Two new unitary authorities to make running Cumbria 'simpler'

It is almost fifty years since Cumbria was stitched together as a patchwork of former counties.

Now the system created in 1974 has been unpicked to create two new unitary authorities.

It is hoped disbanding the two-tier system of seven councils will save taxpayers money and make accessing services simpler.

But there is disagreement about whether ministers got the decision right and what path leaders should now take.

The county council had responsibility for some services, such as social care, while the six district councils ran other services, such as rubbish collection, in their part of the county.

However, from today Westmorland and Furness Council will run all of those services in south and east Cumbria, while Cumberland Council will take charge in the north and west.

The names partly echo the historical counties that Cumbria swallowed up in 1974, though the boundaries are different.

Eric Martlew, the former Labour MP for Carlisle, sat on Cumbria County Council when it was first formed.

Speaking at the final meeting on 23 March, he said: "It's a sad occasion really, but the geography of the county is the reason why it's being disbanded.

"Barrow and Carlisle are the big centres of population and they don't mix really."

Others feel Cumbria should have stayed intact, with Cumbria County Council taking over district services and becoming one large unitary authority.

But now the decision has been made, the focus is on what happens next.

Ahead of Westmorland and Furness Council's recent budget, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for finance, Andrew Jarvis, said the reorganisation could help save £15m over the next few years.

He said finding those savings is "the work which we need to start and work on quickly".

Mark Fryer, the Labour leader of Cumberland Council, said it would mean people having a single point of contact for local services.

"They'll get better service and they'll get a more joined-up service," he said.

But John Stevenson, the Conservative MP for Carlisle, said the councils should have bigger ambitions.

"The real prize was bringing the two [councils] together as a combined authority with an elected mayor," he said.

He and other Conservatives argue this would bring better leadership and more government investment.

The two councils have not ruled it out, but said their priority for now was to make sure the new authorities get off to a good start.

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