Cumbria’s new mayoral authority will be given £11.1 million a year from the Government.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed confirmed in a ministerial statement that the county was one of six areas to be given cash for 30 years.
Cumbria’s new combined authority will be able to choose what it wants to spend the money on.
The investment fund will be split 50/50 between capital projects and revenue spending.
Cumbria Combined Authority will be established in early 2026, operating for a year without a mayor, before Cumbria’s first mayoral election in May 2027.
The mayoral election was postponed for a year so it would align with other local government elections in 2027, saving around £1.1m in costs.
Key strategic tools and resources that will become available to Cumbria Combined Authority include:
- Transport – responsibility for a county-wide Local Transport Plan, management of the key route network, and influence over strategic roads and rail as well as shaping bus and active travel strategy, enabling a joined-up approach to connectivity across rural and urban areas.
- Skills and employability – transfer of the Adult Skills Fund from central government, as well as co-ownership of the Local Skills Improvement Plan and greater scope to align training provision with local economic needs.
- Spatial planning and housing – responsibility for delivering a statutory Spatial Development Strategy, the power to establish Mayoral Development Corporations, and joint investment planning with Homes England to support regeneration and housing delivery.
- Economic growth – a statutory duty to prepare a Local Growth Plan, responsibility for the Growth Hub and innovation support, and stronger engagement with Government departments and agencies, and more structured route for inward investment.
- Environment and climate change – a duty to support delivery of the forthcoming Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as well as a potential convening role in relation to net zero planning and energy.
- Public safety and resilience – transfer of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner functions by later legal order and new duties around information-sharing and resilience planning, giving Cumbria-wide oversight of public safety.
- Health and wellbeing alignment – a statutory duty to have regard to reducing health inequalities, with Government signalling a potential future alignment of NHS commissioning footprints to mayoral areas.
Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland councils agreed to go ahead with the formation of the new authority in October.
Mr Reed added: “All six areas will receive £3 million each as a minimum flat payment over the next three financial years, in addition to an initial payment of £1 million each when the statutory instruments are laid in Parliament, to help with the costs of establishing the new authorities.”
Mr Reed’s statement also confirmed there would funding of £5.5m for the pre-election year of 2026/27 and the £11.1m was additional to funding streams from other government departments, such as adult skills and transport funding.
Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, is the current chair of the joint executive committee overseeing the introduction of the new authority.
He said: “We welcome confirmation of this long-term funding which provides a basis for us to develop initial plans and priorities for the new authority to push forward economic development.
“We also recognise the intention for further funding streams to become accessible to mayoral authorities, thereby enabling decision-making on key areas like skills development and transport to be made here in Cumbria, rather than in London.
“We are pleased that government acknowledges that local leaders and communities are best placed to identify the issues and initiatives that reflect the interests of people in Cumbria.”
The minister’s statement said: “Devolution is a critical lever for delivering growth and prosperity for local communities – through bringing local transport back into public control, making people’s daily commute easier, tailoring local skills training to local employers’ needs, so people can get a good job, and driving regeneration of local areas, so people feel proud of the place they live.
“For too long decisions have been made centrally in Whitehall, away from the places and communities those decisions impact. Mayors and other local leaders are best placed to identify and invest in the projects and infrastructure that reflect the needs of local people and drive growth, but they need long-term funding certainty to harness their region’s potential.”
Julie Minns, Carlisle MP, said: “This announcement is a vote of confidence in Cumbria and its communities. I look forward to working positively with both unitary councils, and the new mayor to ensure that this money delivers clear and lasting benefits for local communities.”
