EXISTING councils should have been given more time and money by the government to be replaced by two Cumbrian unitary authorities, it has been claimed.

Earlier this year Cumbria County Council – as well as Carlisle, Eden, South Lakeland, Allerdale, Copeland and Barrow-in-Furness councils – were replaced by Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils.

Members of the joint executive committee met on Monday (July 17) at the Civic Centre in Carlisle to discuss a closure report on the Cumbria Local Government Reorganisation Programme.

Jo Atkinson, the director of business transformation and change with Cumberland Council, told members they should be familiar with the contents of the report and added: “There shouldn’t be anything here that we haven’t seen before.”

The report is intended to document the process of moving from seven local councils to be replaced by the two new unitary authorities and help inform and advise the UK government and other councils who are thinking of making a similar move.

It states that the programme was delivered within budget, with £18.5 million of the £18.9 million implementation reserve committed – as at March 2023 – and this was at the 'lower end' of the estimated cost range submitted in the LGR proposal of between £17.6 and £23.6 million.

Councillor Peter Thornton (Liberal Democrats, Kendal Strickland and Fell), who is the cabinet member for highways and assets at Wetmorland and Furness said: “I feel really optimistic about both councils going forwards.

“The big message to government should be if you are going to tell us what to do at least have the good grace to give us some money to do it.

“We are still catching up bringing all this together and we need at least another year – we should have been given money and more time.”

Councillor Barbara Cannon (St Michaels, Labour), who is the cabinet member for financial planning and assets at Cumberland, said that in her experience with the former county council the government never gave any money and added: “I am sure in a few years’ time we will still be talking about this.”

Councillor Emma Williamson (Kells and Sandwith, Labour), who is Cumberland’s deputy leader and the cabinet member for children’s, family wellbeing and housing, said it had been 'really challenging' and added: “I think we need to be totally open and honest with people.”

She agreed there should have been more funding for the transformation in Cumbrian local government.

She said: “There really wasn’t enough money. We need to let other authorities know that it’s hard going through this.”

Committee chairwoman councillor Lisa Brown (Currock, Labour) Cumberland’s deputy leader and cabinet member for governance and thriving communities, said the report should go before a council scrutiny committee meeting before returning to the joint executive to which members agreed.