In response to a request from the government for ideas, Barrow Borough Council, Lancaster City Council and South Lakeland District Council have submitted a proposal to combine as one.

The councils believe that this new structure will help bring a bright and prosperous future. If agreed by the government, this will form a unitary authority around Morecambe Bay.

As the government are looking to abolish two-tier district and county councils, replacing them with one-tier ‘unitary’ authorities to provide all local council services, four options have been submitted.

One of them is the Bay, which already maintains both a proud reputation and strong identity with close community and family ties, a shared cultural heritage and has practically the same footprint as the University of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and the Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group.

The main objectives are to build community wealth, by reinvesting money back into the area, tackling poverty, improving the health and wellbeing of residents by developing NHS and social services, and building a greener economy. All three Councils have declared a climate emergency.

The new joint council would take responsibility for amenities such as emptying bins, roads, social care, working with local schools and focusing on the needs of individuals and businesses, as 96 per cent of people who live in the Bay, also work in the Bay.

Market research agency Survation conducted a telephone survey of 1,012 adults across the three districts in November 2020. The results indicate strong support for a Bay unitary. Also, there is a belief that it will deliver better services and reduce the concern that a county unitary will make it harder for local voices to be heard.

Another joint survey by the three councils was conducted with nearly 3,000 responses, which showed that 85 percent of people in the area favoured a Bay authority over a county-wide unitary.

Although evidence has already been gathered to show strong support for the Bay, the government is conducting a separate consultation exercise, to test the public reaction to all four proposals that have been submitted. 

Businesses, community and voluntary sector organisations and importantly members of the public who live, work or study in South Lakeland, Barrow and Lancaster are now invited to engage in the consultation. This closes on 19th April 2021.

So, if you are looking to be part of this important change, the simplest way to have your say is by emailing unitaryconsultation@communities.gov.uk.

Please include your name and state that you are a resident living in the area affected. 

You can also have your say by writing to Government Reform and Democracy, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF. 

If you want to respond more formally, you can complete the questions detailed on the Government website: consult.communities.gov.uk

For more information, including the full Bay proposal, then visit The Bay Consultation website: www.thebayconsultation.com

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