At the last full meeting of Cumberland Council, myself and Liberal Democrat group colleagues asked a number for formal written questions. Here they are, with the answers:
Questions from Councillor Pickstone
Could Councillor Kelly, the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Planning update members on what the authority is doing to tackle the problem of ‘fly-camping’ (illegal and irresponsible camping) that is blighting some of our most important natural landscapes?
Cumberland Council introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in November 2024 to provide the necessary powers to manage issues of concern. Since then, we have undertaken a number of joint patrols with partner organisations to engage directly with those camping in sensitive areas.
It is important to emphasise that the presence of a tent or campervan on a lakeshore, field, or similar location is not, in itself, a breach of the PSPO. For enforcement to apply, there must be evidence of anti-social behaviour, or a likelihood of it occurring.
Our Enforcement Team has engaged with many individuals and groups, issuing fixed penalty notices where breaches have taken place, and also making use of restorative justice outcomes. For example, one group received a fine and made a donation to the John Muir Trust to replace damaged trees. Just this past weekend, a group of young men from Wigan were required to carry out litter picking around Ennerdale Lake after leaving a mess during their camping trip. The Enforcement Team escorted them for 12 miles and collected every piece of litter.
The Council is committed to protecting and respecting our outstanding natural landscapes. We will continue to take firm action against those who cause harm, while also leading the way nationally in encouraging behaviour change to safeguard these places for the future.
I asked a supplementary question about the actual number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued. The answer was:
Using Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) has proven to be an effective and proportionate way to deal with offences quickly, avoiding the need for lengthy and expensive court proceedings. Over the past year, 197 FPNs have been issued, showing the council’s strong commitment in maintaining clean, safe, and respectful public spaces for everyone to enjoy.
Could Councillor Cannon the Portfolio Holder for Financial Planning and Assets update members on the progress that has been made to deliver on the recommendations made by both our external auditors and the external reviews undertaken by CIPFA? In particular what actions are outstanding?
As part of our commitment to be a ‘learning organisation’ on a journey of improvement and transformation, the Council has taken the recommendations from our external auditors, CIPFA’s assurance reviews, MHCLG, and the independent Improvement Panel to prepare a consolidated single Improvement Plan. The Improvement Plan sets specific objectives and action plans across a range of key priorities including financial management and sustainability, ICT, people and culture, asset management, performance, commercialisation and more.
The Audit Committee approved the Improvement Plan on 28 April 2025. A copy of the Improvement Plan and progress update was included in the published papers for that meeting. Since then, updates have been reported at the Senior Leadership Team meeting on a monthly basis. Progress reports are brought to each monthly meeting of the Improvement Panel for review, check and challenge and, thereafter, to the Audit and Risk Committee as part of regular reporting, most recently on 1 September 2025. Members of that Committee asked for the Improvement Panel Chair’s report to be referred to Council and you will see it is on the agenda today.
Since the last Improvement Panel, the following updates have been made to the plan:
- Ongoing discussions with external auditors, training, and development of a timetable associated with completion of statutory accounts;
- Revisions to the MTFS and Capital Programme are ongoing through strategic planning processes and are on-track following Fair Funding consultation and Government Spending Review;
- Reports on proposals to generate capital receipts through assets disposals were approved by Executive in July 2025;
- Recruitment to the Council’s leadership structure is now complete. A start date in October 2025 has been agreed with the Chief Officer for Innovation and Commercial;
- Alignment of our performance framework and council priorities has been achieved through development of the Council Plan Delivery Plan 2025-27.
While many of the actions will be completed within this year, it is recognised that this plan can act as a catalyst for development of medium and long term activity on the Council’s continued improvement and transformation. As such, priorities and actions to extend over the next 24-36 months are currently being developed as part of our strategic planning processes with reference to the MTFP, directorates’ Service Plans and transformation plans and the ongoing work of the Improvement Panel. Longer term activity will be incorporated and implemented into the Improvement Plan on an ongoing basis, subject to regular review, reporting and monitoring.
Separately, the Audit and Risk Committee received a report from the s151 Officer to its meeting on 1st September. In that report, she set out the progress which has been made in responding to the statutory recommendation issued by Grant Thornton focusing on strengthening financial reporting capacity and accelerating the completion of the 23/24 and 24/25 statement of accounts.
Question from Councillor Dobson
At the 29th April Meeting of Council a motion concerning VE and VJ Day was passed unanimously. The following day I requested that the Roll of Honour Board for Carlisle City Corporation employees who died in the Second World War be moved from an obscure alcove in the Civic Centre reception to a more prominent location.
Will the Leader confirm that the Roll of Honour work will be moved in time for this year’s remembrance events in November?
I can confirm that officers have considered the location of the Roll of Honour Board. The Board is in an accessible location within the Civic Centre reception area, there are no immediately obvious locations to relocate it and whilst it is not in an overtly prominent position the location is considered to be reflective and respectful, positioned away from the day to day activities and noise that is sometimes experienced around the customer service desks ensuring that anyone seeking to view the Board can do so in a calm environment.
Question from Councillor Wernham
The Public Account Committee report (Feb 2025) found the Government’s NHS Dental Recovery Plan has failed, with dental activity projected to rise by only 1%. In Cumberland, access is dire: only one NHS practice is listed as taking patients, with a four-year wait for check-ups—creating a “dental desert.”
The Council has previously debated this issue, written to NHS England and Government, and convened a Scrutiny Task Group that made recommendations on workforce, contracts and prevention. Yet no improvement has been seen locally.
Has the Leader taken any further action in the past 12 months to secure regular, preventative NHS dental care—especially for lower-income residents?
It is clear that access to NHS dentistry is inadequate in Cumberland, as indeed it is throughout the whole country, and as Cllr Wernham says, the Council has made this very clear through discussion at full Council, through Scrutiny, and through the Health and Wellbeing Board. However unfortunately securing access to NHS dental care is something that the Council has absolutely no control over. It is the role of NHS England, and now Integrated Care Boards, to commission dental services, but even they struggle to do so given the constraints of the national dental contract. So I’m afraid to say that there is nothing we can do locally to resolve this issue; it needs the NHS and dental organisations to negotiate effectively at national level to sort this out, and these negotiations are ongoing.
Question from Councillor Wills
Please can the Leader provide an update on the progress being made to reduce the number of agency staff being employed by Cumberland Council?
There are ongoing initiatives aimed at reducing reliance on agency workers. They include campaigns for overseas workers into permanent employment in Social Worker and Care Work in Adult Social Care and Children’s Services. Social Work Academies continue to bring in new cohorts of permanent employees and this will continue with planned activities for 2025/2026.
Recruitment campaigns for hard to fill posts will also continue with renewed activity to support any emerging changes to the recruitment market. All initiatives are monitored and reviewed to measure success and adapted and changed as required.
The Council continues with developing skills and ultimately filling permanent roles by internal and external apprenticeship routes. Further work will continue to develop graduates and career development pathways.
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