A PETITION has been put forward advocating that residents should be included in the upcoming petition for Stanwix to launch a new village council - opposed to operating within the current rural parish council. 

Carlisle City Council received a petition earlier this year to launch a new village council in the urban area of Stanwix - with more than 70 per cent in-favour. 

Lib Dem Brian Wernham, Councillor on the Cumberland Shadow Unitary Authority is disappointed that the council boundary he proposed was not included. The Liberal Democrat councillor hoped to include areas currently part of Stanwix Rural Parish Council, including Whiteclosegate, Millcroft, 76 Longlands Road, phase one of the Tarraby View estate, Edderside Drive, Raisbeck Close and Burthholme Avenue. 

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"It is very disappointing that the Chair of the Community Governance Review Committee, Cllr Elizabeth Mallinson, decided at the last minute to change the boundaries so as to move two major roads and a new housing estate out of the petitioned area.  Whiteclosegate, Millcroft and the new Tarraby View estate are omitted. 

"The residents are at the moment signing petitions regarding Recommendation 1 of Councillor Elizabeth Mallinson's Committee together with the altered boundary map in the draft report issued on August 10. Residents only have until this Friday (August 26) to comment, and this is the peak holiday season," he said.  

"The report unfortunately says 'the area has been amended from the proposed area in the petition to reflect the identity of Stanwix Village'. There is no explanation of evidence presented for this last minute decision. The amended boundary does not follow the Stanwix Urban County Ward lines and is illogical. Residents were surprised because the latest proposed area differs from that in the first round of public consultation which was held from February 1 to March 18.

"This new map carves out the above-mentioned roads. The original consultation had a 70 per cent “Yes” vote, with 95.4 per cent content with the boundary area," he said. 

Brian said that 96.9 per cent of respondents so far from Millcroft residents want the original petition boundary and they reject Cllr Mallinson's Committee's draft recommendation.

In response Cllr Elizabeth Mallinson said: "Taking Millcroft, which is all part of the parcel of Stanwix Rural Parish Council, it's not fair. It has to be on the correct boundaries and to change it you have to go to the Boundary Commission, we cannot unilaterally look at someone else's boundary, it’s not democratic. 

"The second consultation is to confirm what people’s views really are because the ballot paper only had a 'yes and no' question but when it was returned, people ticked yes with a caveat, before they commit themselves they want answers to how much will it cost, what about green spaces, do they have to have a secretary or town clerk – to which the answer is yes, and they have to be an accountable person, and the salary is (based on the hours they do) between £9,000 and £16,000 a year - which has to be an accountable officers post - funding which has to be found by residents of Stanwix. 

"People were also confused that Brian went round house to house to say that they would take control of highways and planning but anything to do with the roads is under Cumbria County Council – not parish councils. Parish councils are only a consultee – it’s incorrect that they would have any power to maintain roads or change planning. 

"Concern also came in the consultation, that this would be another tier of government, and people are concerned that they will have to pay a pre-set to run the Parish Council, in these days of rising costs - it could be anything from £100 or more per year, depending on services and cost of the clerk," she said. 

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