Cumbria’s Maryport festival will be held over two locations - the Marine Road Showfield and the Harbourside Event Space, which is part of the £12 million regeneration of the town. The Demo Stage is on the Harbourside Event Space, which will also host The Teenage Market and live music on the Palace Stage.
Over on the Marine Road Showfield there will be the Producers’ Market, hot food court, the festival bar run by Maryport Round Table, the main music stage and loads of children’s entertainment.
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Carlisle Library will reopen on Tuesday 4 August, welcoming residents back to a transformed space designed for learning, creativity and community connection.
More than just a refurbished building, the new Carlisle Library has been reimagined as a place where residents of all ages can learn, discover, connect and thrive. The modern, welcoming environment will bring together library services, digital access, study facilities and adult learning opportunities, creating a vibrant hub for lifelong learning and community engagement.
When the doors reopen, visitors will be able to enjoy a wide range of new and enhanced facilities, including:
- A vibrant children's zone featuring books, digital resources and welcoming spaces for young readers.
- Comfortable social areas where people can relax, meet and connect.
- Adult learning classrooms supporting digital literacy courses, skills development and practical workshops.
- Dedicated study spaces with private desks, charging points and digital resources.
- The renowned Jackson Collection, featuring thousands of rare and historic items dating back to the 1600s.
Plans for a multimillion-pound industrial hub, located at the heart of the Leconfield Estate in Cleator Moor, have been approved.
Cumberland Council and the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) put forward the application for the iSH Hub - a new, flexible innovation building designed to support start‑up and early‑stage businesses focused upon advanced manufacturing and products, robotics and AI.
It forms part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal and is also supported by Sellafield Ltd and NDA. This week's Planning Committee on 15 July gave the go-ahead to the development.
Things are moving forward at Cumberland Sports Village
Ground investigation works are continuing on site as another important step is taken towards creating a new sporting hub for Cumberland.
As pre-season continues for Workington Reds, they take on Carlisle United at the Fibrus Stadium tonight (17 July) in their first Workington fixture away from Borough Park ahead of the new season.
We look forward to sharing further updates as work progresses.
A by-election has been called for the Harraby South ward of Cumberland Council, following the resignation of Cllr Lucy Patrick earlier this month.
The Notice of Election was published on Thursday 16 July.
If contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 20 August.
The deadline for nomination papers is 4pm on Friday 24 July. The deadline for applications to be added to electoral register is midnight on Tuesday 4 August.
We are reminding residents about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries after a recent fire at Moss Bay Metals in Workington, believed to have been caused by one.
The incident highlights the serious risk these batteries can pose when damaged, crushed, overheated or disposed of incorrectly. Found in many everyday items including smartphones, vapes, e-bikes, power tools and other rechargeable devices, lithium-ion batteries can ignite quickly and cause fast-spreading fires.
Residents are being urged to follow manufacturers' guidance when charging, storing and disposing of battery-powered devices and to never place loose batteries in household general waste or recycling bins.
Engagement events will continue next week on the draft Carlisle Masterplan.
The opportunity to have a say on Carlisle’s long-term future is underway, with residents and businesses having until 31 July 2026 to get involved.
The Carlisle Masterplan is an ambitious plan that sets out the future of the city over the next 25 years and beyond.
The plan sets out a vision, strategy and a wide range of potential projects that respond to earlier phases of consultation. The projects vary in scale and complexity.
Engagement events will also be held at the Assembly Rooms in the Old Town Hall Carlisle on:
- Monday 20 July, 10am - 1pm.
- Wednesday 22 July, 2pm - 6pm
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The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven is set to welcome visitors of all ages this summer with a varied programme of exhibitions, workshops and interactive sessions designed to inspire curiosity and creativity.
Beginning on 18 July, Carboniferous Monsters invites visitors to step back 100 million years before the dinosaurs to a world of tropical forests and swamps. The exhibition explores a landscape teeming with unusual and formidable prehistoric creatures, offering an engaging experience for anyone fascinated by the ancient past.
From 19 July to 2 August, the museum will take part in the national Festival of Archaeology, starting with a launch event in the Beacon portal. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities, learn how artefacts were made using natural materials, and discover how archaeologists interpret evidence to understand the past. A series of themed workshops will run alongside the festival.
Children can take part in glass fusing workshops on 22 July and 19 August, led by local artist Roxanne Denny, where they can design and create their own decorative pieces in a supportive, hands-on environment.
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An innovative new chapter in local democracy has begun in Petteril.
The area’s Community Panel has successfully launched a young people’s advisory group, to ensure young voices are heard loud and clear in local decision making.
The group of ten enthusiastic members aged between 14 and 17, is now formally established. It will play a key role in advising the Community Panel, bringing fresh perspectives to discussions shaping the future of Petteril.
And in a pioneering move two members - selected by their peers - will be co-opted onto the main Community Panel from September.
£27.5 Million Highways Investment Delivering Improvements Across Cumberland
We are continuing to invest in Cumberland’s roads, pavements and infrastructure through a £27.5 million highways works programme aimed at improving transport links, maintaining assets and keeping communities connected.
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£3.7 million for work on the Resilient Road Network.
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More than £7 million for improvements to the wider road network.
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£1.2 million for footway improvements.
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£1.5 million to address drainage issues.
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£4.2 million for bridges and structures maintenance.
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Funding for road lighting, traffic signals, signs, road markings, trees and local highway improvements.
Highway Board approves road safety and parking improvements across Cumberland
A wide range of road safety, parking and traffic management improvements have been approved across Cumberland following a series of Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) reviews by Cumberland Council's Highways and Transport Strategic Board.
The measures cover communities in Carlisle, North Cumberland and West Cumbria and have been developed following consultation with residents, businesses, local members, Cumbria Police and other stakeholders.
Winter Service Plans confirmed for 2026/27 season
Our Highways and Transport Strategic Board has approved the outcome of its annual winter service review, confirming that no further changes will be made to the council's winter treatment network ahead of the 2026/27 winter season.
The review considered a small number of requests relating to the winter gritting network, including the newly opened Carlisle Southern Link Road and a further assessment of the route between Corby Hill and Castle Carrock.
Following the review, the council has confirmed that the existing winter service policy remains appropriate and no operational amendments are required.
Dow Beck (Caldewgate) Culvert Improvement Works to Start in August
Find out more about planned improvement works to the Dow Beck (Caldewgate) Culvert in Carlisle, with construction due to begin in August.
The culvert, which transfers water, is located beneath a busy dual carriageway and plays an important role in Carlisle's drainage infrastructure. The planned works will strengthen the structure and help ensure it remains safe and reliable for years to come, reducing the need for future weight restrictions.
The main improvement works are scheduled to start on Monday 3 August and are expected to last for around four weeks, with completion anticipated in early September 2026.
Residents, businesses and road users are invited to attend a public drop-in event to find out more about the project, understand the planned traffic management arrangements and speak directly with members of the project team.
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Monday 20 July 2026
- 5pm to 7pm
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Venue: iCan Wellbeing Group CIO Unit 18, The Maltings Bridge Street Carlisle CA2 5SR
Road resurfacing works planned for B5299 at Caldbeck
We are set to carry out carriageway resurfacing works on the B5299 at Hodden Croft, Caldbeck.
The works will begin on Monday 20 July 2026 and is expected to take up to five days to complete, subject to weather and site conditions.
We, alongside colleagues at Westmorland and Furness Council, are highlighting the importance of reliable, high-quality digital connectivity as Cumbria enters the busy summer period.
As the county welcomes residents, businesses and an influx of visitors, strong and dependable digital services are more important than ever. From the Lake District’s remote valleys to busy urban centres, fast, dependable internet and mobile services underpin daily life. Connectivity enables flexible working, supports businesses competing in a global market, and helps visitors navigate and enjoy the county safely.
With nearly 97% of premises now able to access superfast broadband, more than 87% benefiting from gigabit-capable speeds, and more than 99% of properties in Cumbria covered by outdoor 4G from at least one provider, Cumbria continues to lead the way as one of the UK’s strongest counties for rural digital connectivity, making this an ideal time to review your connectivity options.
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