Cumbria property transfers benefit community groups

Centre 67 in Appleby is one of the properties being transferred

Community groups in Cumbria are to take control of a number of facilities formerly owned by the council.

The move is aimed at ensuring they are "better tailored to local needs".

Centre 67 in Appleby will be transferred to its leaseholder Eden Community Outdoors, which organises outdoor events for young people.

Other properties include the Drill Hall in Dalton-in-Furness, which will be handed to the Dalton Community Association.

In Longtown, part of the former Lochinvar School playing fields and the school bungalow have been sold to Arthuret Parish Council for a nominal sum.

Councillor Stewart Young, Cumbria County Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, said: "The transferring of community assets allows local people to be responsible for running facilities in their own areas and better tailor them to localised needs.

"These communities all have good, sustainable plans in place for making the best use of the facilities we have transferred and I'm sure people are going to benefit from them for many years to come."