A decade ago today (25th July) the results of a postal referendum held in Penrith were announced in what was called a “historic decision” at the time to create a town council for Penrith.
After receiving a petition signed by over 1500 local residents, Eden District Council organised a postal ballot which was sent out to over 12,196 residents in the town eligible to vote.
The single question asked on the Postal Ballot was, Do you think Penrith should have a Town Council? With a Yes or No option for voters.
Of the 12,196 residents eligible to vote in the postal referendum only 5089 returned the ballot paper with 14 of those invalid.
65 per cent that responded in the postal ballot voted Yes to the proposal for creating a town council with 35 per cent of those who responded voted No to creating a town council.
The actual number voting YES was 3311 (65.2% of the valid vote) and the number voting NO was 1764 (34.8% of the valid vote).
Rory Stewart as the MP for Penrith and The Border at the time said: “This is absolutely fantastic news for Penrith. Local residents have voted resoundingly in favour of more local democracy, giving them greater control over the future of their town, and the way in which
local services are run. It is at this level where people know more, care more, and can do more, and it is why I firmly believe we need to continue devolving power away from central government and back into the hands of local communities, to allow them to realise their own
potential.”
Gordon Nicolson who was at the time the Leader of Eden District Council said “The people of Penrith have made an historic decision in voting for a town council. I am pleased that the result shows a significant majority for the decision. This will mean that all of Eden District will have a town or parish council to represent the views of residents. I welcome the result. We will ask the council at its next meeting on 18 September to endorse the result and agree to set up a shadow town council to engage with residents and make preparations for elections in May 2015.”
A decade on from the announcement of the results of the postal referendum that created the town council with the first elections held in May 2015 the town council has seen the number of councillor’s it originally had reduced from 19 councillors to 15 Councillors due to having a number of vacant seats in its first four-year term. The town council is now in its third council term with 15 councillors but still at the last elections in May 2023 had vacant seats that the council filled through co-opting a former councillor to fill. The council has also seen a number of councillors resign since it was created including one elected in the last elections May 2023. Some of the former town councillors have called for the town council to be scrapped or replaced with smaller parish councils serving the separate areas of Penrith such as Castletown and Carleton Village.
In 2014 ahead of the referendum to create a town council, voters in Penrith were told a town council would see a £22 addition to council tax for a Band D property a decade on Band D households are now paying £83.92 with theTown Council since the 1 April 2024 collecting a precept of £487,735 to pay for Council services from Penrith council tax payers.
Since the town council was created it has been handed a small number of assets in the town by the former Eden council including the Cornmarket Band Stand, Musgrave Monument, French Field with the Play area and Thacker field by the former Cumbria County Council alongside some bus shelters and benches the town council own in Penrith.
10 years on from the postal referendum that created the town council what do you think has it provided more local democracy and given residents greater control over the future of the town?
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