Joint news
release
18 February
2022
HELP SHAPE
THE FUTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Are
you interested in helping to shape the future of local government in Cumbria?
Anyone
considering standing to become a councillor on the new Westmorland and Furness
Council is being invited to an online briefing event to learn more about the
election process.
The
online briefing is being held Wednesday, 2 March, for agents and
potential candidates looking to stand for election to Westmorland and Furness
Council.
From 1 April 2023 local government in
Cumbria is changing, as the current six district councils and Cumbria County
Council will be replaced by two new unitary authorities.
In the area currently covered by
Barrow Borough, Eden District and South Lakeland District councils a new
authority, Westmorland and Furness Council, will be taking over providing all
the services currently delivered in those areas by district and borough
councils and the county council.
As part of the complex 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 willoversee 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 2 March 2022, being hosted by the election Returning Officer, Sam
Plum, who is Chief Executive of Barrow Borough Council.
Sam Plum 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, 28 February at 5pm.
A
further email containing the Teams link and joining instruction for the
briefing will then be forwarded to all those who have registered. The intention
is to record the briefing and make the recording available on request to anyone
unable to attend on 2 March.
For more information about the Local Government Reorganisation
process in Cumbria, please see:Home
(newcouncilsforcumbria.info)