The team behind Cockermouth’s Community-Led Plan is making plans for two summer events where even more people can have their say about the future of the town.
A Family Fun Day will be held this month and the team will attend Cockermouth Show in August.
Nearly 200 people attended a Visioning Day in March, with an additional 200 having their say online, and hundreds of school pupils have also been involved.
Now the data is being analysed to identify what people already see as the strengths and weaknesses of the town, and their ideas for its future.
A Community-Led Plan identifies how local issues can be tackled and what opportunities there are to develop the community and the area.
Supported by Cockermouth Town Council and ACTion with Communities in Cumbria, there has been a focus on four key themes – getting around, living here, our environment, work and play.
There was a call for cleaner, greener spaces, and for empty buildings to create new opportunities. Healthcare also received many comments.
The environment theme included ideas for renewable energy generation and enhancing wildlife and food production, as well comments on development, and fears around flooding.
Work and play highlighted many thoughts on making more of the town for young people, and suggested what could enhance the business mix here, while the need for better public transport was a constant theme in getting around.
During 2026, ideas will be gathered about what the town needs to develop for the good of all, with new ideas which can be carried out at a very local level, or those which need wider input.
The team has already identified some points which are happening already but need to be better communicated, and that there will be some ‘quick wins’ which can be implemented quickly, with some much bigger initiatives which will involve extensive planning, partnerships and funding.
Chris Bridgman is the chair of the Community-Led Plan steering group.
He said: “We have had a massive amount of ideas and suggestions to process from the Visioning Day, the online questionnaire and the survey carried out in schools. It’s great, but it means it’s taking a while to properly digest all that!
“Once we’ve completed that task we’ll map out how we’re going to consult further to engage more people across the whole community and to delve into issues in more detail. W
“e want to start working towards concrete proposals to preserve what’s already good about Cockermouth, and to create positive and imaginative developments for the future.”
Find out more about the Community-Led Plan at the Family Fun Day in Memorial Gardens on Saturday June 20, and in the Cockermouth Chamber of Trade marquee at Cockermouth Show on Saturday August 1.
More information is also available at www.cockermouth.org/cclp/ and also via the group’s Facebook page. Alternatively, email [email protected]
