Hello everyone,
It’s been another busy week representing you on Westmorland and Furness Council, and I wanted to take a moment to update you on some of the key issues.
Why I Voted Against the Council Budget
This past week, I took the difficult decision to vote against the council’s budget. The reason is simple: I don’t believe it reflects the priorities of the people I represent.
The budget includes funding for a number of projects that, while ‘nice to have’, come at the expense of essential services. I believe more should be allocated towards priorities such as (but not limited to) fixing our roads, keeping our streets clean, properly funding children’s services and adult social care, and ensuring our bus services are adequately supported.
Time and again, residents ask me why they should continue paying their council tax when the council struggles to deliver its most basic responsibilities. Before pursuing ambitious schemes that may not deliver the impact they hope for, the council must focus on getting the fundamentals right. I also couldn't support a rise of 4.99% being placed upon council tax payers in Dalton North, nor the hike in the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner's precept - especially when one considers the circa £50,000 a year 'job for the boys' the PFCC has handed to their PR guru! That’s why I voted against the budget.
Tackling Dog Fouling in Askam and Ireleth
Moving on to more local matters, we’ve been out in Askam and Ireleth delivering 1,000 leaflets reminding dog owners to clean up after their pets – or face fines of between £100 and £1,000. It’s been great to see residents displaying the leaflets in windows and putting up signs to reinforce the message.
This has been a fantastic collaboration between the Parish Council, Westmorland & Furness Safe and Strong Team, and the community. Please, do the right thing – bag up your dog’s mess, take it home, and bin it. If you see someone failing to do so, please report it. We are serious about tackling this issue.
Seeing the start of the season of Lent at Ireleth St Peter's Church
It was great to pop along to Ireleth St Peter's on Wednesday evening to join the congregation for a service of Holy Eucharist as we see in the season of Lent. We recognised our need for forgiveness, to love others, and not to condemn.
This felt like a particularly poignant message which really cut through to me in my role as a local councillor. In the crazy world of politics we find ourselves very much in a 'cancel culture'. A culture which, in fact, isn't exclusive to politics. I endeavour to refrain from the cancel culture, for the impact it has on people's mental health and wellbeing. This extends to councillors who, it has been reported, are in arrears with their council tax. Whilst I absolutely accept that this in the public interest, we do not know the circumstances of people getting into arrears with their council tax, and the unintended consequence of the constant public reporting, debate, and questioning of this on social media and the likes is that the person concerned, their family and friends also bare some of the brunt of some pretty despicable things being said (often made up or half truths) and I simply think we're much better than that.
Father Tom is doing a wonderful job since he has come into post, overseeing both St Mary's church in Dalton, and St Peter's church in Ireleth. I'm pleased to be supporting Ireleth St Peter's this year from my Members' Locality Budget by granting them a sum to help them complete their stain glassed window repair. St Peter's is such an important building for our community, and I find it's calming and peaceful environment the ideal place to reflect and find peace. I wish you all a happy and peaceful season of Lent, and Easter time.
Concerns Over the King Charles Coastal Path
Many of you have raised concerns about the work being carried out on the King Charles Coastal Path project at both Sandscale and The Lots in Askam. The approach, to put it kindly, appears to have been somewhat ‘gung-ho’, and people are rightly worried about the impact on local habitats and our natural landscape.
I have taken these concerns directly to council officials and am meeting with the Project Manager on Friday. I will keep you updated on any developments.
Celebrating Askam’s 160th Anniversary
This year is a significant one for Askam as we celebrate 160 years since its founding in 1865. It’s also:
• 155 years since the opening of the Methodist Church on Duddon Road in 1870
• 120 years since the library opened on Lord Street in Askam
To mark these milestones, the Askam History Group is holding a ‘Looking Back’ Exhibition on Saturday 12th April, from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm at Duddon Road Church (LA16 7AF). There will be refreshments throughout the day and music from Mark Latimer. If you’re free, it would be wonderful to see you there.
On the subject of churches – they are at the heart of our communities, much like pubs. Use them or lose them. If you can, please support Ireleth St Peter’s CofE and Askam Methodist Church.
Support our bus services
We're fortunate in Askam and Ireleth to have not one but two number 7 bus services! We have the X7, operated by Blueworks, which is a fantastic service operating on Wednesdays and Fridays. Earlier on last year Stagecoach won a contract to service Millom School and, thanks to this, we now have the 7 bus service operating Monday to Saturday. Please use our bus services if you are able to. It's a really low cost method of transport, capped at just £3 one way, and is a much more social way to commute.
Children, Young People, and Families Scrutiny Advisory Board
Some news to share - in January I was honoured to be voted in as the new chair of the Children's, Young People, and Families Scrutiny Advisory Board. Scrutiny plays such a vital role in being a constructive, critical friend to the administration.
As part of our work programme we're looking at a range of council policies including Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing, funding for SEND, Children's Services, Alternative Provision, and much much, more besides. Throughout the remainder of this Council, I'll be chairing four meetings a year and joining the Overview and Corporate Scrutiny panel to be a champion for Children, Young People, and Families in Council. If you'd like to scrutinise our work or suggest a programme we could look at then please don't hesitate to contact me in the usual way. You can follow our work programme on the Council's website at https://westmorlandandfurness.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=259
Ireleth Road Corner - Flooding
Whilst I was out and about delivering our local newsletter this last week, a number of people mentioned the perennial flooding issue on the corner of Ireleth Road, near the junction to the level crossing. This issue has been caused by a fibre broadband provider. The Council's streetworks team have instructed the company to repair the damage, and I understand that this will now be concluded this week (w/b 10/3). I'll keep on at this as I am well aware it's been dragging on for long enough now, and I'll keep you posted with the progress we're making.
Marking International Women’s Day
On Sunday, we celebrated International Women’s Day. There are so many incredible women in my life – too many to name and thank individually. However, I want to pay special tribute to my number one fan (my mum!), my incredibly supportive wife, my sister, and all the brilliant women I work alongside to help improve our community.
A Tragic Loss in Kendal
Finally, I want to take a moment to reflect on the deeply tragic incident that occurred in Kendal last week. Children should be able to play sport in a fun, inclusive, and above all, safe environment. The loss of a young life while playing the sport they loved is truly devastating. My thoughts and prayers are with Poppy’s family, and all those affected by this tragedy. I hope they can all find some comfort in the outpouring of grief and support coming in from across the country.
Get in Touch
As always, if you need my help or have suggestions for how we can improve our local area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
I’ll be back next week with another update.
Best wishes,
Ben Shirley
Councillor for Dalton North, Westmorland and Furness Council
