Millom Town Council
Millom Town Council was formed in 1974 when the parish boundaries changed from Cumberland.
Present: Cllr S Faulkner (Mayor/Chair for the meeting), Cllr J Kellett, MTC/Cumberland Cllr B Kelly, Cllr A Liebhart, Cllr D Billing, Cllr B Crellin, Cllr J Brown, Cath Jopson (Clerk), Gillian Hoyle (RFO/Assistant Clerk). 2 members of the public were also in attendance.
Prior to the commencement the Chair informed the meeting that it would be recorded for minute taking only.
Apologies were received from Cllrs Williamson and Chatterton.
Nothing to exclude.
Due to the absence of the Chair Cllr Faulkner resided as chair for the meeting.
No declarations of interest had been received.
Cllr Kelly proposed that these minutes be signed as a true and correct record, this was seconded by Cllr Faulkner and agreed.
A representative from South West Lakes Anti GDF Group attended the meeting and gave a statement to the council. The chair thanked the representative and noted their concerns. (Copy of statement attached to the minutes for reference).
It was proposed by Cllr Brown, seconded by Cllr Liebhart to approve the accounts for payment and note the bank reconciliation and agreed. Action: RFO to pay outstanding invoices etc.
A short report from the RFO was given to the meeting following a finance meeting held prior to this meeting and the RFO stated that the budget was on course for the first quarter of the year. The finance committee agreed to put forward the upgrade of the website as per quotation to the council for acceptance.
Following the finance meeting prior to this meeting it was suggested to the Town Council that the new payroll figures from NALC be accepted for the Clerk and Assistant Clerk/RFO. Cllr Faulkner proposed that we accept these figures, this was seconded by Cllr Kelly and agreed. Action: RFO to contact Wages provider and update.
Following receipt of the more detailed specification of the website rebuild Cllr Brown proposed that we accept the quotation of £3k, this was seconded by Cllr Billing and all agreed. Action: Clerk to inform website provider to rebuild website as per quotation and specification.
Cumberland/MTC Cllr B Kelly reported that the painting of white lines within the town has begun. He also informed the meeting that the 20mph outside of Blackcombe School was going to progress. Cllr Kelly informed the meeting that he had requested that the managers of the Traffic Department come and look around Millom and Haverigg to see where changes would benefit the community. A one-way system had been proposed for St Georges Terrace and if any councillor would like any other areas looked at to contact himself and he would inform Highways before the end of the consultation period.
Cllr Kelly also informed the meeting that if anyone should wish to have a piece of land designated for planning this also had to be in before the consultation ended.
Due to his absence Cllr Pratt sent his apologies with updates for council’s information (copy attached to minutes).
Cllr Brown reported that some maintenance works were being undertaken at the Haverigg pumping station. Cllr Brown also reported that the Haverigg Enterprise workers were continuing to do a good job in the village. Cllr Brown reported that villagers were complaining about the wagons and heavy plant accessing the Haverigg play area road where concerns were raised about children playing in that area.
Cllr Billing stated that he thought that Millom Town Council should respond in detail to the Town Local Plan. It was suggested that anyone with any suggestions for the forthcoming plan be sent to the clerk and collated once all were in.
Cllr Liebhart presented a draft newsletter for council’s approval. Cllr Faulkner remarked that this document was good, but some emergency numbers should be added. Once this had been carried out Cllr Faulkner proposed that it go out for publication, this was seconded by Cllr Brown and agreed. Action: Cllr Liebhart to amend the document prior to publication.
Cllr Crellin reported that she had attended a meeting at the Millom Network Centre with various service providers. Cllr Faulkner suggested that Millom Town Council should link in with these service providers so that information can be shared.
The Clerk informed an accident had occurred on the new park in Haverigg where someone was injured. Details of this have been passed to our insurance company. Further updates on this when it has been received.
The Clerk had received an application from a resident for co-option onto the Millom Town Council, unfortunately it had come in too late for consideration at this meeting. An extraordinary meeting is to be held on Monday 11th August 2025 in the council offices. An invitation letter to be sent to the applicant asking them to attend. Action: Clerk to write to applicant.
The Clerk informed the meeting that a successful application in the sum of £8k had been received from Copeland Community Panel towards solar lighting for the Palladium Gardens.
The Clerk reminded all councillors to get their DBS Checks carried out by the end of August if possible. Cllr Liebhart will help any councillor with this. On another note the Clerk asked that all Cllrs return the questionnaire that was included in the working papers last month asap.
The Clerk had a request from the Millom Family Centre asking if they could use the Millom Park for a Paint Run. Cllr Faulkner proposed that we agree to let them do this as long as the area is cleared up of debris etc, this was seconded by Cllr Kelly and all agreed. Action: Clerk to inform Family Centre of Council’s decision.
The survey for the building had been circulated to councillors for information, the clerk again reminded the councillors that a viewing is to take place on Monday 4th August at 10.00am.
The following correspondence was received for councillors’ information:
Cllr Faulkner informed the councillors that there is to be a meeting on 10th September 2025 at 7.00pm in the Council Offices. Action: All involved with the Community Plan to attend the meeting.
It was unanimously agreed to defer this item until further information has been received.
Cllr Kellett informed the meeting that on VJ day the standards etc will meet at the cenotaph to commemorate the day.
Cllr Kellett also reminded the councillors that Civic Sunday will be held on Sunday 14th September.
The following applications had been received for council’s comments:
It was noted that our MP Michelle Scrogham will continue to have a surgery in the Millom area.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 08.40pm
Signed: …………………………………….. Chair
Dated: 24th September 2025
Hi all,
Apologies for not making tonight’s meeting — the event I was at before ran over.
Below are the things I had ready to say. Please share with your community.
Home Group are submitting an application to Homes England for funding this autumn to build between 40 and 60 new homes on Queens Park. If they are successful, they hope to have plans out just into the new year.
A new bus route is being put out to tender to run between Millom and Ravenglass. Let’s hope someone submits a tender.
The workshop for Millom Town Council members and GDF is on 14 August (for Town Council members only).
I have got Cumberland to agree not to charge for a road closure for this year’s Remembrance parade.
CALC will be running a Teams meeting on the 23rd September about Hyperfast Broadband. It’s free for councillors to join.
The Family Hub, based at Millom Infants’ School, will be running free sessions for the public. These are aimed at ages 0–19 and up to 25 years old for children with SEN.
All the above can be found on the Cumberland website.
This is open now until about the end of September. Please consider sending a response, either individually or as a Town Council.
I will highlight the shortfalls, in my view:
Happy to chat any of the above through — just drop me a line or phone.
07720 372273
Regards,
Andy
Statement to Millom Town Council from South West Lakes Anti GDF Group.
Council,
At last month’s meeting, I understand you were presented with generics outlining the supposed benefits of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) at Haverigg/Kirksanton for Millom and Haverigg and urged to assess positive impacts. I commend you as a council being measured in your response particularly as the message was delivered by the former chair of the independently reviewed dysfunctional community partnership which for 3½ years stifled any attempt at community debate and impact assessment and who is, ironically, attempting to now put that onus on you.
I urge you to remember that this council has already voted unanimously to reject this area of focus as not being beneficial to those living alongside the proposed site, namely the residents of Bank Head.
That phrase “those living alongside” is crucial. It is the exact wording used by Simon Hughes, Director of Siting and Communities at Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) in the Government Document GDF-Community Guidance, to describe the people who must give “express consent” in this so-called “consent-based” process.
Your original vote was mirrored by your neighbours at Whicham Parish Council, within whose boundaries most of the proposed site lies. They rejected the area outright.
You are now considering rejoining the NWS / Cumberland Council led GDF Partnership.
NWS and the partnership has failed our communities despite your council having multiple representatives, including the chair. Any one of those could have relayed community questions and concerns back to you for awareness and discussion. This has never happened. Your colleague Councillor Kelly, Cumberland Council’s representative, sat as the primary conduit between community and councils, yet has admitted that “no questions or concerns were raised formally at County Council level” — this despite hundreds of questions and concerns raised publicly from the community. This is still the case.
To his credit, Councillor Kelly has acknowledged the “unnecessary suffering both financially and psychologically” that this process has caused and is causing. Your former chair in a previous meeting confirmed that blight is happening, and rightly stated that no one should be financially disadvantaged by the process. This unfortunately, on both counts, is a reality. Councillor Kelly has also publicly stated that “I cannot see any community positively wanting to host a GDF” and that “There will inevitably be people who are disadvantaged.”
Are these observations — as was the case in Lincolnshire — not triggering to the point that enough is enough for our suffering communities?
This suffering is not easing. It is deepening. People are now trapped in homes they wouldn’t have bought. They face negative equity, and they cannot sell or improve their properties. Their lives and their life choices have been frozen.
Cumberland Councillor Pratt described NWS compensation efforts as “not worth the paper they are written on” and your former chair stated them “not fit for purpose.”
Families aren’t looking for compensation — they’re looking for their lives back.
This is not just about supporting or opposing a GDF. It is about whether you are willing to sacrifice an entire section of our community, its wellbeing, its livelihoods, its future, for a project that may never even come to pass.
Can you be comfortable profiting from the misery of others?
We urge you to extend your rejection of this area as a potential host site and reject it outright. If it is not beneficial for Bank Head, then it is not beneficial, full stop.
We are one community. The Town Deal pushes for connectivity. We should not be divided. We should not be sacrificing anyone.
Please reject the site fully due to the reasons that Councillor Kelly, Cumberland Council’s representative on the partnership, has stated. That is: “There will inevitably be people who are disadvantaged” and the process has caused and is causing “unnecessary suffering both financially and psychologically.”
Which of us here has the right to facilitate this suffering? Surely you have a duty to protect?
Thank you for your attention.
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