I WANT to focus this week on some of the really positive things happening in the borough. Of course, there are always battles to be fought and I continue to fight for and represent all your interests at all levels of government and elsewhere. However, it’s also important for us to take time to recognise the work and progress we are making towards our collective ambitions.

In this year’s budget we agreed to support the improvement of buildings in town centres and larger villages with grants being made available. This initiative is called Copeland Pride of Place and is part of our focus on our beautiful environment, and particularly town centres.

I know we all often get frustrated by the time it takes to bring some of our ambitions to fruition. These are challenging times, but it makes me even more delighted to be attending the grand openings of two key developments.

Rosehill Theatre has always been a major part of our culture and leisure offer and is well-used by our community. This new, cutting-edge facility will keep us on the cultural map and give our children opportunities to access the arts for fun and for learning.

The opening of the Foyer in Whitehaven, supported by local funding partners and through the Townscape Heritage Initiative, will provide supported accommodation for those in need. We should be really proud to have this facility in the borough and it has enabled the restoration of a high-profile historic building. This part of the town has been transformed in recent years and it looks amazing.

I am absolutely delighted at the news that St Bees School will reopen in September 2018. The school is a business and an employer and will ensure a group of historic buildings and facilities is well maintained. It also adds to our education mix, helping support our economic ambitions for the area. This significant investment is a sign of market confidence in Copeland as a place to do business. My congratulations to those who have refused to let this school lie dormant.

I am delighted to be attending the launch of the Autism Around The Combe event in Millom tomorrow, which is also National Autism Awareness Day. There are currently more than 65 families in the Millom area with a child currently diagnosed with autism. The new Autism Support Group that has been formed aim to improve the understanding and knowledge of autism in the area, as well as directly supporting the families of children and adults on the autistic spectrum. I fully support the group’s ambition to enable Millom to become the first autism friendly town in the UK.

As you are aware I have been working tirelessly since election to secure the future of the council against a backdrop of austerity that has affected Copeland particularly severely. While this has and will continue to mean difficult decisions, I will in the next week be submitting what I believe to be a compelling bid to government for Copeland to be included in the Business Rates Retention pilot for 2018. Having been uniquely disadvantaged by the current system, I am determined to ensure that the new system places us in a stronger position.

As I write this column the Prime Minister has triggered Article 50 and our exit from the European Union. We will all watch the negotiations with interest, and of course I will work with our key industries and stakeholders to understand implications for the council and the borough as details emerge.