The electrification of the Lakes Line - linking Oxenholme and Windermere, has been pushed back - and might not happen until as late as 2024.

It had been due to be electrified by next year, after a £16 million investment package was announced by the last coalition government.

But a new report shows that the work has been pushed back into what's called ‘Control Period 6’, meaning it might not happen for another eight years.

Local MP Tim Farron has written to the Transport Minister to set out the case for the electrification of the Lakes Line, and urge him to press ahead with the work.

He said: “The electrification of the Lakes Line is an important infrastructure upgrade which will provide a real boost to the local area. It makes economic and environmental sense, and will enable the line to be better integrated with the main line and routes to Manchester Airport.

“There is a sense of déjà vu in once more making the case for this to happen – it was given the go-ahead by the Lib Dems in government, but has now been delayed by the Conservatives. Once again, much-needed infrastructure investment in our area is being overlooked by the current Conservative government, but I will continue to campaign for this.”

South Lakes MP Tim Farron will be hosting his latest advice surgery in Kendal this afternoon.

The Lib Dem leader will be on hand for members of the public at the South Lakes Foyer on Blackhall Road, between 4pm and 5pm.

Kendal residents are being invited to join the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and the Kendal Organ Donor Town group to support organ donation.

It's part of a campaign to get an extra 1,000 people in Kendal on the organ donor register by May. 

So far, the campaign has signed up around 600 people.

Volunteers are hosting two information stands at the Westmorland General Hospital today for local people to find out more.

Keswick Mountain Festival has announced details of a new mountain biking sportive for 2016.

Keswick Rocks is the latest addition to the programme and is the 10th sporting event scheduled to take place during this year’s festival.  

Organisers have also unveiled new routes for some races and a quality guarantee for competitors in all of its cycling, trail running, swimming and triathlon events, as they gear up to ensure that the 10th Keswick Mountain Festival is the biggest yet.

The 2016 Keswick Mountain Festival will run from Thursday 19 until Sunday 22 May, with its main base being the Festival Village on Crow Park in Keswick, open from Friday 20th.  

All of the sporting events will take place on the Saturday and Sunday, and will start and finish in the Festival Village, offering excellent vantage points for spectators.  

The timetable has been designed to give athletes opportunities to take part in several sports over the weekend.  

Keswick Rocks will start at 9:30am on Sunday 22 May and riders will follow a challenging 43km route that promises gradual climbs, exhilarating descents and some panoramic views.  

Participants can expect to spend around six hours in the saddle and will be rewarded with a ride that traverses the flanks of two great Lakeland fells in Skiddaw and Blencathra, and an ascent of Keswick’s own mini-mountain, Latrigg.  

All participants will receive a t-shirt, finisher’s medal, live music ticket for a night of their choice, as well as access to a pasta party on the Saturday evening, and free MOMA porridge on the morning of the event.  

Entry into Keswick Rocks costs £37.50, but KMF is offering a 20% discount for riders who sign up by the end of February.

Keswick Mountain Festival has also improved other aspects of the sporting events programme.  

The long and short triathlons incorporate new run routes, and the 5k trail run also has a new route.  

In addition, the festival recently announced the addition of a 3k open water swimming event in Derwentwater. 

The popularity of the KMF sports programme has grown quickly in recent years and in 2015, over 2,000 people took part in the events.  

The 2016 festival is presenting an even bigger schedule with greater capacity and numbers of participants are expected to rise again, bringing new visitors and income to the local area in early summer. 

Lucy Scrase, Keswick Mountain Festival sporting director, said: “We are determined to make sure that the 10th Keswick Mountain Festival is very special indeed and our plans for the sporting events really put the spotlight on that.  

"It’s about time Keswick had its own mountain bike event, so we’ve created one and it will give riders an exciting taste of some amazing landscapes.  

"And everywhere else in the schedule, we’ve introduced additions and improvements that will make a visit to Keswick in May more enjoyable than ever for participants and spectators alike.”

A Cumbrian MP says the county's police Chief Constable should resign in the wake of the Poppi Worthington scandal.

The Barrow toddler died in 2012 - last month, a judge ruled she'd likely been sexually abused by her father shortly before her death; he's always denied wrongdoing.

Cumbria Police has been criticisted for its initial treatment of the case.

Furness MP John Woodcock told a commons debate yesterday that the now acting Chief Constable Michelle Skeer played a part in the bungled investigation - and says she should step down.

Speaking after the debate Mr Woodcock said: “The flawed rules that keep reports from the police watchdog hidden has led to an acting chief constable being appointed despite serious criticism of her role in this tragic and shocking case.
 
"I welcome the government commitment to review the rules but I urge Cumbria's Commissioner to act now and compel Michelle Skeer to stand aside from her role.
 
"She was appointed by a flawed process and her continued tenure is detrimental to restoring confidence in the force and ensuring changes are made and people are held accountable for the failed investigation into Poppi Worthington's death."

The scenic Settle-Carlisle railway line will stay shut between Carlisle and Appleby for "months", according to engineers.

Network Rail says half-a-million tonnes of earth has moved during a landslip at Eden Brow - and it's still shifting.

Specialists have begun to investigate how to shore up the 9,000metre sq section, two miles north of Armathwaite.

Northern Rail will continue to operate a train service between Leeds and Appleby, with replacement buses taking people the rest of the way to Carlisle.

Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “An estimated 500,000 tonnes of earth have moved already and the embankment is still moving. That's 10 times the weight of the QE2 ocean liner when it is fully loaded. The extent of this landslip means it is no longer safe for this section of railway to be open to trains. 

“Our monitoring has detected a twist fault in the tracks caused by the ground movement. The slip is accelerating and it is not safe to run trains in this situation.

“Our engineers on site are undertaking detailed ground surveys and this will enable us to design a permanent and lasting repair. 

“Network Rail's contractors have already started to build access roads and compounds so we can get our heavy machinery to where it is needed. This will enable us to start construction work as soon as the design is finalised.

“The River Eden has severely eroded the base of the embankment. This, combined with the recent repeated storms and saturated ground, caused the landslip.

“This is a vital rail link across the north of England and I am very aware of how important the railway is to the local community and local economy. 

“I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can to design a lasting solution and to reopen the railway as quickly as possible. We will continue to work with Northern Rail to keep passengers and communities informed of what we are doing and the progress we are making.”

Alex Hynes, managing director for Northern Rail comments: “This is clearly another challenging and complex engineering project for Network Rail to tackle. While their engineers assess the extent of the work, we will continue to ensure our customers are kept on the move, up to date with the latest information and that disruption is kept to a minimum.
 
“We will be operating train services between Leeds and Appleby with a replacement bus service running between Appleby and Carlisle. Timetable information will be available on our website. Please check www.northernrail.org for the latest news.”

The latest travel information is also available at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

The body that represents farmers and rural businesses wants planning protection for its members when the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District expand.

The borders of the National Parks are being brought closer together, taking in extra areas of South Cumbria and North Lancashire.

Landowners in those areas will face very different rules if they want to build or change their properties.

The Country Land And Business Association is calling on Defra for a transitional period where people who've just been given or are seeking planning permission aren't unfairly disadvantaged when the boundaries move.

CLA President Ross Murray met with Defra Secretary Liz Truss this week to formally request a transitional order on the planning arrangements.  
 
He said: “There are farmers, landowners and businesses in the affected areas that have made plans for developments that will bring much needed investment in to the area. However, as it stands, their rights to develop these buildings will be lost as National Park Status comes into being in August.
 
“We’re asking the Secretary of State to create a set of rules that will allow developments, already in the planning process, to go ahead within a prescribed time frame.  We do not think that either the Lake District of Yorkshire Dales Authorities have anything to fear from allowing the Secretary of State to grant these buildings a transitional right to complete their developments.”
 
Jane and Gary Allan run a welding and fabrication business at Killington near Kirkby Lonsdale. They are currently in a state of limbo over a planning application to extend their workshop, which had been approved by South Lakeland District Council prior to the announcement of the park extension.
 
Jane said: “We’ve already put the footings in for the extension but have no idea if we can proceed any further. We employ four people and this uncertainty and confusion is very damaging for the business. We desperately need some clarity on the situation.”
 
Tom Woof, Head of Planning at H&H Land and Property and local planning consultant said: “I’m really pleased the CLA have taken the lead on this issue.  Transitional arrangements are set out in National Park legislation and are for the Secretary of State to enable a smooth transfer from one regime to another. 
 
“While they affect only a relatively small geographical area, it is vital that those who have longer term plans and invested in developing their business are able to see their plans through to fruition.”

Following Storm Desmond in December 2015, the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway path suffered serious damage.

Two of the old railway bridges that cross the River Greta, and around 200 metres of the path surface were washed away.

One of the remaining railway bridges (Rawsome Bridge) was left severely damaged and at risk of collapse.

In the interest of public safety, the Lake District National Park Authority has closed off all damaged and missing bridges and ask everyone to take note of the warning signs and not to remove any of the safety fencing or notices.

The Lake District National Park says it's committed to working with the community, landowners, businesses and other organisations locally to reconnect the footpath between Keswick and Threlkeld.

Due to the extensive scale of the damage it is estimated that this could take up to two years.

Access is limited, however alternative routes are available.

If you would like any further information on these, please contact Area Ranger, Cath Johnson, on 01768 871 407 or email Catherine.Johnson@lakedistrict.gov.uk.

An inspirational 9-year old is set to help Kendal-based charity, Manna House, to raise a record sum.

Hannah Wadsworth will take part in a sponsored swimathon at Kendal Leisure Centre on Saturday the 20th of February between 3pm and 5pm, with the aim of raising £4,000.

The money will be used as a deposit to help the charity secure a permanent home following the devastation of their headquarters in the December 5th floods. 

Hannah will be joining 40 other swimmers aged between 6 and 80, and all of them are hoping that their efforts will raise awareness of the problem that Manna House is facing.

Nina Bale of Friends of Manna House explains why it's so important to have supporters like Hannah taking part:

"We have been working to secure a permanent home for Manna House for some time and the December floods have left us in an even more precarious situation.

"We are currently working out of the upstairs rooms at Castle Lodge - while discussions between our landlord and insurers are ongoing - and space at the United Reformed Church on Highgate.

"Our aim is to fundraise throughout this year and grow a substantial deposit that we can use should a local, suitable and permanent home become available. Hannah is our number one fundraiser and we are thrilled that she is helping us break our previous event record of £3,000.

"It's set to be a fun afternoon of swimming for all involved."

Hannah commented: "I am really looking forward to the swim and can't wait to help raise the money for Manna House."

Swimmers can register by calling 01539 723554.

Spectators are welcome on the day (£3), and donations can be made here.

The new Keswick to Grasmere A591 shuttle-bus will start operation on Tuesday morning following a successful test run on the route today.

A team from Stagecoach and Cumbria County Council drove the full length of the route, including the new temporary road and Bailey bridges to ensure that there were no issues that would cause problems for the service.

After a walking inspection of the temporary road, the bus successfully made its way along the forest road and across the route's two temporary bridges.

A dedicated team of 10 drivers will cover the route and they will be familiarising themselves with it over the next few days.

You can view a video of the test run here: 

Work is ongoing on the temporary road to add finishing touches in time for the service staring next week.

David Lee-Kong, Operations Director at Stagecoach, said the test went very well. 

"The temporary road’s been constructed to a good standard and we had no issues with getting our bus over safely," he said. 

"We’ll now get all the drivers comfortable with the route and get ready for Tuesday.

"I’m pleased we’re able to offer this service and hope that it provides assistance to local people affected by the closure of the A591.”

Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said he's delighted the shuttle service can begin. 

“That's testament to the great job Thomas Armstrong Ltd have done on the road construction.

"This service won’t solve all the problems caused by the road closure but it will assist a very many people currently having to do difficult commutes to and from work. The over-riding priority is to get the full road reopened.”

The bus service will connect with existing bus services at Grasmere.  

It will operate on an hourly basis from 7am until 7pm six days a week, with a two hourly service on a Sunday between 10am and 5pm, and offer a journey time of 45 minutes; cutting the existing journey time between the two locations by almost two hours.

Buses will leave Keswick at 5 minutes past the hour and leave Grasmere at 10 minutes to the hour (apart from the first bus of the day which will depart at 7am).

Users of the service will also benefit from significantly reduced  ticket prices with Dayrider passes covering the two locations priced at £5 (previous equivalent of £10.80) and weekly Megarider tickets priced at £20 (previously £27.30).

Pick up and drop off points will be at all the usual 555 service stops, with the exception of those between Wythburn Church and the Dam road end (the closed section of the A591 alongside Thirlmere).

The bus will bypass the damaged sections of the A591 beside Thirlmere by using the minor road along the western shore of the reservoir; it will then cross the A591 at the bottom of Dunmail Raise and proceed up the temporary road before reconnecting with the A591 at the summit of Dunmail Raise.

The road was designed by the council’s contractors Capita and is being built by local firm Thomas Armstrong Ltd.

While the temporary road will not be open to private vehicle traffic, the potential for this to happen has not been ruled out.

Given the temporary nature of the road, engineers have advised that there should be a period of time allowed to monitor the impact of the shuttle-bus on the road’s integrity before any decision can be made about allowing higher volumes of traffic to use the road.

A Police sting caught a Kendal man making 'sordid sexual advances' to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Iain Jeremy Stavert, 52, was snared by an online operation mounted by officers.

Stavert, of Empsom Road, Kendal, continued his illegal approaches despite being told the "girl" was only a couple of weeks away from her 14th birthday.

He then engaged in lewd behaviour after their conversation progressed to a one-way webcam.

Police produced a dossier showing his criminal conduct.

When they confronted Stavert with their damning evidence, his response was: "My life is over. What have I done? Silly boy."

He admitted one count of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and also an incitement charge.

The two offences were committed on the 10th of December last year.

A 16-month prison sentence was imposed on Friday at Carlisle Crown Court, but suspended for two years by Judge Barbara Forrester.

Stavert must comply with a rehabilitation requirement and a four-month night time curfew.

In addition, he must abide by the strict terms of a sexual harm prevention order and must comply with the sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

A Kendal man has been charged in connection with an attempted robbery in Kendal on Wednesday evening (February 10th). 

Levi Dixon, 27, of Broad Ing Crescent, was charged today (February 12th) with armed robbery following the incident at Castle Stores. 

He was also charged with possessing a bladed article in a public place. 

He has also been charged with three fraud offences relating to three fraudulent applications to the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund, possession of controlled drugs, an offence of theft and an offence of attempted theft.

Dixon has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Barrow Magistrate’s Court tomorrow morning (February 13th).
 

Age UK South Lakeland has announced the ending of their Village Agent program from March 2016.

The program has been running for over six years, funded mainly by Age UK South Lakeland and the Big Lottery.

The Village Agent program will end on the 31st of March 2016. 

During the life of the award winning Village Agent program it has been recognised nationally as an exemplar template delivery model and has been used on numerous occasions  for the development of other programs around the country, many of which are now up and running and enjoying support from their local commissioners of services. 

Age UK South Lakeland are justly proud of what has been achieved with the Village Agent program, much of which would not have been possible without the fantastic support from local volunteers, the body of dedicated staff and the commitment of many local organisations. 

The trustees and management of the charity have done everything within their power to secure the funding that would have enabled the continuation of this excellent program, unfortunately they have been unsuccessful.  

The team at Age UK South Lakeland will endeavour to provide as much support as possible to the many local groups operating across South Lakeland which are currently supported by the VA team.

Penny Pullinger the Chief Officer of Age UK South Lakeland commented: “It is very sad that similar projects elsewhere in the country are being funded, but unfortunately in South Lakeland where this innovative program was developed, the value of the work of our Village Agents in improving the Health & Wellbeing of our older citizens is not supported.

"The growing need for more complex client casework means that we have to focus our limited resources on this critical area of work to ensure that older people in South Lakeland regardless of where they live, are able to access the services they need, when they need them”.

If anyone wishes to know more about the closure of these services, or has any other enquiry, contact Mrs Penny Pullinger Chief Office of Age UK South Lakeland on (01539 728118) or email her on: ppullinger@ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk

The Watermill Inn and Brewery at Ings was reopened earlier today.

The Watermill Inn had been severely affected by flooding in December and had been forced to close temporarily.

However, the pub has since been refurbished and is now ready for customers once more.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron visited the pub today to cut the ceremonial ribbon for the reopening.

Tim said: “Like many local businesses, the Watermill Inn and Brewery was very badly hit by the floods.

"However, they have shown impressive resilience in bouncing back from this setback, and the good news is that the pub is now back open for business.

"The Watermill is a great pub, with a superb atmosphere and excellent beer, brewed on site. I’d recommend a visit!”

The South Lakes MP has called for the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use. 

Tim Farron, who's also leader of the Liberal Democrats, will back a motion calling for his party to extend its existing support for the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use to recreational use.

The motion follows the release of findings from an expert, Lib-Dem appointed panel.

Mr Farron becomes the first main party leader to propose decriminalising the drug for social use. 

He said: “I believe in evidence-based policy making and making sure that decisions are made with all the information available and in the public domain. 

“I think this furthers public policy making and delivers better outcomes. 

“The party went into the last election proposing that drug use should be treated as a health issue and allowing police to focus on those manufacturing, importing or dealing in illegal drugs. 

“With that in mind, the Liberal Democrats will be releasing a report of independent experts in the coming weeks talking about the issue.”

Work gets underway this week, on improvements at Glebe Road in Bowness, as part of a project to make some of the Lake District’s ‘honeypot’ areas more accessible by bus, bike or car.

The first phase of the work will see the creation of additional parking on the section of Glebe Road from Glebe Road car park to the junction of Rectory Road, providing angled parking bays.

The new layout will enable works to take place later this year to re-locate on-street parking away from the waterfront section of Glebe Road and create improved footways, carriageways, and public spaces for visitors and residents.

Cumbria County Council is leading on the scheme, working closely with South Lakeland District Council and the Lake District National Park.

The scheme is part of the wider Optimising Connectivity project, which is being funded by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

The LEP has allocated £2 million from the Local Growth Fund to deliver the Optimising Connectivity project.

In addition, South Lakeland District Council is making a contribution of £225,000 towards improvements on the shore area of Glebe Road.

The improvement works at Glebe Road have been planned for some time and a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.

The project will therefore not affect the council’s ongoing flood recovery effort to repair roads and bridges in the county damaged in the recent floods.

Councillor Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said: “The enhancement work at Glebe Road is part of a £2 million package of improvements designed to make it easier to access key visitor destinations along the A591.

"Funding for this project was secured from the Government some time ago and we’ve taken local feedback on board when finalising the improvements.

“Since the December 2015 floods, the council has been working very hard on the flood recovery work, repairing the damage to our roads and bridges, and that remains our top priority.

"I’m pleased the Optimising Connectivity project is going ahead as planned and a contractor has been appointed to deliver the Glebe Road scheme.”

Construction of the scheme on Glebe Road is being phased to help reduce the impact on visitors and businesses. Work is being programmed to avoid the main school holidays at Easter, summer and autumn. 

It'll start on Monday the 15th of February and finish by the end of April 2016 at Glebe Road from Rectory Road junction to exit of Glebe Road car park. 

Then, work will begin on Glebe Road from the exit of Glebe Road car park to A592 junction near Information Centre, and the foreshore area between Pump House Café and Lake District Boat Club from November 2016 through until the end of March 2017. 

Traffic will be able to access Glebe Road whilst works are taking place and park on-street on sections of the road which are unaffected by works.

For more information on the scheme and future updates, go to the county council’s dedicated webpage.

Residents in one of the areas of Kendal hardest-hit by the recent floods are determined that by the time people start to return home, their neighbourhood will be better than ever.

Parts of Sandylands were described as a “ghost town” when the waters receded, with many residents forced to leave their homes, rendered uninhabitable by the rising waters.

But now, with the clean-up operation well-underway, the children of Sandylands will soon be able to enjoy playing on a new community park.

South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) has supported the Sandylands Residents Association Trust in its two-year mission to raise more than £135,000 to pay for the construction of a park, with the help of a grant from charities and organisations including the SITA Trust.

With a grand opening planned for the Easter holidays, Councillor Shirley Evans, of Kendal Far Cross ward, said: “The community deserve this new park. Sandylands is a great place, it has got lots of amazing people on it and it needs an arm around it at the moment.
 
“This is the culmination of two years’ hard work and it’s great that we can give the community of Sandylands something to be proud of during what is a very difficult time for everyone.”

After 20 years, Sandylands’ former playpark was in need of a facelift, and it was requests from residents and a letter from the Girl Guides group that got things moving to create a design for the park.

As well as the new play equipment, there will be outdoor gym equipment for the use of older teenagers and adults.

These features support SLDC’s aims to improve the health and well-being of residents, as part of its council plan commitment to work to strengthen communities and improve people’s lives.

Sandylands Methodist Church’s was itself a victim of the December floods.

The church on Sandylands Road had been set up as a refuge centre but was evacuated after knee-deep floodwater burst into the building.

Rev Gios said: “Since the floods, Sandylands has become an even closer community and the community spirit has been phenomenal.

“The park started from a dream two years ago and now it becoming is a reality.”

In order to find a name for the park, Rev Gios has visited three schools in the area and asked them to provide an idea for a name.

The winning idea will then be chosen by the Sandylands Residents’ Association and featured around the park on signs donated by Sun Signs.

The Met Office has issued a Yellow weather warning for snow and ice in eastern Cumbria for today (Sunday the 14th of February).

It is in force until 12pm. 

There is also the additional hazard of ice, and The Met Office has warned local people to be aware of the potential for difficult travelling conditions.

More details are available here. 

Cumbria Police is investigating after a car on the outskirts of Kendal had its tyres slashed.

The incident occurred around 8pm on Friday the 12th of February on Burton Road in Oxenholme.

A dark blue or black Ford Fiesta, and a man around 5'2" - believed to be in his 20s, with dark brown hair and blue trousers, was spotted near vehicle around that time.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Police.

A 68 year old woman's been rescued from the Lake District mountains after a fall on Gray Cragg, above Hartsop.

The Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out yesterday, where they found the woman with an ankle injury.

The injury was splinted and she was lowered down the fell on a stretcher to a waiting team Land Rover, which took her to hospital.