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Notices

Have Your Say on the Future of Bus Services in Cumbria

https://kirkbyirelethpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Cumbria-Bus-Reform-Pilot-Study.pdf

Residents are being invited to help shape the future of bus services across Cumbria as part of a government-funded Bus Reform Pilot Study.

Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are working together to explore how local bus services could be planned, funded and operated differently in the future.

The study aims to identify opportunities to improve public transport, particularly in rural communities where access to reliable and affordable bus services can be limited.

Why does this matter to Kirkby Ireleth?

For rural communities such as ours, public transport plays an important role in providing access to employment, education, healthcare, shopping and other essential services.

The consultation offers residents an opportunity to highlight local transport needs, including:

  • The availability and frequency of bus services.
  • Connections to nearby towns and essential facilities.
  • The needs of residents without access to private transport.
  • The affordability and reliability of existing services.
  • Opportunities to improve rural connectivity.

Importantly, the consultation is not restricted to existing bus users. Those who do not currently use local bus services, including because suitable services are unavailable, are also encouraged to share their views.

How to take part

An online questionnaire is available until Sunday 25 October 2026.

Complete the questionnaire here:

https://consult.cumberland.gov.uk/bus-reform-pilot

The questionnaire takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.

A series of public drop-in events is also taking place across Cumbria, allowing residents to discuss their experiences and priorities directly with the study team.

What happens next?

The responses will be analysed alongside technical evidence to help assess different options for the future delivery of bus services across Cumbria.

No decisions have yet been made about potential changes to the way services are organised or operated.

Kirkby Ireleth Parish Council encourages residents to take part, particularly those who experience difficulties accessing public transport or believe that improved services could benefit our communities.

It is important that the needs of smaller rural communities are properly represented as future transport arrangements are considered.

  • October 8, 2026 by

Parish Councillor Vacancy – Low Quarter Ward

Following the resignation of Cllr David Wilson, a vacancy has arisen on Kirkby Ireleth Parish Council for the Low Quarter Ward. Electors may request a by-election by contacting the Returning Officer within the statutory period. If no request is made, the vacancy will be filled by co-option by the Parish Council. Please see the attached notice for full details. Interested in serving your community? Contact the Parish Clerk for more information.

https://kirkbyirelethpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Vacancy-Notice-7.9.26.pdf

  • September 7, 2026 by

Polling District Review 2026 – Have Your Say

Polling District Review 2026 – Have Your Say

Westmorland and Furness Council has launched a review of polling districts and polling places across the area in preparation for elections scheduled for 6 May 2027. Residents, parish councils and other interested parties are invited to comment on the polling arrangements currently used in their area. [Fw: Pollin…eview 2026 | Outlook]

The review includes:

The consultation opens on 7 September 2026 and closes on 5 October 2026. Responses are welcomed from electors, community groups and anyone with an interest in local polling arrangements, including accessibility for people with disabilities. [Fw: Pollin…eview 2026 | Outlook]

To take part in the consultation, please visit:

Westmorland & Furness Polling District Review 2026

  • September 7, 2026 by

Parish Councillor Vacancy

A vacancy has now arisen on the Parish Council and we are keen to hear from residents who would like to get involved and make a difference locally. Becoming a Parish Councillor is a rewarding way to serve the community, influence local decisions, and help shape the future of the parish. If you have an interest in local issues and a willingness to contribute, please get in touch to find out more. Expressions of interest should be made to the Parish Clerk or to any of the current councillors, who will be happy to have an informal conversation.

  • January 27, 2026 by

Road Closure – Woodland Area

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Fibrus to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 31st July 2025 and anticipated to take 5 days to complete.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction(s) and any alternative route(s) which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/4587/reactivation-notice-w-f_144501648_3947369_710f557f60.pdf and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=144501648 

Location: C5010 Grizebeck from its junction with the A593, extending in a south easterly direction for approx 1.3km.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via the C5012 and A593.  A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B Passage for Emergency Vehicles will be maintained where required for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/15755

Speed Restriction – Marsh Garth/Chapels

A temporary 20mph speed restriction has been put in place to allow Story Contracting to carry out highway improvement works which are expected to commence 28th July 2025 and the restriction is anticipated to remain in place for upto 4 months.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/4587/site-notice_77ba5768ac.pdf and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=143557730 

Location: Temporary road adjacent to the A595, Chapels, Grizebeck, from a point approx. 75m north of its junction with Buckhorn Lane extending in a southerly direction for the entire length of the temporary road.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/15124

Don’t Lose your vote! Residents in Westmorland and Furness urged to check voter registration details

Westmorland and Furness residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.
The annual canvass allows the council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late.
Linda Jones, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Chief legal and Monitoring Officer, said, “Keep an eye out for important updates from Westmorland and Furness council. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said, “It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates from their local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residents by post or email.
“If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local council when asked and register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact the council’s electoral services team at elections3@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk .


For more information contact the Westmorland and Furness elections team by email at elections2@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk or by calling 0300 373 3300. Or contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or press@electoralcommission.org.uk

  1. The Representation of the People Act 1983 places a duty on electoral registration officers to maintain the electoral register for their area and to conduct an annual canvass of all residential properties.
  2. The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other reasons as specified in law, such as detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service or checking credit applications.
  3. The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.
  4. To be eligible to register to vote a person must be:
    • aged 16 or over (a person may register to vote at 16, but may not vote until they are 18);
    • a British or qualifying Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such leave;
    • a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member state.
  5. British citizens, Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth citizens can vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland, Mayor of London and London Assembly elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections and general elections.
  6. EU nationals legally resident in the UK may currently register to vote in local government elections, providing they meet with the age and residency requirements and that they are not legally incapable of voting. The Elections Act 2022 changed the eligibility of some EU citizens to vote.
  7. The changes in voting rights for EU nationals will not affect voters from Cyprus, Malta and Ireland.
  8. Full details of the Electoral Commission’s research on the electoral registers can be found on its website.

Temporary Road Closure / Soutergate

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Fibrus to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 17th July 2025 and anticipated to take 1 week to complete.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction(s) and any alternative route(s) which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/4587/site-notice_8d8474ce4b.pdf and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=143227864 

Location: U5094 Soutergate, from its junction with the A595, extending in a north westerly direction for approx.160 metres.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via the A595 and the unrestricted section of the U5094.  A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B Passage for Emergency Vehicles will be maintained where required for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/14793

Kind Regards

Temporary Traffic Regulation Order Team

Temporary Road Closure / Beckside

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Fibrus to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 15th July 2025 and anticipated to take 4 days to complete.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction(s) and any alternative route(s) which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/4587/reactivation-notice-w-f_144173030_3937208_2c1f9fa238.pdf and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=144173030 

Location: U5089 Kirkby in Furness from its junction with the C5016, extending in a north easterly direction for a distance of approx. 400m.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via the unrestricted section of U5089, A595 and C5016.   A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B Passage for Emergency Vehicles will be maintained where required for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/15562

Waste and recycling market stall sessions success

Hundreds of people visited special stalls giving out information about options for future waste and recycling services.

Part of the council’s current community consultation to gather views on how waste and recycling collections across Westmorland and Furness should be delivered, staff from the waste engagement team set up stalls in street markets and community venues during June. The team visited Alston, Kendal, Barrow, Appleby, Penrith and Ulverston and were able to chat face-to-face with more than 300 people.

So far around 4,000 residents have completed a survey and provided feedback through the options consultation, sharing their views on options such as sizes of containers and frequency of collections. For more information about the options and to take part in the consultation complete the Options Consultation Survey.

Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said: “We’ve already had a fantastic response to our community consultation and it was great to see so many people visit our market stall sessions during June.

“Some people had come specifically to speak to the team having seen the event advertised and some were just passing and saw the stall and came along for a chat and to ask questions.“The team spoke to around 300 people with the busiest day being at Penrith Market. During the market stall sessions more than 100 paper copies of the consultation survey were handed out and overall we’ve now had about 4,000 responses to our survey.

“We want to create a new single waste and recycling service for the whole of Westmorland and Furness, a service that makes it easier and more convenient for people to recycle more and waste less, and that is more reliable, cost-effective and better for the environment.

“We want to hear from as many people as possible before we finalise designs for the new-look services and we are determined to make sure these services work for our communities.“The survey runs until 11 July, so if you haven’t already had your say there is still plenty of time to share your thoughts and comments.

’’The options being consulted on now have been developed following feedback from an initial ‘Community Conversation’ engagement at the end of last year, when nearly 3,000 people shared their thoughts on current waste and recycling collection services in their area – what they like, what they would like to change and what they would like to see in the future.

Thanks to that feedback, the council has been trialling different collection methods and containers, including a trial of ‘co-mingled’ recycling in Ulverston and a trial of wheelie bins in parts of the Eden area that currently have bags for general waste collections. Residents in those trial areas have shared how they found the new arrangements and whether it made it easier for them to recycle more and waste less.The council has also started to roll-out the kerbside collection of beverage cartons (such as Tetrapak), starting in the Eden area, after feedback that residents wanted to be able to recycle these items more easily.

The feedback from the current Options Consultation will be considered alongside independent assessment of factors such as how the options fit with national legislation, do they make services fairer, how would they impact the environment, whether they are sustainable and whether they could contribute to more efficient and cost-effective services.

For more information about the criteria being used in the assessment, what the changes would mean for collections in your area, a summary of results from the ‘Community Conversation’ engagement and answers to questions about the options being considered, see the dedicated website page on the Waste and Recycling Options Consultation.

A final decision on the new-look services will be made later this year, with the first changes being rolled out by the end of 2025.

Paper copies of the survey area available in the receptions of the council’s main public buildings at Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall and Voreda House, Penrith, as well as council libraries, and posters advertising the consultation have been distributed to parish and town councils, put up on community noticeboards and the consultation is advertised in the latest edition of the resident magazine Westmorland and Furness News, distributed to 120,000 homes across the area.