The Eden Locality Board met at Penrith Town Hall and agreed to the proposed first year delivery plan for the Council's 20 mph speed limit scheme. Members heard from the Capital Programme Control Manager about the Council's plans for its assets, and also discussed community transport and grant schemes. The Board heard a presentation from officers about the new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness. They also agreed to progress a revised parking protocol for Penrith to the formal consultation stage.

Active Cumbria

Clare Paling, Development Officer at Active Cumbria, provided an update on the work of Active Cumbria. Councillor Virginia Taylor asked

how to maximise the benefit of the Planting for Pollinators Project

Paling responded that

Community Development Officers, Parish and Town Councils and other community groups would be encouraged to get involved

Councillor Philip Dew

expressed concern about the level of expenditure on the project, given the cost of living crisis.

Other members

highlighted the fact that it supported the Council’s priority of addressing climate change and encouraging biodiversity.

Safe and Strong Communities

Nick Wright, Senior Manager, Community Services, updated the Board on the progress of several Community programmes. Councillor Dew

asked about the £24,495 remaining in the Local Sustainable Travel and Transport Fund

Wright confirmed that

this would be rolled over into the next financial year 2024/25 and this would include any residual monies in the Eden Community Transport Grants Fund

He then went on to say that

there was another round of applications currently open for this fund.

Councillor Helen Carrick asked about

the Council’s funding policy and guidelines were in respect of income-generating events for external organisations, emphasising the importance of maintaining equality in support provided by the Council, whilst also ensuring that lower income groups were effectively targeted

Wright agreed to investigate the matter.

The Board agreed the following:

1. to note the status of the Eden Locality Board discretionary budgets
2. to approve the Strong and Connected Communities programme of local investment
3. to agree to the reallocation of the £10,000 strategic priority project allocation to support additional 0-19 fund applications
4. to agree to the allocation of £2,500 from the 11-19 Universal Service fund to Threlkeld Young People Club
5. to agree to the allocation of £20,000 from the Locality Board Priorities budget to support a Planting for Pollinators project
6. to note the funding awards made between paragraphs 3.1 - 3.17 of the report

Highways, Infrastructure and Connectivity Capital Highway Delivery Plan 2024-25

John Banks, the Area Highways Network Manager, provided an update on the Highways, Infrastructure and Connectivity Capital Highway Delivery Plan. Members noted the 2024/25 Highways Capital Scheme list.

20 mph Prioritisation

The Board considered a report on the prioritisation of requests for new 20 mph zones.

Applications

The Board heard that 49 Town or Parish Councils and one Resident Group had made applications for new 20 mph speed limits covering 79 different locations.

Policy

Westmorland and Furness Council's 20 mph policy sets out the criteria for selecting which areas are eligible for 20 mph schemes.

In general, a new 20mph limit should be in an area with features that justify a lower speed limit to drivers

It explains that such areas must be supported by the local Parish or Town Council, must have an existing speed limit of 40 mph or less and should demonstrate strong local support. The policy document also describes the process for prioritisation of requests, explaining that

Requests for 20mph will be prioritised and ranked based on the following considerations:

• Recorded Killed or Seriously Injured collisions (KSIs)
• Evidence of minor incidences / near misses
• On a school walking or cycling route
• Level of pedestrians walking along or crossing the road
• Areas of high traffic volume expected for the type of road
• Local contribution of funding that frees up enough funding from the main programme to enable other schemes to be delivered.

The process for implementation is also described:

Once applications have been received the following steps will be undertaken:

• Consideration of information provided and scheme extent requested through application process.
• Prioritisation scoring as per the matrix in Appendix A for each application.
• Schemes applied for to be taken to Locality Boards for Member discussion and agreement on priorities as per officer recommendations.
• Agreed schemes to be allocated funding to allow progression of the scheme.
• Discussion of Officers with Town and Parish Councils on progression of each scheme to be taken forward; consideration of final extents and level of consultation required.
• Initial consultation and a public meeting (if necessary) to engage with the local community on final extent of the 20mph scheme and determine local support for that extent.
• Statutory legal process to draft the necessary Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). TRO to be advertised for a minimum of 21 days to receive comments and objections.
• Report comments and objections to Locality Board for a decision on whether to make the TRO.
• Implement the traffic signs and make the TRO operative.

Initial Package

Following scoring, the Board approved 12 locations in Eden for inclusion in the initial package of schemes for delivery in 2024/25. The remaining locations are to be assessed for potential inclusion in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 programmes.

Penrith Parking Protocol

The Board considered a report on a proposed Parking Protocol for Penrith, intended to support a wider review of the parking provision in the town.

Purpose

The report explains that the purpose of the Protocol is to

make accessing on-street parking permits a fair and consistent process and enhances on-street parking conditions by ensuring a reasonable number of permits are issued in an area.

Informal Consultation

The Board heard that an informal consultation on the proposals had taken place between 3 January and 8 March 2024, and that 398 responses had been received.

Proposals

The key aspects of the Protocol are summarised as follows:

• Carer's permits will be abolished. Carers will be expected to use visitor permits or flexible permits instead.
• A new type of 'flexible' permit will be introduced, to address the diverse parking needs of residents. These permits will not be vehicle specific, and the home owner will be responsible for ensuring they are used correctly.
• An appeals process will be created to allow residents to challenge the refusal of an application.

The Protocol explains that

The intention, and practical effect, is that implementation will only take place, when either new residents move into properties, new cars are purchased, and/or when the existing permits begin to expire.

It sets out the circumstances under which Residents Permits will be issued:

Save as provided in paragraphs 2.5, residents of a household abutting a road which is affected by time limited parking restrictions with resident exemptions shall be entitled to receive a maximum of two (2) permits known as “Residents Permits”.

It clarifies the circumstances under which residents with off-street parking may be entitled to a permit:

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2.1 above, where the household has benefit of suitable and accessible off-street parking, i.e a driveway and/or garage at the property. The entitlement to Resident parking Permits will be reviewed depending on the residents needs and may result in no Resident Parking Permit entitlement.

It clarifies that businesses are not normally entitled to Residents Permits.

Business premises which are located on a road which is affected by time limited parking restrictions shall not be entitled to a Residents Permit except in the case where the premises contain living accommodation for which Council Tax is paid and providing also that the occupier is registered for Council Tax.

The protocol also sets out the circumstances under which Residents may be entitled to Visitor and Flexible permits. Each household may be entitled to one or both, depending on whether their street is subject to time limits or is a resident-only zone. Visitor permits allow up to 60 visits per year, while Flexible permits are not vehicle-specific, and may be used by visitors at any time.

The document also clarifies the rules about vehicles associated with businesses and leased vehicles:

Where any household has a need to park a vehicle that is associated with their employment a Residents Permit may be issued in respect of that vehicle but such issue will be included in the total entitlement of the household as referred to at paragraph 2.1 above and such vehicles must be registered to the said property.

In the case of leased vehicles or business vehicles, proof of leasing at the same address or a certificate provided by the Leasing Company or the vehicle owner that states that the vehicle is normally operated by the applicant and is required to be operated from his address.

The Protocol makes it clear that the Council may refuse an application if it considers that there is insufficient capacity in an area, if alternative parking is available, or if the vehicle is not the resident's main source of transportation.

Finally the document describes how a resident may appeal the refusal of a permit.

Agreement

The Board agreed to progress the revised protocol to the statutory advertisement stage, and to a further formal consultation.

Eden Locality Board Devolved Communities Budget

The Board considered a report on the allocation of the devolved Community budget for Eden.

Total Budget

The total budget for 2024/25 is £236,427. Of this, £34,870 is ringfenced to provide a money advice service via Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden. The remaining funds are broken down as follows:

• General Provision: £43,393
• 0-19 Services: £41,148
• 11-19 Universal Services: £17,016
• Community Planning: £100,000

Proposals

The Board considered the following proposals for allocation of the funds:

• Community Grants: £50,000
• Sustainable Transport Grants: £16,000
• Locality Board Priorities: £29,393
• 0-19 - Open Application Grants: £31,148
• 0-19 - Strategic Priority Project: £10,000
• 11-19 Universal Services: £17,016
• Place Action Group Allocation: £48,000
• Money Advice: £34,870

Decision Making

The Board agreed to delegate decision making on funding applications to Nick Wright, the Senior Manager, Community Services, for grants up to £5,000. Larger grants will be brought to the Board for decision.

The Board also agreed to the following:

• A Community Grants panel, made up of officers, will assess applications and make recommendations to Nick Wright.
• A Community Transport Grants Panel will assess applications for Sustainable Transport grants.
• Applications for 0-19 grants will be considered by the Eden Locality Board Children and Young People Working Group.
• The Place Action Group allocation will be split equally between the 8 Place Action Groups in Eden.

Safe and Strong Communities

The Board considered a report that provided an update on the work of the communities team.

Place Based Activity and Community Development

The Board received an update on the final meetings of the existing Area Planning Groups for Appleby and Kirkby Stephen. These groups will now transition to become Place Action Groups (PAGs). The Board also heard that the Penrith Borderlands Town Team had met and agreed to form a working group to consider economic development in Penrith.

Place Action Groups

Nick Wright gave a brief overview of the status of the Place Action Group project in Eden. The Board heard that

8 PAGs will be embedded over the coming months

He explained the rationale for the groups:

PAGs are a trailblazing initiative for Westmorland and Furness Council being piloted in the Eden area. They will comprise key local stakeholders such as local authority representatives (town, parish and Westmorland and Furness), third sector and business players, community leaders and activists.

Living with poverty in Eden

The Board received an update on the work to consider the impact of living with poverty in Eden. The Board heard that

a piece of work has been commissioned to Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) alongside Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden (CACE) and Age UK

It heard that

10 semi-structured interviews have taken place with a range of agencies who have experience of working with and supporting local households experiencing poverty

as well as

personal interviews with those experiencing poverty themselves and how it has impacted their lives

Community Services and Libraries

The Board received an update on community service provision and the work of libraries across the area. The board heard that Adult Learning has joined the team in Penrith Library, and about a variety of activities being undertaken by Libraries and outreach projects. Members were told about a new app that Westmorland and Furness Council have launched to support Library users.

Locality Board Working Groups and Workshops

The Board were reminded that the Highways, Infrastructure and Connectivity Working Group had met on 21 March 2024, and heard that Members had attended a workshop about the Council's Community Power programme. Members were also updated about the Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+).

Community Grants and Local Investment

The Board received an update on the status of various Community grants programmes. Members were reminded that they had allocated £20,000 to support a Community Transport Grants Panel, and that the Panel had met and awarded all of the funds.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Members were updated about two successful bids to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). These included a £100,000 bid to improve events and festivals and a £200,000 bid for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Members agreed to appoint a representative to sit on a grants panel that will make decisions about the allocation of the funds.

The Board noted the contents of the report.