10th   This evening I attended the first tripartite meeting between Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council and Carlisle Parish Councils Association.   This meeting was preceded by the AGM of the Carlisle Parish Council Association where the Chairman’s report and the Treasurer’s report were given.   This was followed by the election of officers and representatives to the executive.   Finally nominations for Parish Council and Village Hal Grants were approved and the revised grant guidelines considered.   The new tripartite meeting had to approve the new format for future meetings before the City Council gave a presentation on the Metro Wifi project and Future Digital Developments and the County Council gave two presentations firstly on Connecting Cumbria and then the Potential for Coal and Shale Gas Exploration in Cumbrian Parishes.   The Carlisle Parish Councils Association requested updates and briefings on:- Devolving Services,Parish Charter, Local Plan Update, On street Parking Charges, Hadrian’s Wall, Concurrent Services Grant and finally Maintenance of Cycleways.   Hence a very busy and interesting evening.

11th   Back to the Civic Centre for a training session on Risk Management.   The session was given by a consultant from Gallagher Bassett and was aimed at members of the Audit Committee and the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Panel.   A very informative training session.

12th   I attended the second campaign meeting of the local Conservative Party in readiness for the General Election in six months time in the presence of our Member of Parliament, John Stevenson.  It was very well attended and much progress made as to the future.   We left just in time to be present at the monthly meeting of Wetheral Parish Council held at their offices.   The minutes of the Planning Committee and the Personnel Committee were approved and an update on the newly built Club House on the playing field in Wetheral given.   Reports from members of the City and County Councils were given as well as Parish Councillors on outside bodies before members asked for certain items to be put on the agenda for the next meeting in December.

13th   A special meeting of the Conservative Group of the City Council was held at the Civic Centre at 6.45 p.m. to approve the new amended Constitution of the Conservative Group; this took a very short period of time but left plenty of time to discuss the future of the group and its way forward on the Council.

14th   I had to sign some important cheques for the Carlisle and Eden Districts CAB