Cumbria’s councils have now received the draft Structural Changes Order from Government which provides some additional detail about the two new councils.
In the document, the Government has confirmed its intention to name the two new councils.
- For the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland areas the council’s name will be Cumberland Council.
- For the Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland areas the council’s name will be Westmorland and Furness Council.
Other details shared in the draft SCO include:
The number of councillors each council will potentially have:
- Cumberland Council will have 46 members.
- Westmorland and Furness Council will have 65 members.
The Government also laid out in the draft SCO:
- Elections for the two new councils, as Shadow Authorities, will take place in May 2022 and then in 2027 and every four years thereafter.
- Joint Committees (one for Cumberland and one for Westmorland and Furness) will be established and each one will have 12 members – three from Cumbria County Council, three from each of the district councils in that area. So, in total 12 members each.
Joint Committees are responsible for the preparatory work to establish the Shadow Authorities and overseeing the implementation planning until Shadow Authorities are elected. The Joint Committees will be dissolved once the Shadow Authorities and Executives for the two new councils are established.
A shadow authority is an ‘authority’ which is appointed or elected to shape the two new councils ready for vesting on 1 April 2023. When the new councils go live on 1 April 2023 the shadow authorities are also then dissolved.
All of the information laid out in the draft SCO is still subject to Parliamentary approval which is likely to take place in March.
Finally, the programme management process will continue as it is – a single programme management board to oversee the implementation of the two new councils.
The Draft SCO is not for consultation – its content will be decided upon and approved by Government alone. The draft is also confidential at this time and cannot be shared.
