Chairman’s comments
Welcome to this edition of the parish council newsletter, which I hope you will find of interest as we all want the best for our village. With Westmorland and Furness Council replacing Cumbria County Council in April the progress of some matters, unsurprisingly, slowed but all are now back underway.
About a month ago, whilst putting out the wheelie-bins at night under the streetlights, I caught sight of a dark coloured dog trotting down the middle of the road, obviously off lead. I was just wondering why and how when the owner, I presumed, passed me. By this time the dog was about 10 metres away and approaching a road junction. Bearing in mind it was dark, with a loose, dark-coloured dog and the person responsible for it wearing dark clothes, I thought “this is a recipe for possible hurt and loss”. Within a 30mph speed limit a dog must legally be kept on a lead when on or near a road. If you love your dog, please keep it on a lead - and you legal.
Recently, the parish council has received comments over vehicles parked in unsuitable locations and in places which make the road so narrow that whilst a car could pass, an emergency vehicle like an ambulance or fire engine could not. We might know another way around, but an emergency vehicle driver will not have that knowledge. There are also areas where cars are parked half on the pavement when really the road is wide enough for the car to be fully on the road and yet leave enough space for larger vehicles to pass.
Whilst on the subject of traffic, the suggestion of a 20mph limit throughout the village has been raised periodically and Westmorland and Furness Council is currently developing its policy on this matter. As you no doubt know, Wales has recently made this change nationally and it has not been favourably received by everyone. There is a little more on this later in the newsletter - something to think about.
Since our summer newsletter there have been changes to our bus service which give more buses into Kendal during the week and on Saturdays as well. Full details are on the village website. “Use it or lose it” is a well-known phrase and this is so true of this benefit to us. So can I please ask you to try and use these buses which take us into Kendal and back into the centre of the Village – no more traipsing up Bell Hill from Levens Bridge!
Electricity North West have advised us that they will be doing tree work at Cotes and Underhill, including some parish council land on the weekend 25/26th November in the vicinity of their power lines. See the article on woodland management for more detail further on in this newsletter.
The village website has proved to be popular and well used. Indeed, we have received several complimentary comments. We need to keep it relevant and up to date and to this end if you feel you could help with any part, whether that be contributing photographs of village events and places or perhaps typing items / features to be uploaded etc. please contact the website designer Tom Hecht in the first instance. Thank you.
The parish council is pleased to be able to help celebrate Christmas once again this year with a tree between the bus stop and shop as usual. We hope the switch-on will be on Sunday 26th November and more details will be given closer to the date. Meanwhile you might like to put it in or on your calendar/diary/phone!
And as this is the last newsletter for 2023 may I take this opportunity to say an early “Season’s Greetings” - and please take care.
Roger Atfield – Chair Levens Parish Council