Councillor Tim Pickstone

Report to Arthuret Parish Council – September 2026

Councillor Tim Pickstone, Cumberland Councillor for Longtown Ward

Borderlands and the Community Centre

The first part of the Borderlands investment in Longtown – the interior refurbishment of the Community Centre – is in the final stages of being signed off by the Borderlands Board. Once that approval is confirmed, the project will move into its final design, contract and build stage, with completion hopefully in 2027.

Attention now turns to the second phase of the Borderlands investment: work to improve the A7 corridor through the town. A meeting of the Borderlands Town Team steering group is taking place on 24 September 2026 to begin this process. We are hoping to widen the group slightly, in particular to bring in some of the businesses along the A7. If the Parish Council would like to strengthen its own representation, or to suggest other people who should be involved, please do not hesitate to let the team know.

Longtown Extended Services Group

Both the Longtown Business Group and the Longtown Extended Services Group meet on Monday 7 September 2026. We will be reviewing the successful summer’s ‘Esk Vibe’ event and looking forward to events next summer, including the Tour de France. Esk Vibe, held on 1 August 2026, was very well attended and a great example of collaboration between local businesses, the councils and community organisations.

A7 Resurfacing – Road Closure

Residents should be aware that the A7 at Longtown is due to be resurfaced by Balfour Beatty, with a full overnight closure expected from 13 September 2026, over a period of around five days. The closure runs on the A7 from its junction with the A6071, extending approximately 870 metres to the south-east. A signed diversion will be in place via the A7, A689, C1022, C1015 and A6071 (temporary order reference TTROC/19534). As always, access for residents and the emergency services will be maintained wherever it is safe to do so, and I will share any updates as the works are confirmed.

Rural Carlisle Speed Review

The informal consultation on the North Cumberland Speed Limit Review is now live. It covers 22 proposed Traffic Regulation Order changes across North Cumberland and runs until 14 September 2026. The proposals and supporting plans can be viewed at http://www.cumberland.gov.uk/proposedtros, and comments can be sent by email to TROresponses@cumberland.gov.uk, quoting the relevant proposal number and location.

None of the proposals falls specifically within Arthuret Parish. This is largely because the main speeding concern locally – on the Brampton Road – is being addressed through a separate process, as the speed limit changes there will be funded by the housing developer as part of the estate conditions.

Hespin Wood Landfill

Members will be aware that Hespin Wood has been operating under a temporary stop on accepting new waste to the landfill, with the exception of soil. There have recently been some concerns that this may no longer be the case. I am looking into this and will report back to the Council once I have clarity.

Polling Stations Review

Cumberland Council has launched a review of its polling districts and polling places, to make sure that polling stations are well located, accessible and fit for purpose ahead of the May 2027 elections, when the whole council will be elected under its new ward boundaries, alongside the first election for the new Mayor of Cumbria and existing parish council elections. As Longtown Ward’s boundaries are unchanged, local arrangements are unlikely to alter significantly, but this is a good opportunity to raise any concerns about the accessibility or suitability of our local polling stations. Comments can be submitted until Friday 2 October 2026, and the Parish Council is itself a formal consultee.

Other Local Issues

There are a few other issues which I am continuing to pursue locally. These include the need for some sort of speed survey on the Carlisle Road immediately south of the Community Centre, the need for Cumberland to provide more street litter bins in the town and some recently raised concerns about the public toilets. Highways issues being pursued include the surfaces of St Michael’s Drive and also a number of road and pavement surface issues in the Lochinvar Close and Moor Road areas.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there are issues I can help with.