Area Planning

What’s happening in Carlisle?
Carlisle Local Committee has agreed the four priorities (below) and is now working on developing an Area Plan with specific actions for each theme:

Current action in Brampton
In Brampton we have used a tool called the Place Standard to work with our elected members, the Parish Council and the wider community to find out what works well in the community what could be improved and what not working well at all. This gives us a number of different insights into issues like traffic and movement, parking, services and facilities and overall community satisfaction with the area.

An event was held at Brampton Community Centre on Sunday 29 September. The findings from all of the above will inform future community planning.
The tool is now being used by the community in Botcherby.

Carlisle City Centre

  • Plans have been unveiled to revamp Carlisle Railway Station as part of the Borderland Groth Deal.
  • A consultation has recently taken place and will conclude in mid October seeking the view of station users, businesses and the wider community.
  • Plans include moving traffic from the current entrance to the rear of the site giving a much improved public realm.

Carlisle FareShare.

  • The Community Development team have been working closely with local groups and organisations to develop and support a FareShare scheme with Recycling Lives in Carlisle. FareShare is a national charity that rescues fresh in date food which is deemed to be surplus and would otherwise go to landfill and pass this onto not-for-profit organisations to provide food at a nominal fee.
  • The organisations that FareShare supplies food to provide life changing support -from breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children, to homeless hostels, community cafes and local charities.
    FareShare are a member of both the European Federation of Food Banks and The Global Food Banking Network. FareShare in Cumbria and Lancashire is managed by a regional centre in Preston currently operated by Recycling Lives, a metal and waste recycling business which sustains a social welfare charity.
  • The Community Development team identified a local food collection venue, facilitated discussions between interested organisations, and developed a partnership arrangement with FareShare and Recycling Lives and the food collection venue. Since opening in Carlisle, the scheme has a once a week food delivery to the food collection point at Pennine Way Primary School, Harraby.
  • Over the past 10 months, 22 organisations have signed up with the scheme as Community Food members (CFMs). These organisations include school breakfast clubs, youth projects, community centres, charities and church groups who work across Carlisle District. It is estimated through this scheme on average over 600 Carlisle households per week are benefitting from low-cost/free food.
    Organisations use the food in a variety from ways from luncheon clubs, community cafes, community fridges, cooking clubs etc. FareShare has calculated that the Carlisle scheme to date has prevented 37 tonnes of food going to Landfill, equating to 87,000 meals, with a retail value of £60k – £80k

 

Community Development – Mount Pleasant Road Community Group.

  • Over the past year, the Community Development team have been working with the Mount Pleasant Road Community Group on their community project ‘Living Stories’ aimed at residents living in the Currock and Upperby areas.
  • The team helped submit a successful grant bid to Peoples Health Trust, and the project also received funding from Carlisle Local Committee community grants and Carlisle City Council. The aims of the two-year project are to reduce social isolation and loneliness and to improve health and wellbeing of residents.
  • Residents played an integral role in the development of this project and worked with the project co-ordinator and freelance artists to develop activities that the local community wanted.
  • The community development team will support the project by working with the committee, residents and the project coordinator.
  • The ‘Living Stories’ element is to capture local stories from local people, encourage conversations about the area and people’s lives and build up a sense of community. The project hosts a weekly two hour session ‘chat & chomp’ for residents to meet up, enjoy a hot meal together and take part in different activities and socialise. It has hosted four community events with the last one being the Big Lunch in June.
  • During the first year of the project, 62 local residents participated: 60% of participants reported that they feel more connected within their community, and have had the opportunity to form new friendships with other participants as a result of taking part in this project; and that their social network has expanded through their involvement in this project.
  • Through wider engagement with local residents, the activities/events will grow in the second year so more residents can get involved and benefit from this project. A film has been produced to reflect the first year of the project; a further film will be produced in year two recording weekly activities and the community events

If you would like to know more/have any questions, the community development team can be contacted on 01228 226 747 or on the email addresses below:

Rhian Davies: Rhian.Davies@cumbria.gov.uk
Niall McNulty: Niall.mcnulty@cumbria.gov.uk
BrendaHebson:Brenda.hebson@cumbria.gov.uk