A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow BT Openreach to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 5th December 2023 and anticipated to take 2 days to complete.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction and any alternative routes which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://api-gb.one.network/downloads/tm/4587/site-notice_474ce6309c.pdf and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=135700127 

Location: a section of the C1039 Towngate, from its junction with the U3050, extending in a northerly direction for a distance of approx. 520 metres.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route for vehicles will be signed and available via the unrestricted section of the C1039, U3047 and U3050.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/8823

These leaflets may be of interest to residents:

• Cold to Cosy – free help and advice about heating homes
• Christmas Savings – Account from the Pennine Community Credit Union
• Credit Union Cumbria Flyer

This document describes the changes being introduced in law from The Representation of the People (Postal and Proxy Voting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which will begin to take effect from 31 October 2023.

In response to residents’ concerns that the old noticeboard was not in a safe location, Ainstable Parish Council has purchased a new board, made from low-maintenance recycled plastic. The board will be used for parish council notices as well as being freely available to the community.

We would like to thank the Vicar, Rev. Butterfield, and the PCC of Croglin with Renwick parish, and the Diocese of Carlisle for permission to site the board at the edge of the churchyard. We would also like to thank Calor Rural Community Fund, which awarded a grant of £500 towards the cost of the board, and the team behind The Helm project.

Ainstable Parish Council has achieved national recognition by being awarded the Foundation Level of the Local Council Award Scheme. This is an accreditation scheme for all parish and town councils run by the National Association of Local Councils whereby the achievements of the council are peer reviewed by a highly qualified panel. 

The Chief Officer of Cumbria Association of Local Councils, Samantha Bagshaw, was delighted to present the certificate to the Chairman of Ainstable Parish Council, Councillor Nigel Vear, and the Parish Clerk, Kimberley Lawson, on Wednesday 11^th August 2021.  Standing in front of one of the several new cast-iron finger posts installed by the Parish Council, Cllr Vear said.

Ainstable is an ambitious and forward-looking parish council serving the villages of Ainstable, Croglin, Newbiggin, and Ruckcroft, the communities of Dale and Longdales, and the surrounding farms and houses. The parish council is dedicated to working with and serving our communities to the very best of our ability. Achieving this award is a welcome recognition of the dedication and hard work of the parish clerk and the parish councillors.

By achieving the Foundation Level Award, Ainstable Parish Council has shown that it is performing at a national standard of professionalism, being forward thinking and proactive, listening to its residents and working for the benefit of its community.

The Local Council Award Scheme has been designed to celebrate the successes of the very best parish and town councils, and to provide a framework to support all such councils to improve and develop to meet their full potential.  The scheme offers councils the opportunity to show that they meet the standards set by the sector, assessed by their peers, and to put in place the conditions for continued improvement. 

For more information on the LCAS scheme, please contact Cumbria Association of Local Councils on office@calc.org.uk

Census 2021 will provide a snapshot of modern society

Residents of Ainstable will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021.

The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

It will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity nd, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, visit census.gov.uk.

Ainstable Parish Council has marked the long service of one of its councillors by making him an Honorary Freeman of the Parish.

John Thirlwall, a farmer in Croglin, served on Ainstable Parish Council from 1991 until his retirement at the local council elections earlier this year. During his time in office, the parish council has restored traditional cast iron signposts throughout the parish, planted hundreds of native trees in verges, served as the trustee for the Ainstable Millennium Green, and installed new bus shelters in several villages.

The award was made at a surprise dinner, held at the Heather Glen Hotel in Ainstable. Mr Thirlwall thought he was attending a family occasion but was met by serving members of the parish council. He was presented with a certificate and a hand-made ram’s horn stick, in recognition of his farming profession.

Councillor Nigel Vear, Chairman of Ainstable Parish Council, said:

“John is the first Honorary Freeman of Ainstable Parish in its 124-year history. He has served this community continuously and faithfully for nearly 30 years and this award, the highest honour we can bestow, is well deserved.

“His retirement does leave a vacancy on the parish council and I would encourage any residents of the parish who are interested in helping their local community to contact me at chairman@ainstable-pc.gov.uk for a chat.”

The follow-up event to our Historic Environment Public Meeting on Wednesday 10^th April 2019. It was inspiring to see so many there and to hear about current local history research, publications and on the ground information about sites we touched on. At this second meeting Paul Frodsham and Neil Diment will reflect back what was discussed and present a programme of archaeological, local history and oral history activity to be delivered from 2020 for 3 years. This is the opportunity to find out what is proposed, express your thoughts about what is included and what may be missing.

Unfortunately at this stage we have to prioritise within budget and time scales. We welcome the input of new participants who weren’t at the first public meeting.

We will be at Ainstable Church Institute, CA4 9QN on Tuesday 7 May 7-9pm.   

On average, we lose one person a week in our county to suicide. This free workshop looks at the issues around suicide, and shows how we can all make a difference. Download the flyer for full details.