22nd My wife and I have been away for a long weekend break in the Lake District (Keswick), glorious weather sunny but cold with the hills covered in snow, very atmospheric; started to rain yesterday afternoon but fine in the morning. Now back home to check up on the gardener and also on the tree surgeon who is clearing Oak Bank, Scotby of self-seed saplings and other spindly trees as well as crown lifting trees at the village end of Park Road, Scotby and some branches from a sycamore tree on Scotby Village Green. This is being paid for by the City Council via my Small Scale Budget money that can be used for work that benefits the community. At 3 p.m. I was at the Village Hall, Scotby where Story Homes were having a public consultation meeting regarding the proposed development of 90 dwellings off the A69 end of Scotby Road. The meeting was well attended with residents giving their views, being on Development Control for the City Council I was unable to give my views but will await until a planning application is presented.
23rd Today it was back to the Civic Centre for 10 a.m. in order to travel with other members of the Development Control Committee to view some 7 contentious planning applications that will be determined in two days time. We travelled to Burgh Road Industrial Estate, Orton Grange, Harker Park, Rickerby, Heads Nook, Rosehill and finally Tyne Street, Carlisle. In the evening the AGM of the Wetheral Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Playing Field Association was held in the Pavilion. I am a member of the management committee being a Parish Councillor representative but also responsible for the purchase of the field as the Village Playing field in 1984. Chris Dodd, Parish Councillor for Great Corby was elected as Chairman for the current year, with the retiring Chairman, Giles Vasey, becoming Secretary. After the AGM a Committee Meeting of the Association was held to consider Terms and Conditions of Field use, Fees and Charges for 2017 and finally an update on Operational Issues.
24th The County Council Library Service today held a preview of their “Book Drop” at Cotehill Village Hall for the local residents to understand how it will work due to the removal of the mobile library service caused by financial cutbacks. I dropped in at 12 noon to speak to the organisers and ascertain how it works and if it is to be extended to other, larger villages in my Ward. By 1 p.m. I was back at the Civic Centre, Carlisle for a meeting of the Policy Group of the Conservative Councillors on the City Council. The meeting did not finish until 3 p.m. and I was supposed to be at Hexham, Northumberland at 4 p.m. for a meeting of the Stakeholders of the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership (TVCRP) of which I am also a member but decided not to go.
25th The Development Control pre-meeting was held at 9 a.m. at the Civic Centre with the meeting starting at 10 a.m. There were some 11 planning applications to be determined and two Tree Preservation Orders. I had to declare an interest in the applications at Harker Park, Carlisle as I knew one of the objectors, and the application at Rosehill, Carlisle as the owner of one of the buildings specified was known to me, both were personal and non-prejudicial. I also had to declare an interest regarding one of the Tree Preservation Orders as the applicant is the daughter of a neighbour, again personal and non-prejudicial. Seven of the applications were approved with two being deferred for further information and two deferred in order that a site visit be made. Both Tree Preservation Orders were approved. In the evening a meeting was held of the Executive of the Carlisle Conservative Party when the “Cumbria Conservative Together” scheme was approved. The candidates for the County Council Elections 2017 were ratified, and ideas for fund raising put forward. A financial report was also given.
26th Attended the Christmas Fair at Wetheral Community Village Hall.
27th Advent Sunday – We were at the 3 p.m. Service of Hope and Expectation for Advent at The Cathedral, Carlisle. This was a United Service of Anglican, Methodist, United Reform, Salvation Army, Baptist, Quaker, Border Kirk and Roman Catholic Churches. After the Advent Service there was a signing of a Declaration of Covenant Partnership (Churches Together in Cumbria). The service was attended by the Bishop of Carlisle, the Bishop of Penrith and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster as well as the local heads of other religious orders. The readings and prayers were shared by all the participating religions and the service well attended.