News

The Parish Council vacancy has now been filled. Welcome to Cllr Vance Sarson who was co-opted in at the meeting on 20th February 2025.

About the role:

The Westmorland and Furness Council has launched a “Winter Ready” campaign, preparing frontline services for colder months. It provides advice and support on issues like highways and gritting, flooding, staying warm, cost-of-living help, and mental health resources. Residents are encouraged to prepare for winter by accessing these services and following the council’s updates for tips on staying safe and well during the season. The campaign aims to ensure both the council and the community are ready for winter challenges.

More details can be found here.

Update from Chris Myers, W&F Council Programme Manager for the A595 Grizebeck scheme:

The Council’s appointed contractor, Story Contracting Ltd., commenced preliminary site works in early August with archaeological investigations, site compound preparation and biodiversity mitigation works. Land for the construction of the scheme transferred to the Council, through a general vesting declaration, on 13 September.  Works will shorty commence on further archaeology, establishment of the site offices and compound on land adjacent to the Community Hall and diversions of utilities.  Later this year works will commence on the construction of the overbridge.

To manage the safety of the public and site staff the local road at Bank End, known as The Mousetrap, has been closed to traffic with the diversion route being through Grizebeck Village.  This road has a limited width restriction in place and is needed for access to the site compound by the Contractor’s vehicles.

Regular updates will be prepared for issue to the public through newsletters and social media which we will share with parish councils and local members, in addition to these project team updates.

The Local Government Boundary Commission has launched a ten-week public consultation, inviting proposals for new council wards and ward boundaries for Westmorland and Furness Council. This consultation runs until 4 November 2024.

Following the consultation, draft recommendations will be published in March 2025. A further consultation period on these draft recommendations will follow, with final recommendations expected to be published in September 2025. The new electoral arrangements will take effect during the local elections in 2027.

The Commission encourages local organisations and community groups within Westmorland and Furness to share this information with their members and other interested parties. You can do this by email or through social media.

What is an electoral review?

The electoral review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Westmorland and Furness Council. This will include:

• The total number of councillors elected to the council in the future;
• The number of wards;
• The number of councillors representing each ward;
• Ward boundaries; and
• The names of the wards.

How to Get Involved

This is a public consultation, and views are welcome from individuals and organisations throughout Westmorland and Furness. The Commission is currently inclined to maintain the number of councillors at 65 and is inviting proposals to help establish new ward boundaries to accommodate this.

In designing new wards, the Commission will consider three legal criteria:

• Ensuring electoral equality, where each councillor represents a similar number of electors;
• Reflecting the interests and identities of local communities;
• Ensuring effective and convenient local government.

Submissions will be treated equally and judged against the legal criteria. Contributors are encouraged to provide evidence supporting their views. For example, if suggesting two areas be included in the same ward, evidence such as shared community ties, organisations, or amenities should be included.

Further guidance and resources, including interactive maps and technical details, are available on the Commission’s website.

For more information or to participate in the consultation, please visit the dedicated review webpage.

https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/westmorland-and-furness/feedback

A vacancy has arisen on the Parish Council. Please read this document for more information.

https://kirkbyirelethpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Vacancy-notice-25.7.24.pdf

We are writing to you to inform you of several consultations we are undertaking over the summer and how you can take part and help us plan for the future.

Early Conversation on the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan:

We are starting work on a new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness (excluding the National Parks) which will replace all the existing local plans adopted by the former Councils.

We are kicking off the process with an ‘early conversation’ with our communities and stakeholders from 8 July 2024 until the 9 September 2024. Drop in events are happening across the district, where people can chat to Council officers about the new Local Plan.

Information about the early conversation, the drop-in-events and how to respond is available on our website www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/localplan. We are encouraging people to take part in the conversation and other consultations listed below using the online survey forms.  Paper copies are available upon request.

To support the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan we are also undertaking these consultations:

From the 8 July to 9 September 2024:

·       A Design Code for the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan area which will guide and shape how new development is designed.

From the 8 July to 30 September 2024:

·       A ‘Call for Sites’ for land or sites that are available for housing, employment and mixed-use sites to be considered for potential allocation in the Local Plan (excluding sites in the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape). As part of the Call for Sites we are also seeking comments on the draft SHELAA methodology.

·       A ‘Call for Sites’ for land or sites that are available for minerals and for waste development to be considered for potential allocation in the Local Plan.

Further details are available on our website, including how to access the online survey forms.

Sites previously submitted or allocated

Sites previously submitted to the Council must be re-submitted on the new formor they will not be taken forward for consideration in the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan.

Housing and employment site allocations in the Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland Local Plans, which do not yet have planning permission, will be reassessed for allocation in the new Local Plan. To ensure the review of these sites is based on to-up-date information, they should be resubmitted on the new Call for Sites form.

If you have any queries about the above please email us at localplan@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk or call 0300 373 3300.

Yours faithfully,

Planning Policy Team

Thriving Places | Westmorland & Furness Council

South Lakeland House | Lowther Street | Kendal | LA9 4DQ

Tel. 0300 373 3300

westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

The next Parish Council meeting will now take place on Thursday 25th July (rather than the 18th July) at The Community Centre, Beckside.

Work to resurface the Parish Council car park at Soutergate will take place on Monday 8thand Tuesday 9th July – during this time the car park will be closed to all vehicles – we ask that all vehicles are removed from the car park no later than Sunday 7th July. Any vehicle that remains on the car park will prevent these works and could lead to damage to such vehicles for which the Parish Council or its contract cannot be held responsible for. We will aim to put notices on all vehicles on the car park and post leaflets through all Soutergate residents’ doors to remind relevant people in the next few days.