I’D like to begin this column by paying tribute to Lena Hogg, my deputy mayor and leader of the Labour Group on Copeland Council, who has announced her decision to stand down.

I’m saddened that Lena is to step down, but I fully understand her reasons. She will be a sad loss to the council and she has always put the residents of this borough first.

Lena has always shared my vision for a cross-party ‘rainbow’ executive, and has been foremost in putting party politics aside for the benefit of our residents.

She has always been a wonderful support to me personally, and I thank her for that.

This week, we are proud to announce that six new apprentices will be taken on by Copeland Council.

Applications are open until September 8 and, in partnership with Lakes College, we’re offering employment and training for those who successfully apply for our apprenticeships in ICT, accountancy, customer services, human resources and revenues and benefits.

We’re in the midst of an exciting time at the council. It’s a rewarding, dynamic and interesting place to work and I’d urge all those who are passionate about a career in public service to consider an application.

Elsewhere in Copeland, there’s a major piece of demolition work ongoing in Whitehaven, where two dilapidated harbourside buildings will soon be no more.

I wanted to highlight this to readers of The Mail because there are a number of other derelict buildings on our hitlist, including a number in Millom – and I’m sure you know where they are.

But the process of dealing with dilapidated buildings is fraught with red tape and frustration.

There’s a public perception that I, or Copeland Council, simply decide that a building must be improved – or demolished – and we can go ahead and do it. If only it were that simple!

There’s a whole series of hoops that must be jumped through, from initially working with owners (and tracking them down if they’re absent), to issuing notices requesting that improvement work should take place; to introducing enforcement measures for non-compliance. Buildings can be sold mid-process, and so we begin again…

We do have the power to demolish a building and charge the owner for the work, but that is always a last resort, and all other avenues have to be explored before we reach that stage.

So although the public may not always see the hard work that’s taking place, rest assured that we are as keen to see dilapidated buildings dealt with as you are – and we are making progress.

On the topic of improvements for Millom, we’re asking the public what they think of our measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, in terms of public alcohol consumption and dog control in the town and surrounding villages.

We have a number of designated areas in the area where it’s not permitted to drink alcohol publicly, and where it’s necessary to have dogs on a lead – and some locations where dogs are not permitted at all.

We aren’t proposing any changes to the areas that we have listed already, but we’re asking the public for their views on whether our current measures are appropriate. Visit our website (www.copeland.gov.uk) before September 10 to have your say.

And while you’re at our website, don’t forget to sign up for The Big Switch, a free scheme that could save you significant amounts on your energy bills.