Good day from the Cumberland Sausage!
I’m delighted to join Cumbria Crack as a columnist.
Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born and have lived my whole life in West Cumbria.
I have worked for many companies from large multi-nationals to small local firms. I am deeply interested in the state of my home county and all that goes on in it.
I also think Cumbria Cat is an idiot.
I open up my media feeds and see that various councils and enterprises are delighted to announce that funding has been granted for a number of projects, from revamped streets in Carlisle.
There’s a new cafe, skate park and newly restored play area in Maryport and Millom getting funds for improvements to its old library building and more to follow.
This is all excellent news, Workington has just announced that its sports village is, at last, going ahead.
This is a small snippet of what is happening around our wonderful county, yet as soon as an announcement is made, the whinging starts.
“Why don’t they fix the potholes?” “What’s the point when there are no shops?” “Maryport didn’t get a swimming pool”.
People are passionate, I understand. Me too. But why do people all immediately start moaning about it or, even better, claiming that “they” need to do something about it.
“They need to bring in more retailers”, “they should spend money on making the town look pretty, it’s horrible”, “They should spend the money on the project I want!”
The mysterious “they” don’t exist. It’s usually a dig at the council – and any council or MP will do.
The current round of work happening in Carlisle is accompanied by the constant background moan of people talking about shops, shopping, more shops, not enough shops.
There is droning away from people who think that the council can wave a wand and Woolies will magically reappear with a great selection of Pic ‘n’ Mix.
Councils have no scope to do anything, most of the premises are private and nothing at all to do with councils, they have no power to force anyone to open a business, to change rent or any other costs on the building and certainly should not be putting your council tax into repairing private buildings.
Also, the money that is being spent on specific things is fenced in to do just that, be spend on specific things.
Whitehaven is spending a few million on improving the area around the old Market Place, and instantly potholes and public toilets are being shouted about like a mystical chant. It’s money earmarked for the kind of work it’s being used for – they either spend it or it goes elsewhere.
Town and city centres have changed, they are either dying off or becoming much more focussed on cafes and coffee bars.
Who knows, if these take off footfall may encourage more shops to reopen, but the reason for this is really that people fell in love with online shopping and out of town shopping areas.
We all stopped shopping local and all went in search of the next Amazon deal, we stopped spending a Saturday ambling around the town browsing the market and looking around the shops.
Instead we went to a supermarket and bought everything we could from there – without a second thought – because it was cheaper.
What’s the solution? There’s no magic pill – but shopping local is a start.
Woof woof!
