Cumbrian councils merge into two new 'unitary authorities'

Two new unitary authorities have launched in Cumbria.

The six district councils and Cumbria County Council will be replaced by the two new councils. It is hoped it will save the taxpayers money and make services easier to access.

Covering the current area of Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland will now be Cumberland Council.

Westmorland and Furness Council will cover Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland.

But Workington MP Mark Jenkinson hasn't been impressed by the work done in bringing the Cumberland council into existence. He believes the new council setup is costing more, rather than saving the tax payers money. Mr Jenkinson said: "We have been asleep at the wheel for 11 months. The successful bid for local government reform identified savings of somewhere between 7 and 11 percent, so 25 to 30 million pounds from the budget. But, what we haven't seen is any plans to bring this forward."

In a statement, the new Cumberland Council said they have worked hard to ensure the new authority was safe and legal and that pressures including inflation, energy costs and pay awards mean the council is also facing a steep rise in prices for its goods and services.

Meanwhile, responses from partners and community groups found they were happy with the approach taken, given how complicated setting up the new council has been.