Meeting documents

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Mr F Morgan and Mr D Southward.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises:-

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)       Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

            (b)       Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority. 

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)       The landlord is the authority; and

(b)       The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)       That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the authority; and

(b)       Either –

(i)      The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii)     If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A "disclosable pecuniary interest" is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).   

Councillor G Roberts declared a non-pecuniary interest in Agenda Item No 6 – Copeland Highways Working Group – as a member of Whitehaven Town Council.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda

RESOLVED,that the press and public be not excluded during consideration of any items on the agenda.

There are no public questions, statements or petitions to be considered at this meeting.

There was no public participation for the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Local Committee held on 16 January 2023 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2023 be confirmed as a true record.

[Electoral Divisions: All Copeland]

To consider a report by the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

This report provides details of the meeting of the Highways Working Group held on 15 February 2023 and presents recommendations for the Local Committee to consider.  

Members received a report that detailed discussions and recommendations of the Copeland Highways Working Group which was held on 15 February 2023.  The minutes of the meeting were appended to the report.

The Local Area Network Manager updated members on the A595 Liaison Group meeting that had taken place on 16 February.  Members had expressed their concerns to National Highways representatives on the upcoming Moresby Embankment work.  The concerns included pre-planning and community engagement.  It was noted that £100,000 had been received from National Highways for highway improvements to mitigate traffic disruption.  It was noted that National Highways were trying to work with Stagecoach and Network Rail to tailor their services accordingly.

The Local Member for Egremont North and St Bees asked if an audit survey had been carried out on Harras Road and requested an update on traffic management around Whitehaven School Campus.  The Traffic Management Team Leader gave an update on the work that had taken place around the Whitehaven campus.  A solution to reduce traffic congestion in the area was considered unlikely, with focus given to improving road safety, particularly for pedestrians and vulnerable road users.  Options were being drawn up but it was recognised that a "quick fix" would not resolve this.  It was agreed that the CRASH minutes, where a discussion had taken place on Harras Road, be sent to the relevant Councillors and further discussion on this takes place outside the meeting.

The Local Member for Kells raised traffic issues in her area.  The Traffic Management Team Leader advised that the Team had just been made aware of missing illuminated bollards on Kells Main Street and would address this.  Concepts for a redesign of a specific junction in Kells were being drawn up and it was agreed that these be circulated to the Local Member.  The officers and Local Member agreed to arrange a site visit to the area.

In discussion of the Whitehaven TRO, it was agreed that a list of items already submitted to the Team would be circulated to members in due course.

To conclude the report, the Local Area Network Manager outlined schemes that had been completed this year and two schemes that would comence in the following week.

The Local Area Network Manager thanked members for their support.  Members thanked the Team for individual work that had taken place in their areas and for all their hard work over the years.

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting of the meeting of the Copeland Highways Working Group held on 15 February 2023 be noted.

[Electoral Divisions: All Copeland]

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that provided an update on the activity undertaken by the Community Development Team since the last meeting of the Committee.

The Area Manager gave a Borderlands update advising members that four Project Initiation Documents (PIDs) had been submitted for consideration for the Borderlands fund.  The PIDs had been reviewed by an external consultant and dialogue was ongoing with Project Leads.  A meeting of the Town Team had been arranged to discuss the advice of the consultants.  It was noted that the Borderlands programme would move across to the new Cumberland Council and the next steps would be for the consultants’ recommendations to be presented for approval to submit to the Borderlands Partnership Board and to facilitate the process for schemes to move to the next stage of developing project level business case.

Members were informed that a West Cumbria Cost of Living and Better Health Expo events were held at Millom and Cleator Moor to better inform professionals and the public around the wide range of support and advice that was currently available in our area in relation to cost of living and health related matters.  Great feedback from these events had been received.

Members received library, adult learning and public health updates.  With regards to Library Services, members were informed of new initiatives that were planned for the service.  The Local Member for Kells questioned whether a modern day library should have extended opening hours to encourage further usage.  Members were informed of public health’s current priorities.  A discussion took place around domestic abuse.  Partnership working that was already in place and future work planned for this was noted.  It was reported that Dementia Awareness week would take place in May and funding had been received for the Community Catalyst Programme to take place in Copeland.  Where public health would fit in the new Cumberland Authority was discussed.

To conclude the Area Manager gave updates on the Cost of Living Reserve, the NDA Cost of Living Fund, Refugee Resettlement Team work and advised members that Copeland Citizens Advice had produced their money advice report for the period April 22 - March 23.  It was agreed to circulate specific details of the Citizens Advice report on the cost of living crisis to members.  The Area Manager advised that all but £1 of the Cost of Living Reserve had been spent and thanked members for their input on this.

RESOLVED,that the report be noted.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that presented grant applications in excess of £5,000 for consideration and approval from the 2022-23 budget and were also asked to note grant applications under £5,000 where funding had previously been awarded to the applying organisation which took the full amount applied for over £5,000.  The report also presented any proposals from the Environment Fund, regardless of the amount.

Working with the Community Development Team, projects proposed by Members for the Environment Fund had been developed with the relevant partners and organisations.  The projects, listed in the report, had been agreed informally with Members and now required formal ratification of Local Committee.  It was noted that in 2022/2023 financial year, the Committee had approved a grant of up to £25,000 to the County Council’s Hensingham Day Centre and Grassroots Garden Centre for pathway and access improvement.  Members were advised the full allocation had not been spent and were asked to agree that the underspend of £3,209 be de-committed and returned the Environment Fund budget to be allocated towards other schemes.

RESOLVED,that

(1)  the report be noted;

(2)  the projects listed in the report for Environment funding be agreed;

(3)  the amount of £3,209 allocated to Hensingham Day Centre and Grassroots Garden Centre during the financial year 2022/23 from the Environment Fund be de-committed and returned to the Environment Fund budget to be allocated to other schemes as a result of the full grant allocation of up to £25,000 not being fully spent;

(4)   the amount of £4,000 allocated to Cumbria Adult Learning during the financial year 2018/19 from the 0-19 Universal Services be de-committed and returned to the 0.19 Universal Services budget as a result of the full grant allocation of up to £27,801 not being fully spent.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that celebrated the achievements of Copeland Local Committee as this was the final meeting with the County Council ceasing to exist with effect from 31 March 2023.  The report looked back on what the Committee had experienced and achieved in its last 5 years under the current administration.

The report outlined the establishment of Local Committees in 2001 with the aim of "optimising the use of Council assets and resources in their area; to influence Council policies and strategies affecting their area; and through the "whole area approach", to work with communities and partner organisations to enable public services to be shaped locally, to achieve the best possible outcomes within available resources." 

The twelve Elected Members of Copeland Local Committee had an integral role in supporting their communities and ensuring the best possible outcomes. In recognition of their achievements, Members had offered contributions, listed in the report, demonstrating the variety of work they had undertaken in their respective divisions.  Special individual tributes on the work undertaken by Councillor A Lamb were made at the meeting, namely his work on water quality and retaining a full size fire engine at Frizington.

Local Committee’s responses to major incidents and their allocation of funding were listed in the report.  To conclude, in recognition of the work done by Cumbria County Council’s Copeland Local Committee, commemorative benches would be sited in Whitehaven, Egremont, Cleator Moor, Millom and St Bees.  A plaque would be included on each bench with an inscription: Presented by Elected Members of Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Copeland 31 March 2023.

RESOLVED,that the report be noted.

To receive updates from the following Copeland Champions:-

Armed Forces Champion

Autism Champion

Children’s Champion

Dementia Champion

Fire Champion

Health Champion

Autism Champion

The Autism Champion expressed the wish for the continuation of his Champion role.

Health Champion

The Health Champion advised members of the NHS reorganisation.  The need for local level involvement in local health services was expressed.  The Champion advised that the next Health and Wellbeing Forum was scheduled for 26 May in Eden and open to all members of the public.

Recruitment and retention of NHS staff were discussed.

Fire Champion

The Fire Champion informed members of the recent HMICFRS Inspection of the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.  Although an inadequate rating had been received, operational assurance had been given and the Service had done everything possible to sort out the identified inadequacies before presenting again to HMICFRS at the end of March. 

Children’s Champion

The Children’s Champion advised of a project that was taking place to support children who had a parent in jail.  It was noted that, at present, the number of children whose parent was incarcerated was unknown.  The Champion advised that this work would continue in the new Cumberland Authority.

The Champions were thanked for their updates.

To receive a verbal update from members serving on any outside bodies/external committees they attend on behalf of Copeland Local Committee.

There were no updates given at the meeting.

To discuss any relevant nuclear issues.

There were no nuclear issues discussed at the meeting.

As this was the last meeting of Copeland Local Committee, Members thanked the Chair and officers for the cross party work that had taken place supporting the Committee and the community.  Special mentions to previous staff members were made, namely Mr K Cosgrove, Ms M Hewitt and Ms G Elliot.

The Chair gave a speech in which he also thanked members and officers for their support and hard work and highlighted the differences the Committee had made.  The Chair concluded by wishing everyone all the best for the future.