A heated and impassioned debate took place at Monday’s, Penrith Town Council meeting on a motion centred around a need for a renewed focus on the key challenges confronting Penrith and its centre alongside the broader social, economic and environmental issues with town councillors claiming currently little more than ‘rearranging the deck chairs’ and ‘pussyfooting around’ was currently taking place by the councils.
At the start of the meeting Westmorland and Furness Deputy Leader and councillor for Penrith North Cllr Patricia Bell spoke about the motion.
Cllr Bell said that partnership working is about not only walking the walk but talking the talk it means time for conversations outside meetings between partners and to make sure that all of us speak from an informed position to my knowledge councils did not ask for a briefing from Westman furnace officers about the existing plans for the Strategic Penrith stuff and unfortunately, didn't pick up the phone for a conversation about concerns that's not partnership working”.
When town councillors started their debate on the motion former Mayor of Penrith Cllr Scott Jackson was visibly frustrated with Cllr Bells statement, leading to him delivering an impassioned speech holding back no punches that received applause from members of the public attending the meeting.
“This is one of those ones where we pussyfoot around each other trying to be diplomatic and say we want to be partners and we all want the best for Penrith.”
“In Cllr Bells submission to us it seemed plain as day when she said there are things at a town council do and there are things at Westmorland and Furness Council do, if you read between the lines that's very clearly there are things that we do that are our turf stay away and you're not allowed an opinion if you do have an opinion you can come to us outside meetings behind closed doors and we'll give you a briefing.”
“If we have the will in this town to make a change we can but there isn't because again we pussyfoot around things and we've got to be diplomatic this is owned by them and this is your responsibility and this is yours and it's genuinely depressing.”
Cllr Jackson accused the council of doing little more than “rearranging the deck chairs” adding “nothing changes, everything seems so peace meal.”
Following the debate councillors resolved writes to Westmorland and Furness Council requesting that they follow up on their statement to Council on 29 January 2024 by organising an initial meeting to agree on the approach to developing a transformative regeneration plan for Penrith as a major town in the new authority area.
Following Monday’s meeting Cllr Jackson spoke to Penrith.Town and said “Westmorland and Furness have been dealt a tough hand in having to create a new council, tasked with performing functions from both the former districts and the county authority, at a time of massively reduced funding from central government.”
“But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be calling for the very best for our town. I think we've been lacking in vision and ambition, partly from fear of upsetting the status quo, partly from fear of repeating the mistakes of previous councils and partly from a lack of funding.”
“Funding is available, however, and if we just chose to grasp a few nettles and think a little more adventurously, we could achieve great things in the town.
“Westmorland and Furness know the task ahead of them, my speech on Monday was aimed at reminding them they're not alone and that there's a lot of energy and ideas out there. We've got to think bigger and involve the whole town and after speaking with Councillor Patrica Bell, I know both councils can work together to get some good stuff done!”
Cllr Patricia Bell speaking with Penrith.Town this week after Monday’s town council meeting said “Cllr Scott Jackson's impassioned plea to regenerate Penrith echoed the views of everyone in the room, the Town Cllrs, the residents in the audience and myself, speaking both as a Penrith Cllr and on behalf of Westmorland and Furness.”
“Everyone expressed a desire for the two councils to work together. Where we differed was on the way forward.”
“It was clear from the conversations that some town councillors had not been briefed on the work already underway in Penrith, or the role of the 'Town Team'.”
“It is a pity that some Town Cllrs seem unable to give the new council a fresh page and are intent in condemning Westmorland and Furness for the proceeding chapters.”
“Following a conversation with the Town council chair, the intention is to set up whatever briefings from Westmorland and Furness officers might be needed so as to bring all Penrith Councillors up to speed, and having done that find an agreeable way forward.”
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