As part of Cumberland Council’s consultation on its draft Council Plan the public are being invited to join top councillors and officers for an online discussion this week.
Contained in the plan are the areas the council will focus on up until 2027, as well as how the council will work and what residents can expect. It has been drafted by Councillors led by the Shadow Executive members who are now asking local residents, business owners and organisations their views.
The consultation on the plan runs until 5 September and already hundreds of local people have taken the opportunity to have their say.
Now on Thursday (1 September) from 6.30pm to 7.30pm members of the public will have the opportunity to join new Deputy Leader Cllr Lisa Brown and Chief Executive Designate Andrew Seekings to hear more about the plan and share their views.
The session will take place online via MS Teams and can be joined by anyone via a link which is available on the Cumberland Council website.
Writing in the Council Plan, Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, says: “There is a thirst, a drive, a passion from the newly elected Members and from our fantastic staff to embrace what Cumberland can be – what it will be. We don’t have all the answers yet, we might get things wrong, but I can promise you that we are going into this with our eyes wide open. We will deliver better services, we will address the income gap and we will improve life for all.”
Any change will be sustainable however – whether for the council’s finances or the environment.
Cllr Fryer added: “Our people are our priority. That’s it. It’s that simple. We have this opportunity to change everything, to fix what isn’t working, to look for new ways of delivering our services so they are the best they can be. We aren’t afraid of a challenge. Local Government Reform is hard, it won’t be easy, but it is also a gift, the chance to bring equality to the lives of those living in Cumberland. We plan to grab that chance and run with it.”
People have until 5 September to find out more about the draft Council Plan and respond to an online questionnaire.
There are also a number of drop-in events being organised throughout the area and people can find out more at a number of local libraries. Details can be found on the Cumberland Council website.
