MOVES for Cumbria to open talks with the Government about slashing the county’s seven councils have been agreed.

At a meeting of the full council in Kendal today, county political leaders were given the go-ahead to start negotiations about a unitary authority.

It could lead to a proposal that Cumbria’s county council and the six district authorities are reduced to one or two – although any proposed future structure is far from certain or agreed.

Council leader Stewart Young (Lab, Carlisle) told the meeting that the decision would rest with the Government – not the county council or its cabinet.

Cllr Young said the county council needed to save a further £50 million over the next three years – having saved £250 million since 2010.

“It could lead to the abolition of Cumbria County Council and I felt it necessary for every one of the 84 members of the county council to have the opportunity to discuss it,” said Cllr Young.

“This isn’t meant as a criticism of any of the district councils. They have dedicated, hard-working officers and councillors and what I don’t want to see is the creation of division and conflict in Cumbria’s Local Government family.”

Opposition leader Cllr James Airey (Con, Ulverston West) said: “The system is broken. Some would say we are over-governed and under-led.” He said the county had seven “good” chief executives and upwards of 400 councillors which meant “huge costs” which could go on services. He said there was “nothing to be scared of” and it was worth a discussion.

Andy Connell (Lib Dem, Appleby) warned the chamber to be “careful of what you wish for” and said some areas of the county, like rural Eden, could lose out in funding and services to some of Cumbria’s larger communities. Cllr Connell added that the discussion on a proposed structure could take “longer than Brexit”.

Cumbria is currently run under a “two-tier” arrangement involving a county council and six district councils providing services in Allerdale, Barrow, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland.

The “unitary authority” or "single council" process could involve Cumbria being run by either one or two new councils – but many district councils disagree.