Newsletter July 2024

NEW COUNCILLOR
The Parish Council, following the recent council meeting held on the 11th June 2024, are able to announce that Kath James has been co-opted as councillor to serve on the Allithwaite and Cartmel Parish Council.

Full details of councillors can be found on the Parish website which has recently been updated: www.allithwaiteandcartmel-pc.gov.uk/councillors.

ALLITHWAITE AND CARTMEL WEBSITE
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new website on the 10th July 2024. As we go along we will be populating pages with the latest news, etc – so please come back and check for new updates.

Have a look and if you have any ideas or suggestions, then please use the ‘Contacts’ tab and let us know.

HIGHWAYS
Reporting Highways matters has now changed from the previous website. In order to report a highways or public rights of way problem you now need to do the following:

Logon to the website- www.allithwaiteandcartmel-pc.gov.uk

Select ‘Council Services’
Select ‘Report a Highways Problem’
Select the service you require from the 3 options:

1. Report a problem
2. Make an enquiry or request
3. Make an enquiry about Public Rights of Way

Follow the instructions which are self-explanatory.

KIRKBY LONSDALE COACHES 530/531/532: CARTMEL – GRANGE-OVER-SANDS – LEVENS – KENDAL
Kirkby Lonsdale Coaches have decided they are no longer able to provide their service 530/531/532 on a Commercial basis.

As you will be aware there have recently been a number of issues with the service, with journeys being dropped due to late operation; vehicle breakdowns; and non-operation on some Friday and Saturdays due to staff shortages. Westmorland and Furness Council will be looking to incorporate suggestions made by the operator and by the public, into the new timetable to address these issues to help improve reliability of the service.

The Monday; Wednesday and Friday 532 service operated by Blueworks, which runs with the help of financial support from the Westmorland and Furness Council, is not affected, and a further short term contract has just been let to extend this service until the start of November, when it will be part of a review based upon the results of the consultation exercise carried out across the whole Council area in April.

CHILDRENS PLAY AREAS AND GREEN SPACES
The Parish Council has received a number of concerns with regard to dogs tied up or wandering in the King George V Playground and the Allithwaite Orchard and Meadow area. The council took the decision to continue the “No Dogs Policy” into the orchard and meadow including the permissive footpath (which is not a bridleway) to have a continuous playground for the children of the parish free of any dog related mess.

DOG FOULING AND NOISE
The Parish Council continues to receive an increasing number of concerns with regard to dog fouling in the Parish. It’s a pity that the minority of dog owners feel that it’s fine to allow their dogs to foul in public areas which in effect is anti-social behaviour which is a finable offence.

Another issue which is a concern to some residents is noise created by dogs which are constantly barking and disturbing residents over long and regular periods of time which also may be during unsociable hours. Advice is available on W&FC website and incidents can be reported as noise or nuisance complaints to W&FC Environmental Health Department at: https:www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/your-environment or email at [email protected].

WESTMORLAND AND FURNESS COUNCIL (W&FC) – LOCAL PLAN
W&FC are starting work on a new local plan for Westmorland and Furness. When this is adopted, it will replace all existing local plans.

The local plan explains W&FC strategy for new development and contains the policies that W&FC uses to shape and guide new development. The Local Plan plans for the new homes and all the other sorts of development that we need. It makes sure that they are built in the right places and in a way which is best for people and the environment.

When people apply to W&FC for planning permission to develop land or to change the use of a building, they use the policies in the local plan when they decide whether to grant planning permission and what conditions to attach to any consent.

There is to be a fresh Call for Sites. Even though those previously put forward and meant to have been filtered out earlier this year will be considered, the advice is that each should be resubmitted.

The timetable (which could be subject to alteration) and key stages are:

• A fresh Call for Sites. The process started on the 8th July 2024 with engagement over the next 2-3 months. Anyone can put forward a site for consideration, closing date for applications is the
30th September 2024.
• Details are to be made known throughout the W&FC website, social media and by post. The Parish Council will display details on noticeboards within the Parish, community centre in Allithwaite and Cartmel Village Hall and other public places.
• Responses to the proposed Plan can be made online at: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/localplan.

The program outlined by W&FC, which could be subject to change, must be completed by the end of August 2024 and will have the following key stages:

• Individual responses returned by the 9th September 2024, call for sites by the 30th September 2024.
• Parish and Town Councils by the 30th September 2024.
• Approximately 6-9 months review and consolidation of responses.
• The Local Plan will then be independently reviewed in 2026 and (hopefully) adopted in 2027.

Key Messages – This is about listening
Before W&FC put pen to paper on the new plan, they are starting with an early conversation with residents about the places we live, work and visit across the Local Plan area. Your views will help shape the vision for the Local Plan, the issues that it needs to address and how these will be tackled.

W&FC hope that everyone who cares about the future will want to be involved. It’s important that W&FC listen to as many people as possible to understand their point of view as the Local Plan should reflect the views of our diverse communities.

W&FC want you to think about not just the here and now, but what is best for the future of the area – the things that your children or grandchildren will want from future development. The Local Plan will look 20 years and beyond into the future, to the year 2045.

To find out more details and how to submit a Call for Sites, visit the W&FC website on: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/localplan or by e-mail:
[email protected] or by phone: 0300 373 3300.

Sites submitted in the 2020 and 2021 South Lakeland Local Plan Review Call for Sites, must be re-submitted on the new survey form. This will ensure W&FC have consistent and up to date information on sites, and site promoters’ intentions. Any sites which are not submitted again will not be taken forward for consideration in the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan.

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 13TH JUNE 2024
Councillors discussed the lack of communication with Westmorland and Furness (W&FC) on various issues and requested the clerk to write to W&FC on the outstanding issues/enquiries which have been raised by residents and councillors:

• Parking permits
• Ford Road toilets
• Adoption of the footbridge

A request to the CEO for a meeting was made, between the Clerk and the Chair, an appointment date is still awaited.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY WITHIN THE PARISH
It has been brought to the parish councils’ attention that residents and business are experiencing reductions in voltage at peak periods (Saturday nights and Sunday mornings). This results in electrical equipment switching off and on again and the loss of WI-FI.

The parish council have written to ENW with the following questions:

• The reason for this loss of service.
• What records ENW maintain regarding reductions in voltage.
• Whether the ACPC area experiences more reductions in voltage than comparable areas.

Councillors have attempted on four occasions to address this matter with ENW and have received no response to-date.

VAT – PARISH COUNCIL
Following requests from local charities it should be noted the Parish Council is unable to reclaim VAT on their behalf (see 6.3 of VAT Notice 749).