Latest news with #PeterThornton
BBC News
03-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kendal Georgian street Thorny Hills gets heritage 'dark sky-friendly' lights
Heritage street lighting that is "dark sky friendly" has been installed on a 200-year-old of Thorny Hills in Kendal, Cumbria, asked for their modern lights to be swapped to something that would have appeared there in the 19th lamp-posts, which stood in a conservation area's street lined with Georgian terraced listed buildings, were damaged and shone light into nearby windows."We love the fact that they are energy-efficient and dark sky friendly, whilst still casting sufficient light on to the street for pedestrian and road users," said residents Anna and Gavin Haworth. Kendal is one of the towns included in Dark Skies Cumbria - a project that aims to save energy, safeguard wildlife and decrease light restored cast iron columns, originally manufactured in the Whitehaven Foundry, were refurbished and repainted. The new lights dim by 50% from 21:00 to 6:00 to cut electricity consumption and reduce the impact on nocturnal wildlife such as bats and project was carried out by Westmorland and Furness Council and Friends of the Lake District."We are committed to reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and light pollution and are delighted we have been able to work with partners on this scheme," said Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Thornton. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sockbridge and Tirril Parish Council in Cumbria can make neighbourhood plan
A parish council has been granted the right to contribute to how its area is shaped through planning and Tirril Parish Council, near Penrith, Cumbria, now has the right to create its own neighbourhood plan after being designated a neighbourhood plans are designed to give residents more say on how their area develops and how land is used for housing, infrastructure and green and Furness Council cabinet member Peter Thornton said neighbourhood plans allow communities to "take control of elements of development" and urged other councils to consider applying for neighbourhood area status. "Residents know their communities better than anyone and can use these tools to be clear about how their place develops sustainably," he said. Neighbourhood plans form part of the Liberal Democrat-led local authority's wider development plan, which is a series of policies used to determine planning plans are created by the local community but cannot undermine the larger council's overarching and Tirril Parish Council applied for the status in a six-week consultation, Westmorland and Furness Council said it was satisfied the area was appropriate for neighbourhood status and granted the new powers. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cumbrian council announces more plans for 20mph speed limit
A consultation has been launched over plans to further extend 20mph speed and Furness Council, in Cumbria, says the measure is aimed at making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and of the 24 new locations are near schools, playgrounds and tourist comes as the authority rolls out the same restriction in an initial 20 areas this summer, at the beginning of a three-year plan. The council says the latest proposals have been developed in collaboration with parish and town councils to "address the specific needs of their communities" and target built-up areas where the current speed limit is either 30mph or Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways, said residents' views were "at the centre of our plans" and initiatives would only go ahead if they had "strong community support".He added: "The outcome of our extensive consultation for the first year of the programme is a testament to that, as we have only moved forward with schemes that received clear community backing, as well as adjusting designs of half of the schemes based on local feedback."Details on the proposals are available on the council's website and anyone wishing to submit their views can then fill in an online survey by Friday 18 copies of the consultation are available at several libraries, while Penrith and Barrow libraries are set to host in-person events along with one at Kendal Town Hall. Which areas are included? The following locations could see the limits introduced:CliftonGamblesbyGlassonbyGreat AsbyGreystokePenrithSockbridge and TirrilStaintonCambridge Primary School, BarrowCows Tarn Lane, Walney IslandDane Ghyll Primary School, BarrowNewbarns Primary School, BarrowRamsden Infants School, BarrowSt Pauls Junior School, BarrowVictoria Infants and Victoria Junior School, BarrowWalney School, Sandy Gap Lane, Walney IslandCartmelGreenodd and Penny BridgeHevershamIngsKendalLevensMilnthorpeSatterthwaiteMore than 3,000 people gave their views on the first series of proposals, leading to 10 being given the go-ahead as originally designed, while the same number will be limits in five areas of Barrow were rejected.A further 27 requests for 20mph limits that were received as a part of the initial application process will be considered for the third and final year of the programme in 2027. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major update on full fibre broadband roll out for Cumbrians
COUNCILLORS will next week get an update on Connecting Cumbria and the full fibre network roll out. Members of Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Council's joint overview and scrutiny committee are due to meet Cumbria House in Carlisle to consider the report. It states: 'UK Government policy is focused on the delivery of gigabit capable broadband, irrespective of technology, however almost all deployment of gigabit capable services in Cumbria is through the deployment of full fibre infrastructure. 'Digital connectivity is vital to support the objectives of local authorities in Cumbria as this infrastructure supports delivery of services, education, business, leisure and social inclusion. 'Therefore, over the past 15 years there have been a number of initiatives to encourage telecoms investment and augment this with publicly funded investment to help the county catch-up with the connectivity in the wider UK. 'The Digital Champions for Cumberland Council, Cllr Chris Southward, and Westmorland and Furness Council, Cllr Peter Thornton, assisted by the Connecting Cumbria team, are responsible for delivering the Cumbria-wide Digital Infrastructure Strategy which includes a strong focus on the expansion of gigabit capable broadband services.' According to the report In March 2021 the UK Government announced the Project Gigabit programme, managed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), with a commitment of up to £5 billion in funding, to expand gigabit broadband services through: Encourage competition and investment into gigabit capable infrastructure through the commercial telecoms market. Seeking to encourage maximum delivery at the maximum possible speed across the UK; Deploy gigabit capable services to all GP surgeries, libraries and primary schools; Fund gigabit vouchers to support rural community projects; Contract for delivery of gigabit connectivity to areas where commercial deployment is not planned. It adds: 'Across Cumbria there is significant commercially funded roll out of gigabit capable broadband with the majority of this work focused in urban areas. 'Work is also progressing, both as a result of the commercial deployment programme and some programmes managed through the Departments of Health or Education, on expansion of connectivity to GP surgeries, libraries and primary schools. 'Applications for new community voucher projects were paused by DSIT in 2023 but areas where a community project had already been agreed work is ongoing using this funding and top up funding provided through the Connecting Cumbria Voucher Top Up scheme.'
BBC News
26-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Street light control may be handed over to Cumbrian council
Parish councils will be allowed to hand over control of street lighting to a local authority if they and Furness councillors agreed last week to accept proposals to bring the area's lights under the control of a central council-run plans include the authority potentially taking control of about 790 lighting units run by parish and town councils - with more than 19,000 street lights across the Democrat councillor Peter Thornton said the move would "bring an end to the inefficiency of street-lighting management". Thornton said it would allow the council to move into "a new world of low-energy lighting which is carefully targeted to avoid light pollution"."By digitally controlling our street lights, we can produce the light we want, when we want it, to reduce consumption and ensure we are getting the most of every pound that we spend," he local authority said the maintenance of lights would also be improved because having one central contol would allow automatic alerts to be set up to notify engineers when there is a Democrat councillor Janet Battye said parish councils would not be forced to "hand anything over or do anything"."This proposal is a result of listening to them, working with them and responding to what they have been telling us they want," she said. 'Dark holes in village' The council had previously sought the views of smaller authorities about the proposed Strickland Parish Council said many of its lights were attached to telegraph poles, and the current policy seemed to be "to remove rather than repair" lights when there was a problem."Our lighting stock is dwindling rapidly," said clerk Ruth Tupling, at the time of the consultation."This has resulted in 'dark holes' throughout the village, and meant that some of the older residents no longer feel able to go out in the dark." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
