CALDBECK PARISH COUNCIL NEWS JULY 2021
The Parish Council meets on 21 June, after the deadline for Warnell Magazine. This news bulletin therefore gives an update on activity since the Annual Meetings reported in June’s Magazine.
Hesket Lonning Footpath – The Footpath Working Group has been examining the Matthew Rudding option. On 6 June the Parish Council’s barrister and the Working Group walked the Matthew Rudding and Hesket Lonning routes. Further work is underway in order to prepare a report for Mike Johnson, Allerdale’s leader, who will then consider the options and what support Allerdale should provide.
Caldbeck car parking problems – In light of the increased number of visits and associated car parking problems, on 14 June Parish Councillors and representatives from Caldbeck businesses met informally to discuss problems and consider possible solutions. The themes emerging were: encouraging more considerate car parking (not parking on pavements and not blocking junctions, using request signs to limit parking by the shop and businesses to 30 minutes); making better use of existing car parking areas (through unobtrusive indication of parking bays); and identifying additional car parking areas. Once these issues are decided, the Parish Council would prepare a map showing parking facilities and indicating whether parking is short term or all day. This would be displayed in the village and put on the Parish website which businesses could draw on for their own websites and information packs. The Parish Council will discuss these proposals at its meeting on 21 June and agree actions.
Caldbeck Public Toilets – The informal meeting on 14 June also considered the need to re-open Caldbeck public toilets. Businesses highlighted the unfair demands being placed on them and that it was imperative for public facilities to be made available. Allerdale closed the facilities following COVID but had already decided that it should not service the facilities as a a savings measure. It would though transfer the facilities to the Parish Council after upgrading them or provide a grant for upgrading/relocation. For some time the Parish Council has been seeking a site meeting with Allerdale’s Estates Manager to discuss whether the current facilities could be reopened prior to any upgrade and to agree any upgrade Allerdale would undertake and when. On 18 June a site meeting was held with Allerdale, the Parish Council, and the Parish Council’s would be contractor. The meeting was positive and the Parish Council will decide whether to go ahead with servicing Allerdale’s re-opened facilities. If all parties agree to the re-opening, details regarding upgrading and transfer of the facilities to the Parish Council would be decided over the next few weeks following final decisions on whether the facilities provide an acceptable long term option. That time would also allow for consideration of other options including the possible construction of new build facilities.
Parish Maintenance – The Parish has seen a fair degree of Highways repair work undertaken in recent weeks. Significant work has been carried out on Hesket Lonning, The Street, and Knocker Lane; a number of pot holes have been filled – Pasture Lane to Calebreck, Haltcliffe to Stone Ends, Friar Row, and Stadle Dykes; and further surface water/flood mitigation work has been carried out at Hesket Newmarket, including work around the Green and development site. There remains a list of other defects requiring attention but it is good to see the attention given to some of the Parish’s Highways priorities.
Purchase of National Park land in Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket including Hesket Newmarket Green and the various car parks in both villages – The Parish Council will consider the final details at its meeting on 21 June and agree whether to sign the purchase contract.
For further information, please contact Simon Smith:
Email: caldbeckparishclerk@gmail.com. Telephone: 016973 71008
