Report from your County Councillors

Windermere Library

The County Council is proposing to put forward a bid to the Big Lottery fund to improve Windermere Library. A meeting was held at the Marchesi on February 7th to explain about the proposal and to see if there was community interest and backing.

There was a good atmosphere at the meeting. Lots of people had ideas about how the library could develop to be a real community facility and asset.

Ideas ranged from making sure there was a toilet available through to adult learning facilities and space for arts and crafts. The support and enthusiasm was enough to encourage the officers to take away the ideas and commitments of help to work them into a bid. The bid needs to be in by the end of March, so cross your fingers and watch this space for more news. Someone has to be lucky and I know the officers will put a strong case together. If you have any comments or ideas contact Alan Welton by phone on 01228 607292 or send an email to alan.welton@cumbriacc.gov.

Braithwaite Fold Entrance

You may have picked up that the County Council's South Lakeland Local Committee has agreed the change to the entrance and making the site more accessible as a transport interchange will take place in the near future.

The change should mean a little two-way traffic on the Glebe at the junction with the A592 and we know there are concerns about this. Discussions with officers to try to get an exit onto Ferry Road will continue.

Green Council

We are now heading towards 40% recycling rates — a huge improvement over the last five years from 4% in 2001. The County Council buys mostly green electricity which helps it reduce its carbon footprint and has set itself targets to improve recycling within the organisation. It uses chilled tap water, instead of plastic bottled water, and Fairtrade teas and coffees at meetings.

A591 Junction & Windermere Town Centre Improvements

The County Council budget included over £680,000 towards this scheme and Cumbria Tourism has applied for European funding so that a package can be put together. The steps which this now will go through are:

An outline design will be ready in May. This will be used to undertake consultation with affected residents and businesses
This consultation will be fed back into the design for inclusion in the final scheme
Capita will complete a detailed design of the scheme
A public exhibition of the final scheme will take place once approved by the Windermere Masterplan Steering Group and South Lakeland Local Committee
Construction is programmed for October 2007 with completion by the end of March 2008.

Ellerthwaite Gardens and Square

The Library lottery bid has come at an interesting time because South Lakes Development Trust is using some of the North West Development Agency grant to fund a study of the area by consultants. Proposals and drawings are being looked at by a varied group of community members. This will help to develop a proposal which might attract even more funding as part of the Master Plan approach to Windermere. If you have ideas which you would like to contribute, please contact Bill Smith (bill@sldt.co.uk, 015394 40020)

Windermere & Staveley District Neighbourhood Forum

Grants this year have gone to:

Queens Park Playground
Staveley Village Enterprises
2nd Windermere Rainbows & Brownies
Orrest Green Drive Preservation Group
Windermere & Bowness Winter Lights
Bowness Bowling Club
Windermere District Rangers
Underbarrow & Bradleyfield Affordable Housing Group
Underbarrow Village Hall
The Marchesi Centre
Cumbria Rural Citizens Advice Bureau

The dates for your diary for the next forums are:

8^th May at Staveley Village Hall, 7pm
24^th July at the Ladyholme Centre, 7pm
2^nd October at Winster Village Hall, 7.30pm
5^th December at Ings Church Hall, 7pm
26^th February (2008) at St. Mary's Centre, 7pm