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Local Carlisle · Cumberland

Council in the hot seat Tuesday over agency staff, phone queues and getting to West Cumbria Cumberland councillors to face questions on agency staff spending, phone waits and links to West Cumbria on Tuesday

By Kris WM, editor 3 min read From cumberland.moderngov.co.uk
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Cumberland councillors to face questions on agency staff spending, phone waits and links to West Cumbria on Tuesday
Photo: Graham Robson via Geograph / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Carlisle Civic Centre)

Full council's on Tuesday at 1pm in Carlisle. On the list: what's being spent on agency staff, the new finance system, how long you wait on the phone, faded road lines and getting to West Cumbria.

This one's for anybody in Cumberland who wants to know what the councillors are getting asked at full council on Tuesday.

It's 1pm on Tuesday 3 November in the Cathedral Room at the Civic Centre in Carlisle. There are nine councillor questions on the list.

Councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent) is asking council leader Mark Fryer, who's the councillor for St John's and Great Clifton, how much has gone on "externally provided workers (EPWs), including agency staff" this year compared with last, and what they'll save by using fewer.

He's also asking finance lead Barbara Cannon what the new finance computer system is costing in total, whether it's on time, and who'll check it works before it's switched on, given "the concerns raised by CIPFA regarding the Council's financial management arrangements".

Councillor Pickstone wants to know the "average time taken for a caller to speak to a member of staff" and how many folk give up and hang up. Councillor Wills is asking what's being done about road and rail between Carlisle and West Cumbria, with the nuclear industry needing to pull in workers from further afield. Councillor Davison is asking about the backlog on repainting faded road lines.

A member of the public has also sent in a question on council money and planned job cuts.

Also on: the Youth Justice Plan, a shake-up of polling districts and polling stations, budget reports and motions on the Armed Forces Covenant and Carlisle airport.

If you want the full lot, the agenda and papers are on the council's meetings website. Meetings are open to the public, and you can get hold of your own councillor through the council site.

Full Cumberland Council meets at 1pm on Tuesday 3 November at the Civic Centre in Carlisle. Councillors will ask about agency staff costs, the new finance system, call waiting times, faded road markings and road and rail links to West Cumbria.

This is for Cumberland residents who want to know what their councillors will be asked at Tuesday's full council meeting, and how to follow it.

The meeting is at 1pm on Tuesday 3 November in the Cathedral Room at the Civic Centre in Carlisle. Nine questions from councillors are on the agenda.

Councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent) will ask council leader Mark Fryer, who represents St John's and Great Clifton, how much the council has spent on "externally provided workers (EPWs), including agency staff" this year compared with last year, and what savings are expected from using fewer agency staff.

He will also ask finance portfolio holder Barbara Cannon about the total cost of a new integrated finance system, whether it is on schedule, and what independent checks will be done before it goes live, given "the concerns raised by CIPFA regarding the Council's financial management arrangements".

Councillor Pickstone will ask about the "average time taken for a caller to speak to a member of staff" and how many calls are abandoned. Councillor Wills will ask what the leader is doing to improve road and rail links between Carlisle and West Cumbria, given the nuclear industry's need to recruit from a wider workforce. Councillor Davison will ask about a backlog in repainting faded road markings.

A member of the public has also submitted a question about council finances and planned job cuts.

Other items include the 2026/27 Youth Justice Plan, a review of polling districts and polling places, budget monitoring reports and motions on the Armed Forces Covenant and Carlisle Lake District Airport.

What you can do: the full agenda and papers are on Cumberland Council's meetings website. Council meetings are open to the public, and you can contact your own councillor through the council website.