Castletown BUZZ

17/12/2024

Bus news .....

16/12/2024

Missing Person Appeal for teenager missing from Penrith

11/12/2024

It is now 24/7 !

11/12/2024

11/12/2024

This is a tiny percentage of the £monies taken by the town council from the local resident community through its town council tax precept levy. The overwhelming amount of OUR council tax levy £money is used by the council for itself.....offices and salaries for seven staff ! This leaves the amount of OUR £money available to go back into OUR resident community, as above, tiny ! Then town council makes out we should be grateful ! Shameful and disrespectful.

Penrith Town Council has announced fresh funding of £15,000 for the improvement or creation of play areas in each of Penrith’s six wards within the Penrith Town Council area: Penrith North, Penrith South, Penrith West, Penrith East, Penrith Carleton and Penrith Pategill. That's a total of £90,000 allocated towards play area improvements in Penrith.

The Council is pleased to announce that funding has already been agreed to enable the following projects:

Penrith Carleton - £15,000 contribution to the Carleton Park Recreation Group towards the creation of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) at Carleton Park. This funding will enable a £90,000 scheme to progress to tender.
Penrith Pategill – £8,000 contribution to the Pategill Residents and Tenants Association towards the improvement of Pategill Park Play Area. This funding will enable a £50,000 scheme to progress to tender.
Thanks to Penrith Town Council’s funding, these projects will now be brought forward and started in the new year. The funding for Penrith Carleton has now been allocated, with £7,000 remaining in the Penrith Pategill play area development fund should any other projects in the ward be brought forward.

Cllr Doug Lawson, Chair of Penrith Town Council & Penrith Mayor said:
“I am pleased to see the Council establish this exciting fund for Penrith.

“Play areas are generational – children create memories at play areas, grow-up, bring their own children to those same play areas - who in turn create new memories! So, it is fantastic to see a fund being established for Penrith which will ensure all children in Penrith have access to fun, safe, and inclusive play spaces!

“I hope to see lots of projects come forward during this term of council, with Carleton and Pategill already leading the way!”

The Council will in due course be looking to work with local communities to develop projects for play areas and seek to maximise this funding.

11/12/2024

Seems school bus service council axed, could be on its way back ! ! !
'Hi Castletown BUZZ....the much requested North Lakes Primary School bus will be reinstated as a part of the 105 Greystoke service that will be launched. Kind Regards, Nic, Westmorland & Furness Council'.

We're excited to share our ambitious plans to transform bus services across Westmorland and Furness! 🚌

Thanks to £1.7 million of Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) funding awarded to our council by the Department for Transport, 20 new and enhanced bus routes will hit the roads next year bringing meaningful improvements to public transport.

From Spring 2025, these changes will make buses more accessible for everyone, including those in our rural areas by providing better access to employment, education, and essential services.

Here's what is coming:

✅ 11 brand-new bus routes serving local communities until Spring 2026, shaped by feedback from over 2,000 residents during our public consultation
✅ 9 council-funded services continuing to run until November 2025.

Our plans include new community driven services, just like the 105 Greystoke service that will include the much requested reinstatement of the North Lakes Primary School route, helping young people travel safely and reliably.

We’re also exploring enhanced bus services for Sedbergh through our Community Transport Team, aiming to maintain a reliable six-day-a-week service after the current Stagecoach 563 commercial contract ends.

We’ve prioritised routes based on value for money and their potential to become commercially viable or require less subsidy once short-term funding ends. Additionally we're planning six seasonal services to boost access to the Lake District for visitors and hospitality workers.

Our commitment is clear, to build a sustainable, accessible bus network that meets the needs of our communities, now and in the future.

A big thank you to the residents, councils, businesses, and partners who contributed to shaping these plans! 👏

To learn more about the funded routes visit the news section of our website.

10/12/2024

📢 HWRC Christmas Opening Hours

Our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) are open as usual over the festive period.

The exceptions are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day when all HWRCs will be closed.

Please note all our HWRCs will also be closing at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

04/12/2024

Encourage ALL to follow this link from the Environment Agency https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/waste/information-about-omega-proteins-at-penrith/
It confirms what is happening and the EA's important role. Also, a link to an online odour reporting form/survey.
Meanwhile, please remember the 24/7 odour report number for the EA is 0800 80 70 60.
This campaign continues to liaise positively with the EA, our 'new' MP and Westmorland & Westmorland and Furness Council environmental health, to tackle and find an answer to the continuing problem of odour pollution and other (unknown) pollution risks in our local (Penrith) area.
(Sadly, Penrith Town Council Cumbria and our local 'councillors' have taken themselves out of the discussion/dialogue/campaigning). Fresh AIR for Penrith

02/12/2024

Last week, we received, and published, a pic of chimney fire at Omega Proteins, Penrith. Westmorland and Furness Council has provided the following statement: ' The Council has received the following information from the Omega Proteins Ltd.........This was a controlled heat and pressure release through an emergency chimney following an extraction fan tripping on the site Energy Plant. This is a designed safety precaution; the installation is programmed to open the chimney should the extraction fan trip. The onsite Energy Plant Specialist restarted the extraction fan; this rectified the issue, and no further releases were noted. A thorough investigation has been completed following the incident, including continuous monitoring of the extraction fan. Site abatement equipment remained fully operational throughout. Although the fire brigade was called by a concerned member of the public, they were stood down without entering the site. The Environment Agency have been informed.'

Fresh AIR for Penrith thanks Westmorland and Furness Council for taking the matter seriously, contacting the company and providing a response.

30/11/2024

Penrith Town Council needs to explain defend the £thousands public purse cost. This while school bus services being axed !

Paddington had Thousands more Reasons Than Marmalade to Visit Penrith

30/11/2024

They visit Castletown every day for a bit of.......

29/11/2024

90 per cent....even more in Castletown...did NOT take part. Indicates the 'disconnect' between Penrith Town Council, its councillors, and residents/local community. Evidence £costly town council is irrelevant, unwanted and undeeded, particularly here !

Neighbourhood Plan Referendum Gains Yes Vote Win on Very Low Turnout

26/11/2024

A6 Closed between Penrith and Carlisle following Crash.

The A6 is closed between Stoneybeck and the Golden Fleece roundabout following a serious RTC emergency services are on the scene with the road closed in both directions to all traffic currently.

Road users are advised to follow the signed diversion via the M6.

Delays are expected as a result and drivers are advised to plan their journey.

22/11/2024

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal threats and lawsuits  filed to silence critical speech. They are used by oligarchs, public officials, sexual abusers, warlords and opaque business leaders, to target journalists, whistleblowers, campaigners, academics, s...

19/11/2024

On again tomorrow.....