Coronavirus Update

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Coronavirus update

Access to testing Tests are now available for everyone in the UK, whether they have symptoms or not. The NHS website provides information on the different tests available, both for those with symptoms and without. You can also use this site to book a local test or arrange a home test kit.

Our organisational arrangements Our Coronavirus public information web page has all the latest on our services, and on our support for businesses and communities. We can be contacted here, and there is currently no public access to our offices and buildings.

Car parking In line with the easing of Government restrictions, standard parking charges now apply for all users of our car parks.

Community facilities Copeland Pool and Fitness Centre, Whitehaven Sports Centre, Cleator Moor Activity Centre and The Beacon Museum are all open to the public.

Community based support Our Directory of Community Groups and Services lists groups and activities that can offer practical help or support your health and wellbeing. Cumbria County Council has also produced a leaflet of support services.

General support If you need support, please contact the Cumbria County Council helpline on 0800 783 1966 or at [email protected], or see our leaflet.

NHS Covid-19 app The NHS Covid-19 app, available to download for free, is the fastest way to see if you're at risk from coronavirus. The app includes contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check- in. Click here to find out more.

Support payments for self-isolation We offer support payments for those financially affected by self-isolation. This can include being affected by a child self-isolating.

Lockdown The Government has set out its roadmap out of lockdown with a gradual easing of restrictions concluding no earlier than July 19. We are currently in Step 3 of lockdown restrictions, see further details of what you can and can't do here.

A word from Mike Starkie, Elected Mayor of Copeland

It was a proud day for Cleator Moor and Copeland last month when we received confirmation that a staggering £22.5 million of funding is heading the town’s way.

The successful bid to the Government’s Towns Deal has been devised by the community, for the community, and my congratulations and thanks go to everyone involved.

The Towns Board – chaired by Kayleigh Daniels and including community representatives from business, youth, sport, education, faith and the three tiers of

council – has driven this successful bid.

With the support of Copeland Council and MP Trudy Harrison, the community has laid out its own vision for the town and it’s wonderful news that has been validated with this significant funding offer from Government that will be matched by millions more in private sector funding.

In the pipeline are the redevelopment of the Leconfield Industrial Estate and a multi- purpose centre for sports and recreation, as well as improvements to the walking and cycling network and aesthetic improvements to the Square and buildings. It won’t be an overnight transformation however, and the council and Town Board now have 12 months to work up the schemes in detail, but it’s a massive boost for all concerned.

Cleator Moor has been in the news lately – and deservedly so – but of course we have other major projects in the works for the rest of the borough. We’re hoping for a similarly successful outcome when the Government decision is made on Millom’s Towns Fund bid - we understand this will be announced in the next tranche in the coming months – and in Egremont, £3m of Borderlands funding has already been secured for the town.

In Whitehaven, I am confident the fantastic bus station development and the imminent coastal activity centre The Edge will be the trigger for significant regeneration. Land and buildings that were previously in private ownership and have been left to run into disrepair (including the former Whittles building) have been acquired by BEC or Copeland Council ourselves, with a view to continuing the redeveloping of our town centre.

Multi-million-pound funding deal for Cleator Moor

In partnership with the Cleator Moor Town Fund Board, we have been successful in our initial application to the Government’s Towns Fund and have been offered investment of £22.5 million for the town.

We were invited to bid for funding on behalf of Cleator Moor (incorporating Cleator) in January last year, and a Town Deal Board made up of community representatives has worked with the support of the council to produce its Town Investment Plan.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced the funding for Cleator Moor, and the Town Board and ourselves now have a short window to formally accept the outline offer, followed by a further year of work to develop the projects to the point of investment.

View the full story here.

Accelerated funding projects now complete

A million-pound package of community improvement projects has been completed in Cleator Moor and Millom.

We successfully applied for £500,000 for each town at the end of 2020 and have used the grants to fund – or part- fund – key projects across both areas. This has included significant upgrades to sporting, leisure and play facilities, improvements to the cycling and walking infrastructure, and a cultural/digital trail.

We received the accelerated Government grants to fund immediate projects in each town while full investment plans were being developed by the respective Town Deal Boards.

View the full story here.

Funding bid submitted for Cleator Moor innovation project

We have submitted a Levelling Up Fund bid for a Cleator Moor Innovation Quarter (CMIQ), which will act as the campus for the Industrial Solutions Hub (ISH).

CMIQ aims to build upon the considerable interest in the ISH and in Leconfield Industrial Estate, augmenting the successful Town Deal application for Cleator Moor and our purchase of the Leconfield site.

CMIQ will open up an additional 400 per cent of developable space, enabling high quality facilities for skills and training, research, development, innovation, testing and manufacture. It will include enhanced community facilities and improved connectivity with Cleator Moor town and the broader region, as well as providing considerable employment opportunities for local people.

The total grant funding sought by the project is £14m.

Green change for garden bins

From now on, any new garden bins will be green, rather than the current brown colour.

Your existing brown bins will remain in use, and will be collected in exactly the same way. They will not be replaced with green bins until each brown bin reaches the end of its useful life.

You can check when your garden, household waste and recycling collections are at www.copeland.gov.uk.

Our Planning team among the UK's best

We are proud to announce that we have one of the highest planning application approval rates in the country – and we credit our free pre-application advice service for this success.

We approved 99 per cent of planning applications in 2020/21. We believe the preliminary discussions offered to agents and applicants ahead of an application being lodged helps identify issues that may stand in the way of planning permission being granted, and allows them to be resolved early in the process.

We also had one of the highest rates nationally for the speed in which we made decisions on planning applications in 2020/21, far exceeding government-set targets.

View the full story here.

Community full of praise for council

We received almost twice as many compliments from residents in 2020/21 as we did in the previous year.

We formally recorded 106 compliments in the past year, new figures show, compared to 62 over the previous 12-month period.

Compliments ranged from the level of care given to parks and open spaces and the high standard of street-cleaning and environmental protection, to the quality of communications and customer service and the efficiency of our planning service. Our Bereavement Services team was also widely praised for its virtual Christmas memorial service.

The highest number of compliments this year were received by our Waste and Recycling team for their dedication at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and our Revenues and Benefits teams for the speed and efficiency of processing business and support grants.

View the full story here.

Green fingered volunteers needed

We are appealing for volunteers to help make improvements to some of our nearly 100,000 square miles of open spaces.

We are searching for volunteers of all ages and abilities to help:

• Plant trees and create community woodlands • Cultivate Copeland’s nature reserves

• Improve the grounds of Distington Walled Gardens and Whitehaven Cemetery • Research and apply for funding opportunities not available to the council

View the full story here. Anyone who is interested in getting involved should email [email protected] or call 01946 598300.

Success for first Young Entrepreneurs Market

Our first Young Entrepreneurs Market has been hailed a resounding success – and our next one will take place on July 10.

The first market was held on Whitehaven’s King Street on June 12 and featured 14 young stallholders selling everything from

cakes, candles and crafts to clothing, jewellery, gifts and paintings.

All stallholders reported strong sales, and many town centre shops and cafes reported an upturn in trade as a result of the increased footfall. Live music was performed by Zoe Warren, Chloe Fawcett and Grace Price.

Stallholders aged 25 and under receive a pitch for free and this initial launch stage of the market. For more information, email [email protected]. View the full story here.

Residents supported to live safely and independently

We have supported more than 130 residents to live safely and independently in their own homes during the last year, new figures reveal.

We administered 133 Disabled Facilities Grants in 2020/21. These allow homes to be adapted to suit the occupant’s needs, often in response to a change in mobility levels, an accident or ill health

Our team worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued to help vulnerable people through the lockdowns, working closely with contractors and the Occupational Therapy teams We were also involved in helping people come home from hospital and carried out emergency works. One example was the installation of a bespoke stairlift within five days, while other adaptations have included the installation of through-floor lifts, ramps, adapted bathrooms, wider doors and extensions.

For the full story click here.

People's Panel on Climate Change launched

A new residents’ panel on climate change is being created to help shape Copeland’s response to the environmental crisis.

We are forming a People’s Panel of randomly selected residents who will meet, debate and make recommendations to us and other organisations on where our priorities should lie to achieve becoming a net-zero carbon borough.

Shared Future CIC is working with us to deliver this project. It has selected a sample of several thousand households in Copeland reflecting the diversity of the population, both in terms of demographic make-up and opinions on climate change.

Once the 30-member panel is formed, it will meet up to 10 times in online and face-to-face meetings over the summer months and make a series of recommendations at the conclusion.

View the full story here.

Our team keeps beaches in shape

Our seasonal beach cleaners are back in action as the weather warms up and people are getting out and about on our beautiful coast.

Please help them by not dropping litter, and taking your rubbish home if the bin is full.

View the full story here.

Jobseekers explore the gaming industry

Unemployed Copeland residents have been exploring the video games industry, and how to make a career in it.

The Copeland Work and Skills Partnership, led by us, organised the online session with East Yorkshire games programming company BetaJester Ltd.

It helped participants understand the different roles in the gaming industry, and the skills required to do the jobs.

They also heard how gaming is a fast-growing industry which welcomes people from other sectors, and learned of online courses that can help contribute towards a career in this industry.

View the full story here.

Annual electoral canvass under way

We are urging residents to ensure they are registered to vote.

We have started our annual canvass - it helps us keep our electoral register up to date, and allows people to get registered so they can take part in elections.

The canvass asks you to confirm your details, or make any changes, so that they can be included on the register before local elections in May 2022.

As before, we are using electronic means, such as email and text messaging, to simplify the process. Letters will be sent to those who we do not hold email addresses or mobile numbers for.

More information is available here.

Vacancies

 Planning Enforcement Officer  HGV Drivers  Waste Management Operatives

Shop Local campaign

Our Shop Local campaign continues to promote and support Copeland's business community. For more information on the campaign and how to access our support, click here.

We have four directories with details of firms across Copeland. They cover retail, health and beauty, food, and services and tradespeople.

Please visit and follow our dedicated Shop Local Facebook page for a wealth of advice and information.

We also have a page of information to assist businesses who have reopened - or are considering reopening - comply with Covid regulations and guidance.

The Beacon Museum

The world of medieval medicine is now on offer for daring museum visitors.

People can discover the often gruesome cures used in Medieval England by five historical medical practitioners.

Tales from a barber surgeon, an apothecary, a cunning woman, a religious figure and a physician showcase the archaic and diverse approaches to medical treatment in the middle ages.

The exhibition runs until September 5. Contact the Beacon Museum for further information on 01946 592302 or at [email protected].

Students takeover the museum

The museum was taken over by The Whitehaven Academy students on Friday, June 25.

The museum was taking part in the national Kids in Museums Digital Takeover Day, when young people take over the social accounts of museums,

galleries, historic homes, archives and heritage sites across the UK.

The Whitehaven Academy pupils spent the day exploring all four floors of the museum, discovering ancient artefacts, and donning historical costumes.

The performing arts and creative media students created content for social media, bringing history to life through the museum’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Rediscover Copeland's history

A photographic trip through Copeland's past will soon be on offer for Beacon Museum visitors.

The Rediscover Copeland exhibition includes the work of local photographer, Ivor Nicholas, and showcases the borough's towns and villages in the 1950s and 60s.

In addition to Mr Nicholas' fascinating pictures, there will be Copeland images dating back as far the 1890s, from the Sankey family. These have been curated as part of a volunteer project with Signal Film and Media, and many have never been on display before.

Rediscover Copeland runs from July 10 until October 3. For more about the exhibition, visit www.thebeacon-whitehaven.co.uk.

Food premises gradings

During June, our Environmental Health team awarded eateries in the borough the following gradings (out of a maximum five) for their food hygiene standards. A full list of inspection reports is available at http://ratings.food.gov.uk.

 Millom Hospital, Lapstone Road, Millom - 5  The Chase Hotel, Corkickle, Whitehaven – 5  Tesco Family Dining Ltd, Bransty Row, Whitehaven – 5  St Philips Care, Kirksanton – 5  King George IV, Eskdale – 5  The Hungry Camper, Dalegarth, Boot – 5  Pavilion Hotel, Duke Street, Millom – 5  Haverigg Working Mens Club, Main Street, Haverigg – 5  Knights of St Columba Club, Queen Street, Millom – 5  The Crown, Bowthorn Road, Cleator Moor – 5  Broadgate House, Thwaites – 5  Tiny Toes Nursery, Ennerdale Mill, Egremont – 5  Lakeland Red Coffee, Petton Place, Gosforth – 5  Gosforth School, Gosforth – 5  Bradbury House, Wasdale Road, Gosforth – 5  Fidz Foods, Gosforth Road, Seascale – 5  Bridge Café, St Georges Road, Millom – 5  Thwaites School, Hallthwaites, Millom – 5  Haven Care Centre Ltd, St Bees Road, Whitehaven – 5  Joe Bananas, Duke Street, Whitehaven – 5  The Pack Horse, Lowther Street, Whitehaven – 5  King Wok, Gosforth Road, Seascale – 5  Low Cockhow, Kinniside – 5  Millom Conservative Club, Lapstone Road, Millom – 5  Holmrook Service Station, Holmrook – 5  The Original Becky Bakes, Wasdale Park, Seascale – 5  Burnthwaite Farm, Wasdale Head, Seascale – 5  Royal British Legion, King Street, Cleator – 5  Sproats Newsagents, Ennerdale Road, Cleator Moor – 5  Tivoli Guest House, Queen Street, Whitehaven – 5  The Candlestick, Tangier Street, Whitehaven – 5  Puncheon Inn, Chapel Street, Whitehaven – 5  Chestnuts, Low Moresby – 5  Campus Whitehaven, Red Lonning, Whitehaven – 5  Moresby RUFC, Moresby Parks – 5  Frizington Community School, Main Street, Frizington - 5  Frizington Nursery School, Main Street, Frizington – 5  Home Baking, Woodlea Grove, Goose Butts – 5  Nisa, Leconfield Street, Cleator Moor – 5  The Rum Story, Lowther Street, Whitehaven – 5  Wath Brow Hornets RLFC, Cleator – 5  St Bees Village School, Main Street, St Bees – 5  La’al Tattie Bar, Duke Street, Whitehaven – 5  Busy Bees Day Nursery, Rosehill, Moresby – 5  The Potting Shed, The Woolly Farm, Santon Bridge – 4  Seacote Hotel, Beach Road, St Bees – 4  Mr Wok’s Thai Orchid, Lapstone Road, Millom – 4  Curry Spice, Market Square, Millom – 4  Chattanooga, Main Street, Egremont – 3  Summergrove Halls, Hensingham – 2  Silecroft Beach Café, Silecroft – 1

Planning latest

Our planning department approved a number of applications during June, including:  Change of use for land at Sneckyeat Road, Hensingham, for a hospital staff car park  Outline permission for three homes on land adjacent to Tanglin, Jacktrees Road, Cleator Moor  Permission for a terrace of five houses at Lindow Street, Frizington

You can view or comment on planning applications here. A list of all applications received and decisions made is published weekly here.

Wage subsidies on offer for Copeland businesses

Parliamentary boundary consultation

The Boundary Commission for England has published its initial proposals for new constituency boundaries across England. The proposals and maps for the nine English regions under review – including Cumbria – are now available at www.bcereviews.org.uk

The public consultation lasts until August 2. The public can see what their new constituencies might look like, and give their views on the proposals.

Residents' Week - a reminder

Are you a business owner? Or do you know one? Please tell them about Residents’ Week 2021, run by Cumbria Tourism.

Between October 2 and 10, businesses will offer locals a prize draw ticket whenever they spend £10. Prizes will include overnight stays, gift vouchers, attraction tickets and meals.

The promotion is for all types of businesses, not just those thought of as 'tourism' businesses.

Once shoppers have made a qualifying

purchase, they will be given a code to enter at a website. Businesses interested in taking part just need to provide a prize, and can sign up here, or find out more by emailing our Tourism Development Officer, [email protected].

The promotion is for all types of businesses, not just those thought of a 'tourism' businesses.

Latest GDF news

Continuing Government restrictions mean roadshows planned by the Geological Disposal Facility Working Group have been postponed.

The group is now reconsidering its plans and hopes to run the exhibition roadshows as soon as it is safe to do so.

Meanwhile, the latest edition of the group's newsletter can be found here. You can hear from Matt Aukett, Chair of the Cumbria branch of the Nuclear Institute, and there is also the regular Open to Question section.

GLL

GLL runs Whitehaven Sports Centre, Copeland Pool and Fitness Centre and Cleator Moor Activity Centre on behalf of Copeland Council. For more information visit its website.

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