This evening Penrith Town Council held an extraordinary
meeting to consider a motion to call on the new Westmorland and Furness Council
to carry out a community governance review for Penrith with consideration given
to Penrith’s upper tier council changing to Cumberland rather than Westmorland
and Furness that takes over on the 1st of April 2023 as Eden and
Cumbria are scrapped by government legislation as part of the local government reorganisation
process.
A Community Governance Review is a legal process where Westmorland
and Furness council consult with those living in the area, and other interested
parties, on the most suitable ways of representing the people in the parish of
Penrith in the review.
Legislation sets out that “A principal council is under a
duty to carry out a community governance review if it receives a valid
community governance petition for the whole or part of the council’s area.”
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act
2007 enables “a principal council to conduct a community governance review at
any time.”
Under the 2007 Act, local electors throughout England can
petition their principal council, from the 1st of April 2023 for Penrith
this becomes Westmorland and Furness Council, for a community governance review
to be undertaken. Parish councils also have the ability to request governance
reviews be undertaken for their own parish.
The petition must set out at least one recommendation that
the petitioners want the review to consider making. These recommendations can
be about a variety of matters including:
• the alteration of boundaries of existing parishes
• the abolition of a parish
• the dissolution of a parish council
• changes to the electoral arrangements of a parish council
• a sense of civic values, responsibility and pride
• a sense of place – a place with a ‘positive’ feeling for
people and local distinctiveness
• reflective of the identities and interests of the
community in that area
• the size, population and boundaries of a local community
or parish
• people from different backgrounds having similar life
opportunities
The motion called for Westmorland and Furness Council to conduct a community governance review to put an option to the people of Penrith on the governance of the town. with the wording of the motion put before the members of Penrith Town Council asking councillors to "Consider that Penrith Town Council makes a request for Westmorland and Furness Council to conduct a Community Governance Review"
"to consider the possibility of transferring the parish of Penrith to different upper-tier authority of Cumberland Council."
Speaking on the motion answering Questions Cllr Davies
stated that “the council was not today voting to make the actual move it was
voting to call for a community governance review in a process that even if the
council voted against then a public petition could still call for a governance review”.
New town councillor and Westmorland and Furness councillor
Cllr M Rudhall said that “Eden Council had paid in more than £6 millions into
the pot for local government reorganisation.” “Westmorland and Furness would charge
the town council and it would be upwards of £5000 or £6000”
Cllr Rudhall also referred to “a vote having taken place and
that he could see no reason that this would go forward and that its upto Westmorland
and Furness to vote on a governance review.”
Cllr Davies then made challenge on the factual accuracy of
the statement by Cllr Rudhall in that Penrith had a community governance review
that created the council in 2015 and also had a council requested governance
review in 2019 to reduce the number of councillors from 19 to 15.
The council clerk confirmed that the council had never had
any costs on governance reviews in the past to pay.
Penrith Deputy Mayor Cllr Knaggs stated that “they have not
created new counties of Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland we still have
the county of Cumbria”
The government Legislation that has created the new councils
of Cumberland and the new council of Westmorland and Furness states “A new
non-metropolitan county and a new non-metropolitan district, each to be known
as Cumberland.” And “ A new non-metropolitan county and a new non-metropolitan
district, each to be known as Westmorland and Furness, are constituted”
The same legislation also states, “On 1st April 2023 the County of Cumbria is abolished as a local government area” and that “the county council is wound up and dissolved.”
In summing up the motion Cllr Davies said that the councillors were voting to give the people of Penrith a say in where they lived and voting against the motion to carry out the governance review was voting to refuse to give the people of Penrith a voice and say on their place in the world."
A request was made for the vote be a named vote with each
member stating for or against the motion.
The Penrith Town Councillors voted as follows:
Cllr. Bowen Pategill Ward - Against
Cllr. Kenyon North Ward - Against
Cllr. Burgin South Ward - Not Present at meeting.
Cllr. Knaggs West Ward - Against
Cllr. G. Clark North Ward - Not Present at meeting.
Cllr. Lawson Carleton Ward - Not Present at meeting.
Cllr. M. Clark South Ward - For
Cllr. Rudhall East Ward - Against
Cllr. Davies West Ward - For
Cllr. M. Shepherd
North Ward - Abstained
Cllr. Donald North Ward - Against
Cllr. C Shepherd East Ward - Against
Cllr. Hawkins East Ward - Not Present at meeting.
Cllr. Snell West Ward - Against
Cllr. Holden Carleton Ward - Against
As a result of the vote Penrith Town Council resolved not to
support the motion. This means that a request to carry out a community governance
review will not be made by the town council.
Cllr Davies said in a statement after the meeting via social media “Just to clarify having a conversation and public say is what the motion was about, not saying either way what would happen, but that the public get a right to have a say on it all in a governance review. So everyone could express their individual points of view, thoughts and opinion. That’s all the motion was asking for and the council has denied the people of Penrith that right.”
“I am deeply ashamed of the actions of Penrith Town council
and its members today in the denial of giving the people of Penrith a
democratic voice with a community governance review on the option of Penrith
becoming part of Cumberland rather than the new Westmorland and Furness that it
now find its self-placed in from the 1st April.
I cannot stand by and watch as this council continues to
fail the people of Penrith that councillors are supposed to serve and represent.”
“It appears that some members had no idea of what a community
governance review is. With the various referenced to government and the failed
county council judicial reviews that have no link or bearing on community governance
review that take place across the country regularly for parish councils, Recommended
guidance is for at least every 10 years a full district community governance review
is carried out and as and when called for by the parish either council or
public via a petition. Eden has always been rather patch on community governance
reviews but others are taking place in Cumbria right now also one has just
taken place in Barrow to create a new Barrow Town Council that Westmorland and
Furness Council have voted to approve be created and also allocated £100,000 to
cover the first election to in May.
It appears only Penrith is denied a voice and a say by its
own town councillors on its governance arrangements.”
Penrith Town Council has taken the unusual step of also
issuing an online statement on the motion and has said in the statement issued
after the meeting.
“Whilst we recognise that the name of the new authority
isn’t what we perhaps would have chosen or is one that we identify with, there
have been consultations, negotiations, and extensive work to deliver the
government’s decision to have two unitary authorities for Cumbria”
“We look forward to working with both authorities when they
are constituted on 1 April 2023. It is unfair to pre-judge how effective either
new authority will be.
Penrith Town Council will always have the best interests of
the community at heart.
We understand Penrith has historically been part of the
County of Cumberland. We will continue to be a part of Cumbria from 1 April
2023. Our local government administration however will change from Cumbria
County Council to Westmorland and Furness Council.
While we appreciate the attachment some people feel to Cumberland,
it would not be a good use of council time, energy, or money to try and
overturn a statutory decision of the UK Government.”
On the 1st of April Cumbria County Council, Eden District Council,
South Lakeland Council and Barrow Borough Council will be replaced by the new
Westmorland and Furness Council.
Along with Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council,
Allerdale Borough Council and Copeland Borough Councils who will be replaced by
the new Cumberland Council.
Penrith historically was part of Cumberland before local government
reorganisation in 1974 that created Eden District Council and Cumbria Council before
1974 Penrith was served by the Penrith Urban Council and outer communities
Penrith Rural Council that both were part of the county of Cumberland. The boundary
of Cumberland was the River Eamont with the Welcome to Cumberland Inn located just
over the Bridge between what is now the A66 and the River Eamont.
You can watch the council meeting here
or on our Facebook page by clicking here to Watch the Town Council meeting
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the people of Penrith a say with a community governance review?
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