MEET THE COUNCILLOR: Here are some of the people who will be representing you from next year

Voters selected sixteen new councillors to represent areas of Allerdale on the new Cumberland Council last month in an historic local election.

A shadow authority has now formed, which is overseeing the planning and preparation for the new unitary council which will take over in April 2023.

Each week, The Times and Star will introduce four newly elected councillors, who have opened up about their lives and shared their intentions for the council in the future.

Barbara Cannon 

Cumberland councillor (Labour) St. Michaels, Workington

HONOURED: Barbara Cannon

It is an absolute privilege to be one of the first councillors ever elected to the new council of Cumberland.  It is a daunting task to bring together the four authorities  with all their front line services as one new council.  Between now and the 1st April we are in shadow form which is another way of saying we are in the planning and preparation stage so that everything is ready and working from the first day.

I was brought up in St Michaels Ward and most of my extended family still live here.  As the new ward councillor I intend to speak up for all of our residents and to make sure Cumberland provides quality services for everyone.  I have been a councillor for over 30 years in all tiers of local government and bring with me a wealth of knowledge of how a council should work. In my working life I have also worked in the public sector in the Careers Service, as a youth worker, in economic development and training and as the Chair of a Health Authority and Hospital Trust.

We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a council that can create better services for all of us and that makes a difference to our lives.  I am proud of where I live but I do know it could be improved for all of us.  I am thrilled to have been chosen to be the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Assets.

Carni McCarron-Holmes 

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) Maryport North

Carni McCarron-Holmes

Being appointed as the first Chairman of the new Cumberland Unitary Council I feel is a huge honour and a recognition of my experience and abilities by my colleagues  

 This new Authority now has all its services under one roof and having served for a long time as a Cumbria County; Allerdale Borough & Maryport Town Council gives me the opportunity to make a difference for Maryport and its outlying villages.

My strengths are Housing and all it represents whether it be planning; Housing associations; private sector owners or landlords. Equally health has impacts on all of our lives and I am deeply involved in striving for the best services   for all living in this new council area

My professional background in Social Work gave me valuable experience of people coupled with my local roots in West Cumbria makes me able to see the problems we need to overcome.  I look forward to what I am able to achieve and how to shape better services for its people.

Denise Rollo 

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) Harrington and Salterbeck

Denise Rollo

I would firstly like to thank all those that put their faith in my ability, and I will endeavour to commit to my pledges to be an accessible councillor and work hard in the Harrington ward for all residents.

It’s been a very busy first few weeks and as the executive member responsible for Highways, Travel, Waste and Environment I have been reviewing all the services that we provide. There is a lot of work to do bringing all these services together under one council, but we continue to focus on delivery that residents expect and where any changes will benefit the service.  

I have been a Salterbeck town councillor for over 11 years and have always been active within the resident groups supporting funding, events and delivering projects that benefit the community with play areas and the creation of the Workington Nature Partnership.

My 30-year career in local government has been varied and I now work from home as a consultant in a role where I support council projects across the UK.

Living with husband Mike and my dogs, the children have flown the nest with my youngest son at university training to be a teacher. My 2 grandchildren live local, and my aim has always been to make where we live a better place for them to grow and develop.

Our streets, the green spaces, the environment is what’s important to me and ensuring these are of a good standard will be my focus in my term in office.

Helen Tucker 

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) Cockermouth North

Helen Tucker

I am very proud to have been elected to represent Cockermouth North, and so grateful to the people who have placed their trust in me. Our community needs a coherent planning policy, a thought-out strategy for local transport and amenities - utilities, schools, housing built for local needs. A concern that was raised on the doorstep many times was the pace of development in Cockermouth, and the resulting effects on the town – our roads, schools, medical care.

We need well-conceived environmental policies and practices which will mean a better quality of life for us all. I am part of group researching the feasibility, in a town of this size, of two green initiatives - installing solar energy panels, and electric vehicle charging points.

I will listen to residents, act on their concerns, and always respond to them. I intend to offer regular surgeries across the ward and attend town and parish meetings regularly.

 I believe that our local representatives should be accessible and accountable to their community at all times, not just when we have an election on the horizon.

The move to the new Unitary Authority is an exciting opportunity for fresh ideas and for new ways of thinking to come to the fore. This will mean evaluating how the old system was performing and seeking out new ways of working to fulfil our community’s needs wherever improvements are required.

This is our opportunity to examine how our councils serve us – our chance to keep what works well and adapt and improve where necessary.