Cumberland Councillors met yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 7 October) to discuss plans for devolution in Cumbria.
At a Council meeting at Allerdale House, Workington, councillors were provided with an update and were given the opportunity to have their say on the establishment of a new Mayor-led authority for Cumbria.
After considering the powers, responsibilities and funding that would be available to a new authority, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council now need to formally decide whether they both want to go ahead.
If they do, a Cumbria Combined Authority would become a legal body early in 2026, with mayoral elections in May 2027.
Leader of Cumberland Councill, Cllr Mark Fryer, said:
“Devolution is about shifting power and resources from Whitehall to Cumbria, giving us greater influence over issues we know matter most to our residents.
“It will give Cumbria a stronger voice nationally and access to a Mayoral Investment Fund of £333 million over the next 30 years so we can seize opportunities for our residents and communities.”
A new authority would have a range of powers, responsibilities and opportunities not available to individual local authorities and would be in addition to Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils.
Powers would include strategic, Cumbria-wide responsibilities on transport and local infrastructure; skills and employment support; housing and strategic planning; economic development and regeneration; environment and climate change; health, wellbeing and public service reform and public safety.
Following yesterday’s Cumberland Council meeting, the council’s Executive will meet on Tuesday 14 October to formally decide if they agree to consent to the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority for Cumbria.
In Westmorland and Furness, the council’s ruling Cabinet met on 29 September to discuss the issue and were ‘minded to consent’ to the establishment of a new Mayoral-led authority for Cumbria. Following scrutiny, their Cabinet will make a final decision to consent or not at its meeting on 14 October.
Both councils need to consent to setting up the combined authority.