Ian Duncan

A Cockermouth sports club has submitted plans to place several storage containers at Highfield Sports Ground on Highfield Road. The containers would store rugby and football equipment, festival items, grounds-maintenance equipment and a tractor lawnmower. Each would measure 20 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet 6 inches, be positioned beside the existing building, and use existing parking and hard-standing areas without creating new access. Cumberland Council is considering the application.

Liberal Democrat councillors on Cumberland Council are calling for tougher national and local action against illegal, modified and excessively powerful e-bikes and privately owned e-scooters. Their proposals include stronger enforcement, a permanent legal framework for e-scooters, licensing or insurance for higher-powered vehicles, age and training requirements, improved battery and conversion-kit standards, and controls on online sellers. The campaign follows evidence of higher traumatic brain injury rates among e-scooter riders and the serious injuries suffered by Cumbria resident Carol Ann Smithers after being struck by an illegal e-bike. Councillors stress that regulation should target dangerous machines and riding rather than ordinary legal e-bikes, with police, fire services and Trading Standards involved in enforcement and public education.

Crooked River Social, a craft beer shop and mixed-use drinking establishment at 24 Market Place in Cockermouth, has applied to Cumberland Council to extend its Friday and Saturday closing time from 9pm to 10pm. Owner Phil Scholey also wants to remove the absolute ban on live music and challenge a 60dB noise limit, arguing that the small venue is not intended to operate as a late-night establishment and that existing licensing and environmental laws provide adequate safeguards. The premises is in Cockermouth Conservation Area and a Grade II listed building. Cockermouth Town Council raised no objection, while the original planning approval imposed the restrictions to protect residential amenity.

Plans have been submitted to Cumberland Council to convert offices at 50–52 King Street in Wigton into a shop and four flats. The proposal would retain the building’s existing footprint, shop front and external finishes, while adding two attic windows and three Velux roof lights. The apartments would be accessed via an existing fire-protected stairway, and the commercial and residential areas would be separated by sound- and fire-resistant construction. Public representations can be submitted through the council’s planning website or in writing.

An anonymous homemade leaflet distributed in Harraby South ahead of a Cumberland Council by-election appeared to promote the Green Party while criticizing other parties, despite claiming to be unaffiliated. The leaflet prominently used the Cumberland Council logo without authorization and lacked the imprint required for election literature. Carlisle and District Green Party denied producing, commissioning or distributing it, and both the party and the council referred the matter to the appropriate electoral authorities for review.

A replacement stable block and horse arena are proposed on 1,992 square metres of land near Sandy Brow House in Rosley, near Wigton. The facility would be for private use by the residents and would replace existing facilities with similar capacity. Plans include timber and steel construction, solar panels, a post-and-rail fence, a sand-and-fibre arena surface, and a compacted stone access track, while existing vehicle access would remain unchanged. Cumberland Council is inviting public representations on the application.

Cumberland Council has approved plans to refurbish Harraby Sports Centre at Harraby Community Campus in Carlisle. The project will upgrade two existing 3G artificial grass pitches and add new fencing, spectator hardstanding, storage, and LED floodlighting. Sport England supported the proposal, and planning officers concluded that, subject to conditions, it would not adversely affect residential amenity, highway safety, drainage, or biodiversity.

A planning application has been submitted by Raymond Swailes of KRC Properties (Cumbria) to convert the currently vacant guest house at 30 London Road in Carlisle into an eight-bedroom house in multiple occupation for short-term letting. Cumberland Council validated the application and is considering it; members of the public can submit representations through the council.

Plans have been submitted for the second phase of the Cumberland Sports Village at Borough Park in Workington. The application, lodged by Savills on behalf of Cumberland Council, covers reserved matters including access, appearance, layout, landscaping and scale. The development is being advanced by Cumberland Sports Village Ltd, the council, Workington AFC and Workington Town RLFC, with plans to expand the main stand to 5,000 spectators and improve football, rugby and community facilities. Detailed design work is expected to finish by September 2026, with construction scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Plans have been submitted to Cumberland Council to install a motor control centre kiosk at United Utilities Water’s Brampton Wastewater Treatment Works near Carlisle. The facility serves about 5,500 residents, and the upgrade is intended to add control systems needed to meet tighter permit conditions and growing demands linked to population growth, climate change and stricter environmental regulations. The proposed dark-green kiosk would occupy approximately 24.2 square metres within the existing works, which lies in the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site buffer zone.

Cumberland Council approved planning permission for a Cockermouth retail beer shop at 24 Market Place to operate additionally as a drinking establishment. The Grade II listed property lies within the Cockermouth Conservation Area and Flood Zone 2, with residential accommodation above. Conditions will limit operating hours and prohibit live music to protect residential amenity, while no objections were received from Cockermouth Town Council or other consultees.

Ast Signs has submitted plans to develop three padel courts and two pickleball courts, alongside a canopy, container-style clubhouse, substation, parking, fencing and landscaping on vacant grassland at Eden Business Park in Penrith. The proposed clubhouse would include reception and changing facilities, toilets, a coffee bar, storage, external seating and a rooftop terrace. The site covers approximately 0.68 hectares and is near existing commercial and leisure facilities, while the planning statement says it would not affect nearby listed buildings. Seventeen residents had submitted supportive comments with no objections as of August 10. The application is being considered by Westmorland & Furness Council.

Cumberland Council approved an extension to Camelot Caravan Park near Longtown, allowing 19 additional caravan units on previously undeveloped grassland. The proposal extends the existing site toward the north-east, uses an established access road, and includes landscaping to preserve screening from nearby properties and the A7. The units may be subject to the same holiday-accommodation restriction as most of the existing park.

An application by the Mining Remediation Authority could allow temporary ground investigations at Whitehaven Harbour to determine whether its Grade II listed north wall can support a pipeline diverting ochreous water from historic coal workings out to sea. The pollution has been seeping through Network Rail’s Bransty tunnel and entering the harbour since at least 2022, staining heritage structures and vessels. The proposed works include core samples, boreholes and trial pits and are expected to take up to eight weeks if Cumberland Council grants listed building consent.

The Lake District National Park Authority has unconditionally approved a 60-day temporary recreational campsite at Hillcroft Caravan Park in Pooley Bridge. The campsite will have no more than 40 pitches, use movable structures and be accessed through the existing caravan park. Portable toilet and washing facilities will be provided, with wastewater transported to United Utilities’ treatment works in Kendal. The approval is conditional on operating within the submitted plans, including waste-disposal arrangements and the 60-day limit.

Cumberland Council approved plans allowing the Halston Hotel in Carlisle to convert a former beauty salon into additional guest rooms. The work includes roof lights, replacement windows, metal railings, sandstone stoops and rear solar panels. The council’s officer report found the proposal acceptable within the City Centre Conservation Area, with no significant impact on nearby listed buildings or neighbouring premises, while improving the building’s environmental performance and securing its future use.

The Lake District National Park Authority received eight objections to a proposal for a temporary recreational campsite on land off Kendal Road in Bowness-on-Windermere. Applicant Carolyn Jenson proposed up to 50 pitches for tents, campervans and motorhomes, operating for as many as 60 days, with a temporary toilet facility. Local residents argued that the field forms part of the historic curtilage of the listed Bordriggs Farm and raised concerns about noise, litter, sewage, visual impact and the potential spread of campsite development across surrounding fields.

Cumberland Council has granted a certificate of proposed lawful development allowing the former Vaseys Furniture Store on Lancaster Street, Carlisle, to become an indoor sports and leisure facility. The proposed site will include padel courts, cricket facilities, an ancillary café and a bar. The council concluded that the change from retail to indoor sport, recreation or fitness would remain within the relevant commercial use class and would not constitute a material change of use.

Nigel Kay Homes has applied for outline planning permission to build up to 45 homes on approximately 2.9 hectares of grassland off Dalzell Street in Moor Row, near Egremont. The proposed two- to five-bedroom homes would be arranged in landscaped clusters with public open space, footpath links and a buffer protecting the River Keekle corridor and mature trees. The planning statement argues that the scheme would meet local housing demand and that its benefits would outweigh any adverse impacts; representations can be submitted to Cumberland Council.

Cumberland Council approved plans to convert the first-floor flat and attic at 16A Fisher Street, Carlisle, into a house of multiple occupation and install 11 rooflights. The application involves mainly internal alterations within the Carlisle City Centre Conservation Area. Planning officers concluded that the proposal would preserve the area’s character, avoid harm to neighbouring living conditions and biodiversity, and have no adverse effects on parking, highway safety or heritage assets.

Five candidates will contest the Harraby South by-election for Cumberland Council on August 20: Labour’s Ruth Alcroft, Conservative Rob Currie, Liberal Democrat Stuart Kelly, Green candidate Rose-Ellen Kemp and Reform UK’s Josh Kirkwood. Their stated priorities include cleaner and safer streets, better-maintained roads, improved public transport and bin services, accountable council spending, protection of public services, affordable energy-efficient housing, environmental measures and concerns about HMOs and the city of sanctuary. Each candidate presents themselves as accessible and focused on local residents, while several pledge to work constructively with councillors from other parties.

Castlegate & Derwent GP Surgery in Cockermouth was placed into special measures after a Care Quality Commission inspection found breaches involving safe care, management, safeguarding and complaints, including more than 1,000 overdue appointment reminders. GP Dr Simon Desert apologised and acknowledged a serious governance failure, citing financial hardship, alleged financial misconduct, poor leadership, reduced capacity and staff departures. He said outsourced triage had been terminated, consultations had returned to face-to-face appointments and backlogs were being cleared. The practice is assessing three healthcare providers and hopes to merge with a preferred organisation, while a police investigation into alleged financial malpractice remains ongoing. Cumberland Council’s health scrutiny committee accepted that recovery was still a work in progress and agreed to review the situation again after a patient survey.

Cumberland Council has approved the conversion of the former Lakes Electrical Supplies shop on Station Road in Cockermouth into a storage and distribution unit. The premises will store carpets and furniture and provide parking for work vehicles, with waste kept in a secured side-car-park skip. The proposal also includes 10 removable yellow security bollards designed to restrict vehicle access while maintaining pedestrian, wheelchair and emergency access. The council found the development compatible with the surrounding commercial and residential area and unlikely to harm existing businesses or homes.

Cumberland Council has 13 vacancies among 15 building control posts and is addressing the shortage by consolidating services, recruiting apprentices and using five agency workers. Officials expect the service to need about 10 staff, with capacity for up to 12, and say the two existing apprentices are progressing. The council is also reviewing fees, which are currently much lower than those of other authorities, and expects consolidation to save about £100,000 annually. Despite staffing problems, statutory and non-statutory work continues, including contracts with Story and Sellafield; an update is due in six months.

Cumberland Council has been told it has until January 2029 at the latest to improve its Care Quality Commission rating from “requires improvement” to “good.” Officials described measures already introduced, including an unpaid carers forum and carers charter, while councillors questioned whether the assessment process could divert funding or become a box-ticking exercise. The council said the framework was producing useful learning and highlighted priorities including prevention, support for unpaid carers, technology-enabled care, stronger commissioning and better coordination with community partners.

Grant Thornton gave Cumberland Council the lowest Category D rating in its assessment of the authority’s ability to deliver audited accounts on time, citing major systemic problems and outstanding accounts from legacy councils. Auditors warned that an ISA-compliant approach may not be achievable until 2027/28 and that the first clean, unmodified accounts could come in 2031. Council chief executive Andrew Seekings and councillors disputed the severity of the assessment, arguing that recent accounts were delivered on time and that several control areas had received positive ratings. The council accepted the need for a recovery programme but formally disagreed with parts of the auditors’ conclusions.

Lanercost Cricket Club submitted plans for a permanent timber‑framed building to provide new female changing and shower facilities, addressing the rising number of women, girls and junior players. The proposal positions the structure behind the existing pavilion to blend visually with current buildings, replacing a previously approved modular design considered less suitable. The club cites duty of care and urgent need for improved facilities, with the application available for public review through Cumberland Council.

A Liberal Democrat councillor calls for Carlisle to adopt a directly elected city mayor, arguing it would help the city become a stronger regional centre by boosting economic growth, improving transport links and attracting investment. Current legislation prevents such a role, with the only elected mayor planned for the Cumbria Combined Authority in 2027. He also supports creating a formal city council to replace the existing charter trustees, while the ceremonial Mayor of Carlisle would remain unchanged and without executive powers.

Grant Thornton was appointed external auditor for the newly established Cumbria Combined Authority, with responsibilities covering the 2026/27 and 2027/28 accounts. At the authority’s first audit and governance committee meeting, Hilary Carrick was named chair and Andy Semple vice chair. Auditor Liz Luddington outlined early steps in the auditing process, noting that fees are yet to be set and initial accounts are expected to be completed by late 2027. The committee agreed to note the report, which details audit plans, reporting requirements, and timelines for issuing financial opinions and value‑for‑money assessments.

Cumberland Council approved plans to convert a disused former dairy site in Wigton into two three‑bedroom homes, including first‑floor and side extensions. Planning officers found the proposal consistent with local and national policies, noting that the building is in poor condition and that the development would not negatively affect the conservation area. Landscaping will remain unchanged, and the renovated homes will use materials matching surrounding buildings. The site and application details are accessible through the council’s planning portal.

Senior councillors reported steady progress on preparations for the 2027 Tour de France stages in Cumbria, highlighting reserved funding for Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland councils to underwrite delivery costs. Local leaders emphasised strong business engagement, significant expected economic and community benefits, and growing participation in the JOY volunteer programme. Cumbria will host the finish of Stage 1 in Carlisle and the start of Stage 2 in Keswick as part of the race’s UK return, with an outline business case due back to the authority board by October 2026.