The South Cumberland Community Panel is scheduled to meet on Monday 29 September 2025 at the Drigg & Carleton Village Hall. The agenda includes discussion of a Community Panel update, a report on investing in neighbourhoods, and noting the minutes from the Highways & Transport Strategic Board meeting. The panel will also consider several investment applications for approval.

Community Asset Transfers

The panel is scheduled to discuss Community Asset Transfers (CATs). These were a feature of all four sovereign authorities, though the processes followed differed. A Land and Property Disposals Policy was agreed at the Executive meeting on 15 July 2025, and is now being implemented. The policy states that local members will be engaged where a property or piece of land is the subject of a CAT or long lease (25 years or more). The panel will have the opportunity to comment on potential disposals to communities within their area.

The panel is expected to discuss the following applications and expressions of interest:

• Drigg and Carleton Parish Council, Community Growing Group: A request for the transfer of council-owned land at Drigg to support a Licence to Grow initiative. A licence to use the land has now been granted.
• Beckermet with Thornhill Parish Council: A request for the transfer of a piece of land that adjoins land they already own, with the intention to extend the play provision with a football pitch.
• Gosforth Parish Council: A request for the transfer of the car park in the centre of Gosforth. A car park review is planned across Cumberland, and it has been suggested that a subsidy would be required.
• The National Trust: Made enquiries about the transfer of Wasdale Village Green, but this has not been taken forward.
• Bootle Parish Council: Enquiries about the land with Captain Shaw's boat (to enable them to install a raised flower bed) and the car park adjacent to it.

Investing in our Neighbourhoods

The panel is scheduled to discuss the current position of the Neighbourhood Investment Fund allocation to the Community Panel. The Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) budget allocation to this Community Panel for 2025/26 is £64,523. The panel will assess applications against the locally agreed priorities: improving health and wellbeing, accessibility and connectivity, supporting children, families and young people, and improving the local living environment.

The panel is being asked to consider the following investments:

• The Rotary Club of West Lakeland: £4,000 towards enhancing a Public Right of Way between Irton Church and Irton Hall. > This project is the final phase of enhancement along an existing footpath which will improve accessibility and will include installing fencing, stonework to level the path and resurfacing elements to allow more people to enjoy nature and the countryside.
• Cleator Cricket Club: £5,000 towards installing a solar energy battery storage system at their premises. > The new facilities will allow the club to be more resilient, reduce energy costs and be more sustainable for the future and longer term plans to expand the club facilities.
• Lamplugh with Ennerdale Parochial Church Council: £2,830 towards improvements to the community toilet facility at St Michaels churchyard in Lamplugh. > Work is required to combat and eliminate rising damp, replace the door and resit the door's position further back to avoid wind damage.
• Community Rail Cumbria: £350 towards creating display panels for the Ticket to Independence project. > 'Ticket to Independence' is a project which will enable service users from the organisations create a series of specialised display panels that will link several railway stations (Aspatria, Maryport, Flimby, Workington, Parton, Whitehaven, Seascale).

The panel will also receive a summary of completed Project Achievement Reports (PAR's) received since the last panel meeting.

Community Panel Update

The panel is scheduled to receive an update on recent activity by Cumberland Council within the Community Panel area. This will include discussion of network events and activity, including:

• The Community Development Officer attending the Cumbria Voluntary Service Funding Fair in Solway Hall on 1 July.
• The Millom Family hub held an event on 27 August for families to join in activities in the family hub in Millom.
• The Community Development Officer attending an event open to the public held at Kirksanton Village Hall where the GDF¹ were providing information and engaging with the Community on their future vision.
• The Community Development Officer attending the launch event held at the Council Licence to Grow site situated in Drigg.
• The Community Development Team attending the Ennerdale and Kinniside Agricultural Show held at the Leaps, Kirkland.

The update will also include information on:

• The Social Prescribing Wellbeing Festival held on 8 August 2025.
• Hope Haven, who have launched a new Virtual Safe Haven to provide immediate mental health support for people across Whitehaven and the former Copeland area.
• Family Help, Prevention and Youth Justice updates, including play space, infant feeding group, little learners, baby buddies, music and rhyme, infant massage, and growing together sessions at the Millom Family Hub.
• Youth SAFE – Substance Awareness For Everyone and Youth RISE Reaching Potential through Support and Empowerment teams.
• Cell design, where the Youth SAFE Team has been supporting Cumbria Police on a ground-breaking custody-cell makeover.
• The Early Careers and Apprenticeship Team hosting a year 12 student on work experience from West Lakes Academy in July.

Capital Programmes

The panel will receive an update on capital programmes, including the Millom Town Deal, Cleator Moor Town Deal, and Egremont Borderlands projects.

Updates on the Millom and Haverigg Town Deal projects include:

• Activating Community Health
• Iron Line
• Reactivating Heritage Buildings
• Connected Millom and Haverigg

Updates on the Cleator Moor Town Deal projects include:

• Revitalised Town
• Healthy Town
• Connected Cleator Moor
• Leconfield

Cumbria Local Plan Consultation

The council has begun work on a new Local Plan for Cumberland (excluding those areas within the Lake District National Park and St. Cuthbert's Garden Village). The first public consultation stage is the 'Issues and Options', running from Monday 1 September to Friday 31 October 2025.

Highways & Transport Strategic Board Meeting

The panel is scheduled to note the minutes of the Highways and Transport Strategic Board meeting held on 24 July 2025. Some of the topics discussed at the meeting included:

• Pedestrian safety on Paving Brow, Brampton.
• Health and Safety Update regarding abusive behaviour from members of the public.
• Transport for the North Board Update.
• Workington and Surrounding Area Traffic Regulation Order Review.
• Keswick and Surrounding Area Traffic Regulation Order Review.
• Winter Service Policy - Operational Review 2025.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Solutions - Update.
• Local Transport Grant - 2025/26.
• Bus Services Improvement Programme.

Other Agenda Items

The agenda also includes:

• Appointment of Chair for 2025-26.
• Appointment of Vice Chair for 2025-26.
• Apologies for Absence.
• Declarations of Interest.
• Exclusion of Press and Public.
• Public Participation, where 30 minutes is available for questions from members of the public.
• Minutes of the Previous Meeting, to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 June 2025.
• Date and Time of Next Meeting, to note that the next scheduled meeting will take place on 2 December 2025.