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Councils Face New Rules For Spending Pothole Funding, Or Risk Losing Their Cash
Photo by Andrew Skudder on flickr
Councils will now face tougher rules to prove they are fixing potholes or risk losing up to a third of next year’s funding. Government is ensuring taxpayers’ money is working harder to get smoother roads and not redirected elsewhere. Red-rated councils will receive funding to improve performance and deliver visibly smoother, safer roads.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Free Travel And New Routes: Government’s Bus Revolution Hits Another Gear
Photo: ©Steve Hare
Millions of bus passengers across England are benefiting from cheaper fares, new routes, and better services, as local authorities are putting government funding to work in their communities. With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to play a part in people’s everyday lives, local authorities are stepping up to make buses work better for everyone, reducing the burden on households.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Brits Want Growth And Back Less Red Tape, Cheaper Energy And Lower Taxes To Get It, Finds Landmark IEA Research
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
Landmark new public opinion research published by the Institute of Economic Affairs has found that the British public overwhelmingly supports economic growth. Eighty-seven per cent say the country should focus more on growth, with just 9% saying the country is already wealthy enough.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Government’s New Urgent Treatment Centre Plans ‘Not The Answer’ To End ‘Shameful’ Corridor Care: RCEM
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay
New urgent treatment centres will do little to nothing in tackling and eradicating the national shame that is corridor care. That’s the warning from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine after the government announced a suite of measures to tackle corridor care in Emergency departments around England.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Unpaid Carers ‘£160 Worse Off A Month’ As Carer’s Allowance Fails To Keep Pace With Rise In Earnings
Invalid Care Allowance, now Carer’s Allowance, was first introduced at the rate of £7.90 a week in 1976. Fifty years on Carer’s Allowance, paid to those caring for a minimum of 35 hours per week, is worth £86.45 a week (2026/27 financial year). If Carer’s Allowance had kept pace with increases in earnings, carers would receive an extra £36.93 each week or £160.46 a month on average.
P.ublished 10th April 2026
Markets Update: Wave Of Relief Hits As Oil Plunges As Iran Ceasefire Agreed
Equity markets rally after US and Iran agree a two-week ceasefire with FTSE 100 opening up 1.5%. UK Gas prices fall sharply but still remain a third higher as Shell forecasts a cut to gas production in the first quarter. Brent Crude initially falls sharply, as Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen but has been rising again. Inflationary pressures still remain, given energy costs are still significantly higher compared to before the outbreak of war. There are warnings that the jet fuel squeeze will continue for months even if there’s a longer-term agreement.
P.ublished 8th April 2026
10 Crimes A Day Committed At Churches Across The UK, New Figures Reveal
The Countryside Alliance’s latest investigation has revealed that in 2025 nearly 4,000 crimes were committed on church property as well as other religious premises. Figures were obtained by the Countryside Alliance as part of its continuous campaign to focus attention on rural churches and increase funding for security at places of worship.
P.ublished 8th April 2026
One Click Too Many? 75% Of Parents Fear Their Kids Aren't Making Safe Choices Online
Three in four parents fear their child can't make safe online privacy choices, new research shows. Yet most rarely, if ever, talk to them about it. Every day, primary school kids tap 'accept' on apps, games and websites - usually without realising how much personal information they may be sharing as a result. A single click can reveal far more than a name.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Letter To The Editor - Public Transport
Photo by Linus Belanger on Unsplash
Dear Editor, Public transport is an essential part of everyday life, but for people who are deaf or have hearing loss - journeys by services like trains, buses or ferries can be a huge challenge.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Using Mental Health Struggles To Support Others
George Bean
A remarkable man from Cockermouth, is using his own mental health challenges, to help others who may be having similar experiences. George Bean, a 26-year-old electrician, has ADHD and has been affected by anxiety and depression for most of his life. He launched a podcast in December ‘Share Your Story’, where he interviews people on topics relating to mental health.
P.ublished 6th April 2026
A Shot Of Horsepower: Fibrus Grant Helps Riding Centre Jump Forward
Happy Hooves
A grant from full fibre broadband provider Fibrus has given Happy Hooves Riding Centre a welcome leg-up, helping the centre clear a new hurdle in its work with young people by funding two new show jumps. The new equipment is already proving to be a boost for sessions at the centre near Penrith, which supports children and young people who struggle in mainstream education.
P.ublished 3rd April 2026
Rt Revd Philip North, Easter message 2026
Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn
‘What stops you from despairing?’ The woman who recently asked me that question was part of a group of older people I was chatting to on a Parish visit. There were eight or nine of them and they were anxious. They were worrying about the conflict in Iran and whether it would spiral out of control.
P.ublished 3rd April 2026
Commuting Costs UK Drivers Over £2,200 A Year: Bus Travel Offers Smarter, More Affordable Alternative
Average car commute costs £2,228 per year, with rising fuel, maintenance and parking costs Bus travel could save commuters over £1,100 annually while reducing stress and improving journey time use Stagecoach highlights affordable, flexible travel options across Cumbria and Lancashire
P.ublished 2nd April 2026
Yougov/cebr March Consumer Confidence Index Records Biggest Fall Since “Liberation Day” Tariffs
YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) release latest consumer confidence index data, covering March 2026. Forward looking measure of how people see their household finances records biggest drop since August 2022. Job security perceptions for the past thirty days were both negative and lower than the previous month
P.ublished 2nd April 2026
One Month Left To Apply For Free Voter ID
People voting in the upcoming local elections in May can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, a free form of ID that can be used to vote at a polling station. The Electoral Commission is calling on anyone who needs ID to apply for free now, before the 5pm deadline on Tuesday 28 April.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
More Than Half Of Consumers Would Feel More Confident In An Ethical, B Corp Certified Financial Provider
Some 52% of customers would have more confidence in their building society or bank if they were B Corp certified, new data shows. A global certification, B Corp is a movement which recognises organisations that put people and planet alongside profit, recognising their ethical business practices, social impact and transparent reporting.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Reform’s Plan To Rip Up Workers’ Rights Is “Massively Out Of Step” With The British Public – New Poll Reveals
The TUC and Hope Not Hate have published new polling which shows that Reform are “massively out of step” with the British public on workers’ rights. Reform announced last month that it would introduce a Great Repeal Bill to axe Labour’s Employment Rights Act.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
£150m Community Investment Programme Leaves Lasting Legacy Across England
https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article.php?id=91866&editorpreview=true&rnd=0.5983910278317198
Although March 2026 marks the formal conclusion of the Big Local programme, the impact of the initiative will continue to grow in communities across England. Over the past decade and a half, thousands of residents, volunteers, local businesses and community groups have taken part in the programme. 150 communities were each given control of £1m in long-term funding to improve their areas.
P.ublished 30th March 2026
WASPI Campaigners Launch Party Support Scorecard Ahead Of Crucial May Elections
WASPI CAMPAIGNERS have launched a fresh national lobbying tool in their quest for compensation, ahead of a crucial set of elections on Thursday 7 May.
P.ublished 27th March 2026
Yorkshire Makes Walking History As Coast To Coast Becomes A National Trail
Bolton on Swale
Landmark moment for Yorkshire as years of work and £5.5 million investment culminate in National Trail celebration. Alfred Wainwright's iconic Coast to Coast route officially becomes a National Trail, more than 50 years after it was first walked. Designation brings numerous benefits including improved accessibility, consistent high-quality signage and a central pot of funding for maintenance. Natural England celebrates iconic 190-mile route, reaching its halfway point at Keld and dramatic North Sea finish line at Robin Hood’s Bay.
P.ublished 26th March 2026
Conflict In The Middle East Is A Potential Game Changer For Inflation
Today’s data from the Office for National Statistics showed that annual rate of CPI inflation holding at 3.0% in February 2026. The outlook for inflation has changed markedly. The hit to global energy supply so far from events in the Middle East has been profound and the warnings from the International Energy Agency over its “unprecedented” nature are stark.
P.ublished 25th March 2026
Knowledge Gap About Epilepsy Exposed In Northern England
Three quarters of people in northern England underestimate how many people are diagnosed with epilepsy each day, new research has revealed. A survey released ahead of Purple Day (26th March) has highlighted widespread misunderstanding about the condition across the region.
P.ublished 25th March 2026
Transport Secretary Tasks HS2 With Reducing Construction Time And Cost To Taxpayers
Government tells HS2 Ltd to consider options that could save billions and bring the railway into service sooner. The ongoing review will consider how to get passengers on trains sooner and deliver some of the fastest high-speed trains in Europe. Scheme supports national renewal – with delivery focusing on increased capacity, reliable trains with increased frequency whilst supporting thousands of jobs and adding billions to the economy.
P.ublished 24th March 2026
YouGov: 79% Of 18-24 Year Olds Say It Is Difficult To Find A Job
YouGov’s latest tracker data finds that just 23% of Britons - including only 12% of 18-24-year-olds – believe it's easy to find a job at the moment, the lowest levels since the pandemic Among all British adults the figures are:Easy: 23% (-5 from 17-19 January 2026) Difficult: 62% (+4) Among 18-24 year…
P.ublished 23rd March 2026
The Thucydides Trap in Motion
Andrew Liddle
Guest Writer
Xi Jinping, Thucydides and Trump
Who now remembers the ‘Thucydides Trap’? For a time in the early part of this century it seemed to crop up trendily whenever Chinese expansionism was discussed. I saw the phrase frequently in the editorials of serious newspapers and political magazines, tossed in casually as some sort of clever historical metaphor - rather than the serious warning about the future it should have been.
P.ublished 21st March 2026
Dr Maria Papavergos Looks At How Oral Health Matters This World Oral Health Day
Oral health is often overlooked, but it is crucial to overall well-being. The mouth is a gateway to the body, and issues that begin there can affect nutrition, speech, confidence, and even contribute to systemic health conditions. In the past, dentistry has been a “fix the problem” service, with little time and little value placed on education and prevention.
P.ublished 20th March 2026
First-Time Buyer Average Age Rises To 34 Across England
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Credit: Skipton Group
The average age of a first-time buyer in England has risen from 29 to 34 since the mid-1990s, according to new analysis tracking three decades of housing data. The Skipton Group Home Affordability Index, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics, highlights a significant shift in the demographic profile of new homeowners.
P.ublished 19th March 2026
Warning Shots Fired As WASPI Women Prepare For Fresh Legal Challenge
Senior lawyers representing millions of WASPI women are preparing to write to the Government citing “multiple legal errors” over their continued refusal to deliver compensation Government lawyers will have 14 days to respond to the pre-court action letter before they risk being hauled back to the High Court for a second judicial review. Campaigners have labelled the Department for Work and Pensions’ compensation stance “irrational and unfair”, describing their approach to affected women as “offensive”.
P.ublished 19th March 2026
Summer Bus Boost Across North Cumbria Strengthens Links To The Lake District
Bus services across North Cumbria are set to benefit from a range of improvements as Stagecoach introduces its Summer 2026 timetable on Monday 23 March, enhancing connections to and across the Lake District.
P.ublished 18th March 2026
Local Organisations Invited To Apply For First Round Of 2026 Miller Homes Community Funding
Miller Homes has opened applications for the first round of its 2026 Community Fund, inviting charities and community groups across the North West, including Coppull to apply for grants to support local projects and initiatives. The fund offers donations ranging from £250 to £2,000, helping organisations that make a positive difference within the communities where the homebuilder operates.
P.ublished 17th March 2026
Visitors Urged To Join A Survey That May Shape The Future Of Zoos
Chester Zoo scientists are spearheading a study into how zoos can benefit people’s wellbeing. Zoos from around the world are taking part in the study Visitors invited to share insights into their mood, nature-connectedness and more The results should shed light on the value of zoos to society. An animal adoption is up for grabs for participants!
P.ublished 17th March 2026
Fibrus Hits Milestone Of £1m Given To Local Communities
Fibrus has reached a significant milestone, investing £1 million in community groups and charities across its network, including Cumbria. Of that total, over £470,000 has been directed to good causes in Cumbria, supporting grassroots sports clubs, local community organisations and environmental initiatives.
P.ublished 16th March 2026
Opinion
Starmer On Iran
Ruby Boyd
Politics Correspondent
Events over the past two weeks have been little short of apocalyptic as Israel bombed military facilities in Iran in a surprise attack and killed the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, after Iran had accused Israel of conducting genocide in Gaza. As a result of these allegations, Israel sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop them from acquiring nuclear weapons.
P.ublished 16th March 2026
Ten Years Since Jo Cox’s Murder, Her Foundation Invite Communities To Join The Tenth Great Get Together
Trafalgar Square
To mark the 10th anniversary of a movement that transformed tragedy into action and brought people together across the country, The Jo Cox Foundation has today launched the tenth Great Get Together that will take place from 19–21 June 2026. Ten years ago, the murder of Jo Cox MP shocked and devastated the nation.
P.ublished 16th March 2026
Eighty Years After The Iron Curtain
Andrew Liddle
Guest Writer
Donald Trump recently dismissed Sir Keir Starmer with a barbed remark: the British prime minister, he said, was “no Churchill”. It was a typically Trumpian flourish, provocative, theatrical, designed for social media headlines. Yet by his standards it was almost restrained. He might easily have added, more devastatingly, what Starmer actually is rather than what he is not.
P.ublished 14th March 2026
Rage Against The Machines: Fibrus Broadband Brings First Rage Room To Cumbria
Ever just wanted to knock the hell out of your laptop (or your router!) in frustration? Now you can, as Full Fibre provider Fibrus Broadband launches Cumbria’s first ever rage room.
P.ublished 11th March 2026
Weather App Rain Icon “Costing Attractions Up To £137,000 A Day”
One of the UK’s largest and most visited attractions, Chester Zoo, is leading a nationwide push to change how weather forecasts are displayed on popular apps - warning that misleading rain icons could be costing some venues up to £137,000 in a single day.
P.ublished 11th March 2026
Stagecoach Cumbria And Lancashire Had 10,000 Reasons To Celebrate Last Week
Three months ago, the bus company extended its 600 service between Carlisle and Cockermouth to continue on to Whitehaven, and the half-hourly service has proved so popular with the public that last Friday, 6 March, it reached the milestone of carrying its 10,000th passenger. This has been made possible by financial support from Cumberland Council through its Cumberland Go initiative.
P.ublished 10th March 2026
A Fast-Changing Scene: Join The Conversation On Future Of Cumbria Retail At Networking Evening
The nature of retail in Cumbria is changing fast with many familiar shops disappearing and customers looking for more than just a purchase. That’s the message from the creator of a much-loved Cumbria business ahead of a major discussion evening exploring how the sector is evolving and what lies ahead for businesses in the county and beyond.
P.ublished 10th March 2026
TUC - Millions Of Low-paid Women Set To Benefit From Stronger Sick Pay As New Rights Come Into Force
New TUC analysis reveals millions of women will start to benefit from new workers’ rights measures from next month. Women will disproportionately benefit from removal of statutory sick pay earnings threshold in April and from rights to guaranteed hours next year. Just over half of workers on zero-hours contracts are women.
P.ublished 10th March 2026
Home Heating Oil - Prices Out Of Control
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Almost 1.5 million homes in the UK are dependent on heating oil to power their central heating system. I am in one of them, living too far away from civilisation to connect to mains gas. The war currently raging in the Middle East has had an almost instant effect on global oil prices, with some unprecedented rises in recent days.
P.ublished 9th March 2026
Monday Market Report: Panic Spreads As Oil Prices Rocket
FTSE 100 has opened sharply lower, and is trading down 1.5%, after Asian markets slumped over scorching energy prices. Brent crude rises by more than a quarter, but retreats slightly to settle above $107 a barrel, amid an emergency meeting of G7 finance leaders. Big Gulf oil producers slash production as they come under attack.
P.ublished 9th March 2026
Celebrating 250 Years Of The Wealth Of Nations
On the 250th anniversary of the publication of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith's vision of freedom and competition remains as relevant as ever. A new IEA paper argues that The Wealth of Nations remains one of the most important guides to prosperity ever written, and that Smith's core model has been vindicated by modern evidence.
P.ublished 9th March 2026
Fears Over Low Value Imports Reform
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned that removing the UK’s tariff exemption for low-value imports could risk pushing up prices, harming small businesses and reducing trade intensity. The government is considering the move after the US removed its ‘de minimis’ exemption. The EU has also said it will do the same and introduce new handling charges for cheaper packages as well.
P.ublished 9th March 2026
NHS England Director Visits Kendal Leisure Centre
Last week GLL, the social enterprise which runs Better Leisure Centres in Westmorland and Furness, welcomed Director for Primary Care and Community Transformation and the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme NHS England, Dr Minal Bakhai MBE, to Kendal Leisure Centre.
P.ublished 6th March 2026
Powerful School Theatre Tour Tackling Child Criminal Exploitation Reaches Yorkshire & The North West
A powerful theatre production tackling child criminal exploitation is touring primary schools across Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Wigan, Oldham and Brinnington, from 2 March, reaching more than 1,300 young people at a critical stage in their development.
P.ublished 6th March 2026
YouGov/cebr February Consumer Confidence Index: Job Security Perceptions Weakest In Six Months
People’s perceptions of their job security in the past month reached the lowest level since August last year, according to the latest data from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The measure currently sits in negative territory at 92.6, down 1.1 since January.
P.ublished 6th March 2026
TUC – Workers Must Have More Say In How Their Pensions Are Governed
The TUC has called for a stronger worker voice on the boards of pension megafunds, as the government looks to scale up schemes and improve governance standards. In a new report launched at the TUC’s Pension Conference today, the union body looks at the vital role member representation plays in pension funds around the world. Pensions Minister Torsten Bell MP is also due to address the conference.
P.ublished 6th March 2026
The Early Bell: Pubs To Ring Bells At 6pm To Raise Awareness Of Prostate Cancer
Cancer survivor Errol McKellar rings the Early Bell as part of Greene King and Macmillan Cancer Support’s latest campaign. The initiative sees pubs ring the bell at 6pm each day from 6–12 March to raise awareness.
Pub bells across the UK will ring out early this evening at 6pm – and each night over the next six days – as part of a new campaign by Greene King and Macmillan Cancer Support to raise awareness of the one in six men in the UK who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
P.ublished 6th March 2026
Men In Cumbria Invited To Charities’ Prostate Cancer Testing Event At Upper Eden Rugby Union Football Club
Men from Kirkby Steven and the surrounding area are being offered the opportunity to get tested ahead of National Prostate Cancer Screening Day at Upper Eden Rugby Union Football Club. Online booking is now open for the event on Wednesday 18 March 2026, which runs from 6pm-9pm and is open to all local men aged 45-69.
P.ublished 5th March 2026
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