People interested in becoming a councillor on the new Westmorland and Furness Council can attend an online briefing event to learn more about the election process.
The council – and Cumberland Council – will replace the current six district councils and the county authority from April 1 2023.
Westmorland and Furness Council will be responsible for the area currently covered by Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland district councils.
As part of the process to set up the Westmorland and Furness Council, elections will take place in May this year to elect 65 councillors in new wards across the Westmorland and Furness area.
These councillors will be elected for a five-year term of office, the first year on a ‘Shadow Authority’ that will oversee the planning and preparation for the new unitary council, followed by four years on Westmorland and Furness Council.
The Shadow Authority will have important business to conclude before April 2023, including adopting a constitution and code of conduct for the Westmorland and Furness Council and appointing a cabinet and leader.
They will also designate interim officers to key statutory positions so that the new council can legally operate and will take decisions to prepare for the running of all services currently carried out by the county, borough and district councils from April 2023.
The existing county, borough and district councils will continue to operate and deliver services until April 2023 and the Shadow Authority will work alongside, until Westmorland and Furness Council ‘goes live’ on 1 April 2023.
It will be at that point the Shadow Authority and its 65 councillors become the new Westmorland and Furness Council and the existing county, borough and district councils will be dissolved.
Anyone who is interested in standing for election to Westmorland and Furness Council is being invited to attend the online briefing, starting at 5pm on March 2, hosted by the election returning officer, Sam Plum, who is chief executive of Barrow Borough Council.
She will be joined by election officers to explain more about the process of standing for election, including details about the nomination process and deadlines.
Potential candidates and agents can register for the briefing by sending an email to: communications@southlakeland.gov.uk
The deadline to register for the briefing is Monday, February 28 at 5pm.
