Local archive
Community
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Whins Farm near Kendal to open the Addington Fund’s first New Entrant Starter Farm as part of a two-day tour highlighting rural communities, farming and countryside initiatives across Cumbria.
Community
South Lakeland Best Start Family Hubs welcomed just under 100 adults and children to a free Family Fun Day at Kendal West Family Hub on 10 August, with advice, activities and emergency-service demonstrations.
Community
Around 30,000 people attended the 227th Westmorland County Show at Crooklands near Kendal, where farmers used Back British Farming Day to urge politicians to support homegrown food production.
Community
Residents in Kendal and across Westmorland and Furness are being asked to review local polling arrangements and suggest improvements before a consultation closes on 5 October 2026.
Community
Residents in Kendal and across Westmorland and Furness are being asked to comment on whether local polling districts, polling places and polling stations remain convenient and accessible. The review closes on 5 October 2026, with final proposals due before the council on 26 November.
Community Burneside
Hall Park playground in Burneside has reopened, while a new skatepark for Queen’s Park in Windermere and a permanent pump track in Kendal are progressing through Westmorland and Furness Council’s programme. No public opening date has yet been set for either Kendal or Windermere project.
Community
Visitors to Westmorland County Show at Lane Farm, Crooklands, near Kendal, will be able to see the Grand Départ Trophy on 9 and 10 September 2026, ahead of the Tour de France arriving in Westmorland and Furness the following summer.
Community
Kendal Town Hall is flying the Red Ensign on 3 September 2026 as Westmorland and Furness Council joins a national tribute to Merchant Navy seafarers and those who served during the World Wars.
Community
The third and final phase of the Crookfields housing development in Staveley has been completed with help from a £300,000 Westmorland and Furness Council grant, but Castles & Coasts has not yet advertised any of the 25 homes.
Community
South Lakes Housing’s senior leadership team visited Hallgarth Estate in Kendal on Tuesday to meet residents, view homes and neighbourhoods, and test drive one of the organisation’s new fully electric vans.
Community
Westmorland and Furness Council will hold a free forum at Kendal Town Hall on Thursday 17 September 2026 for private landlords and managing agents, with places limited to the first 80 applicants.
Community Burneside
Kendal households in Band D will pay £2,525.45 in council tax during 2026/27, an increase of £121.67 on the previous year. The bill includes charges for Westmorland and Furness Council, adult social care, policing, fire and rescue, and Kendal Town Council, while second-home owners face a 100% premium.
Community
Kendal householders will see every bin collection move back by one day during the week beginning Monday 31 August 2026. The South Lakeland service also has new paid garden-waste rules, while larger recycling bins are planned but have no confirmed rollout date.
Community
Average house prices across Westmorland and Furness rose 11.1% in the year to June 2026, the joint fourth-fastest increase among England’s 295 local authority districts. But the official figure covers the much wider council area rather than Kendal alone, while local completed sales show a different picture.
Community Burneside
A total of 305 people across Kendal’s five wards were claiming in July 2026, while under-25 claims across Westmorland and Furness fell by 15% over two years as the UK figure rose by 16%.
Community
Brewery Arts’ 2026 Community Dance Platform brought in-house dancers and visiting groups together for performances shaped by storytelling, imagination and community connection. The programme also introduced an Adult Performance Project for dancers developing work for the stage.
Community Castle
Cumbria Pension Fund is supporting a fundraising cycle ride from Carlisle to the south coast, with money being raised for Watchtree Nature Reserve’s Watchtower Project.
Community
Westmorland and Furness Council is launching a Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme in its public-facing buildings, with families able to access support and activities through Best Start Family Hubs during World Breastfeeding Week.
Community Town Centre
Westmorland and Furness Council will widen parking bays at Westmorland Shopping Centre car park in Kendal from 2.4 metres to 2.6 metres, with some spaces exceeding 3 metres. The work will reduce overall capacity and take place floor by floor, while a wider town parking study is planned through March 2027.
