Latest news with #BobKelly
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘No Kremlin Plot', Councillor says after ‘human error' changes party affiliation
A LONG-serving councillor has confirmed he has not left the Labour party after his profile was changed to 'Independent' on the council website in a 'human error'. Cllr Bob Kelly, who represents Millom on Cumberland Council, said the change was made in error due to a council officer mistaking him for an Independent councillor whose first name is also Robert. Cumberland Council said it was a 'human error' and has apologised to Cllr Kelly for the confusion. A screenshot of the page was shared on social media at the weekend by the former Workington MP Mark Jenkinson, who wrote that 'another Labour councillor' had resigned the party whip 'as Keir Starmer's Labour government continues its attacks on the elderly, the vulnerable, and working people.' Councillor Bob Kelly was listed as an Independent on the Cumberland Council website in a 'human error' which led to speculation that he had left the Labour party (Image: Submitted) Cllr Kelly then responded on his social media page, saying: 'I have been informed that Mark Jenkinson - the former MP for Workington - has posted a photo of me claiming that I have resigned from the Labour Party. 'Given his history of Facebook contributions I shouldn't be surprised at him getting things wrong, but I can assure everyone, both friends and opponents that I have not done this and have no intentions of doing so. 'I do thank him, however, for giving me this opportunity to show how accurate his postings are and for raising my public profile.' Cllr Kelly told The Whitehaven News: 'I can confirm that I have not resigned from the Labour Party nor have ever considered doing so. 'I can confirm I have been a member of the Labour Party since the early 1980s, have held a number of party offices in different constituencies around the country, was a Copeland Councillor from 2015-19 and at no point have I ever been in doubt that the Labour Party with its history of transforming society for the better should be something I would wish to leave. 'The confusion was due to an officer mistaking me for an Independent councillor whose first name is also Robert – so no Kremlin Plot to destabilise Cumberland Council after all!' Mr Jenkinson said: 'No one claimed that Cllr Kelly had left the Labour Party, but reported his 'defection' to sit as an independent councillor, which was backed up by the change of party affiliation on the Cumberland Council website. 'On the software the council uses, that is not a mistake easily made accidentally. A thorough internal investigation will reveal all, no doubt. 'Had Cllr Kelly had the courage of his convictions, he would have been the fifth Cumberland Labour Party councillor to have done the right thing in the face of this Labour government's attacks on the elderly, the vulnerable and the workers of this country, all while those breaking the law are consistently rewarded. That Cllr Kelly continues to defend this government tells us all we need to know.' A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: 'Human error meant this information was recently changed on our website, and we are, of course, looking into exactly how that happened. The information was corrected as soon as we were aware of the mistake, and we apologise to Councillor Kelly for the confusion.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Village of 10,000 homes consultation to end
A six-week consultation on plans for a village of 10,000 new homes is coming to an end. Construction of St Cuthbert's Garden Village, near Carlisle, is expected to span 30 to 40 years and will include houses, commercial properties, green spaces and five primary schools. A draft plan for the project was approved by Cumberland Council earlier this year and those wishing to comment have until 17:00 BST on 6 May. Councillor Bob Kelly said it was a "large-scale and complex" plan and the authority wanted to know whether it had "got it right" before it went to the government. The council said it was the last chance to comment on the draft policies and the map of the village. Kelly, executive member for policy and regulatory services, said: "Given its scale and complexity, the village isn't something that can be delivered overnight. "However, delivering the Carlisle Southern Link Road to unlock St Cuthbert's was the first major stepping stone and we are now well on the way with its construction. "Our consultation is an opportunity for anyone with an interest to tell us whether or not we have got it right." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. New 10,000 home garden village 'longer-term plan' Garden village plan gets £100m road cash Link road hits milestone as bridge beams installed St Cuthbert's Local Plan
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Brits face £1,000 fine for common innocent beach activity
With the weather heating up and the Bank Holiday on the horizon, many Brits will be planning to take a trip to the seaside. But daytrippers have been warned that a common beach activity could earn them an unwelcome fine. While it might seem like a nice idea to take a pebble or shell home from the beach, tourists can actually be fined £1,000 for doing so. The Coast Protection Act 1949 states that it is against the law to remove natural materials from British beaches. The rule is in place to protect beaches from erosion and banned items include sea shells, pebbles and sand. Daniel McAfee, head of legal operations at Lawhive, says: 'While picking up a seashell might seem like a harmless souvenir, removing natural materials from beaches, including shells, stones and even driftwood can, in some cases, be illegal. 'Under the Coastal Protection Act 1949, it is illegal to remove natural materials like sand and pebbles from public beaches, without permission, as this can contribute to coastal erosion and damage delicate ecosystems. 'While the Act primarily targets larger-scale removal, individuals can still fall foul of the law, especially in protected areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, national parks, or heritage coastlines. 'If someone is found to be in breach of this Act, they could face a fine of up to £1,000, or more if prosecuted under related environmental legislation.' Cumberland Council in North West England is one of the councils with a £1,000 fine for beachgoers who pinch a shell or rock. Councillor Bob Kelly has said: 'Taking a pebble or shell from a beach, can in fact damage the environment. 'We are asking people to leave the pebbles, shells and sand as we all want to ensure that our beaches remain vibrant and intact for future generations.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carlisle: St Cuthbert's Garden Village consultation to end next week
A consultation on a draft development plan for a 10,000-home development in Carlisle is set to end next week. The St Cuthbert's Garden Village project, one of the largest of its kind in the north of England, is set to include new schools and employment sites. The plan, which spans the next 30 to 40 years, will see the development of commercial, retail, and employment space, green spaces, and five new primary schools, as well as a secondary school. The consultation on the draft Local Plan for the St Cuthbert's Garden Village, located in the south of Carlisle, ends on Tuesday, May 6. Copies of the plan are available to view at Carlisle's Civic Centre and Carlisle Library. The consultation includes draft policies and a map and is the last chance for comments before the plan goes before an inspector. Councillor Bob Kelly, executive member for policy and regulatory services, said: "Given its scale and complexity, St Cuthbert's Garden Village isn't something that can be delivered overnight. "However, delivering the Carlisle Southern Link Road to unlock St Cuthbert's was the first major stepping stone and we are now well on the way with its construction. "The next major milestone will be publishing the Local Plan to coordinate the delivery of homes with the much-needed infrastructure. "We have worked hard with our local communities and key stakeholders to get us to this point. "Our consultation is an opportunity for anyone with an interest to tell us whether or not we have got it right before it goes onto Government later in the year to be assessed by an independent Planning Inspector." For more information or to comment on the draft St Cuthbert's Garden Village Local Plan, visit
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cumbria could be only option left for nuclear disposal site
Cumbria could be the only area left in the search for a new nuclear disposal site, councillors have been of Cumberland Council's nuclear issues board were given an update on the search to pin down a site to build a geological disposal facility (GDF) on areas had previously been shortlisted by government body Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) - Mid Copeland and South Copeland in Cumbria and were told that Lincolnshire County Council plans to withdraw, however, the authority is due to meet in June after local elections, when the result could signal a change in a new council's intention. Nuclear waste would be stored at the GDF beneath up to 1,000m (3,300ft) of solid rock until its radioactivity had naturally this month Lincolnshire County Council said it would pull out of talks unless it received "significant" further information about the surface areas of focus had been identified by NWS in Mid Copeland, east of Sellafield and east of South Copeland, land west of Haverigg had been Copeland area is already home to Sellafield, where the vast majority of the UK's radioactive nuclear waste is stored, as well as the world's largest stockpile of Bob Kelly, a Labour representative for Millom, said it was accepted that the preferred site would be in the Copeland said that the nuclear waste could not be left where it was and the preferred option would be to store it at a safe said: "I think Cumberland Council should have a role in how that takes place."The nuclear waste disposal site would need community support, the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously said construction would only start when a potential community had confirmed its "willingness" to host the Griffin of NWS told members that while the process was at a very early stage, electoral ward boundaries had to be used. He added: "It's too early to say what wards would be affected." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
