Cumbria: Westmorland and Furness Council decisions taken in 2024

Here is a lowdown of some of the key decisions taken by Westmorland and Furness councillors in 2024.

READ MORE: What bus services are set to be improved in Cumbria​?

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THE council gave the green light in July for over £1.5 million of government funding to be used to improve bus services in Cumbria.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council approved the allocation of £1.701 million from the Department for Transport for a number of routes across Cumbria.

The one-off funding is set to be used to improve bus services to link communities across the region.

Cabinet member for highways, assets and ICT councillor Peter Thornton said he hoped people use the supported routes as it would act as a ‘powerful incentive’ to keep them going forward.

READ MORE: Westmorland and Furness Council approves budget

In February, the council agreed to use over £10 million of reserves and raised council tax by nearly five per cent to reach a balanced budget in the 2024/25 financial year as the authority faced ‘significant budget pressures’.

Westmorland and Furness Council approved its budget for the financial year 2024/25 which included raising council tax by 4.99 per cent as well as implementing an empty homes premium of 100 per cent after one year and 300 per cent after 10 from April.

The council approved the introduction of a 100 per cent council tax premium on second homes from April 2025 and will raise fees and charges by 6.7 per cent. The authority also voted in favour of £110.51 million in capital spending over the 2024/25 financial year.

Cabinet member for finance councillor Andrew Jarvis said at a cabinet meeting: “We are already making progress in transforming our council but this budget provides the basis for the next steps to retain and further strengthen our services.”

The budget was approved in February (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: £30million A595 Grizebeck Improvement Scheme starts in September

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The council agreed in March to accept funding to carry out a major road upgrade in Cumbria.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council approved proposals to accept funding of £23.3m from the Department for Transport and delegate authority to officers to enter into a grant funding agreement.

Council documents say work on the A595 Grizebeck Improvement Scheme could start in September 2024 and will have a 22-month construction period which is programmed to finish in June 2026 – but the contractual completion date is May 2028.

The A595 Grizebeck Improvement Scheme is a proposed 1.4km single carriageway road between Chapels and Grizebeck on the A595. According to the report the road provides a ‘critical link’ for Cumbria.

READ MORE: Taxi fares in south Cumbria will increase from April

Fares increased on April 1

Members of the regulatory committee for Westmorland and Furness Council in March  approved to raise the maximum cost of taxi fares for hackney carriage vehicles by seven per cent from April 1, 2024.

According to a report prepared for committee members in November, the average cost of a two-mile daytime journey with no waiting time was £6.50 in Barrow, £6.60 in Eden and £6.70 in South Lakeland. This is lower than the national average of £6.97.

With the proposed increase, taxi fares will rise to £6.80 in Barrow, £6.80 in Eden and £7.20 in South Lakeland for the average cost of a two-mile daytime journey with no waiting time.

READ MORE: Westmorland and Furness council reveal climate change action

COUNCILLORS gave the green light in January to a range of measures designed to tackle climate change in Cumbria.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council approved a new carbon management strategy for 2024-2039 as well as part two of the authority’s climate change action plan on Tuesday January 23.

The council aims to reach net zero in terms of scope one and scope two emissions by 2037. This consists of direct emissions from buildings, plant and vehicles owned or controlled by the authority as well as indirect emissions associated with purchased energy consumed by the council.

According to council documents it’s estimated that to reach a net zero position for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2037 it will cost £26m, which equates to just over £2m annually.

When all the carbon reduction measures are complete, the council state estimated cost savings will be approximately £8.2m a year but this figure depends on energy prices.

READ MORE: Council reveals plans to stop using Kendal County Hall

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A major council building steeped in history will close its doors at the end of September for its current purpose.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council approved proposals to close the County Hall in Kendal, which was the headquarters of the former Westmorland County Council from 1939 to 1974, for its current purpose from September 30.

It was then used by Cumbria County Council until the shake-up of local government in 2023.

Now, Westmorland and Furness Council has set the ball rolling on closing it down and focusing instead on using South Lakeland House in Kendal town centre.

A report prepared for the cabinet states: “The building has potentially now passed a key point where all indicators point to a building that is physically, functionally, environmentally and economically obsolete.”

READ MORE: Plans for hundreds of new homes in Barrow take step forward

(Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

PLANS to build hundreds of homes in Barrow took a major step forward in January after councillors agreed to accept nearly £25 million in proposed government funding.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council unanimously approved proposals to accept £24.8 million of Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) funding from Homes England for the development of Marina Village.

The proposed development will consist of 808 new homes, a nature conservation area and new public open spaces. The council say the site will be capable of delivering a mix of housing types to include apartments as well as traditional housing, and both open market and affordable housing.