PLANS for a new Cumbria Chamber of Commerce have won the overwhelming backing of members of the Kendal and South Lakeland Chamber.

A merger with business organisations in Barrow, Carlisle and West Cumbria was rubberstamped at an extraordinary meeting of the chamber in Kendal this week.

President Richard Knowles said that of those balloted last month, 98 per cent of members supported forming a countywide chamber of commerce, rather than going it alone or joining with the Lancaster and district chamber.

Both Lancaster and Carlisle wanted Kendal to come on board to help secure accreditation from the British Chambers of Commerce, which wants a network of highly active local chambers each fully staffed with at least 1,000 members.

Neither the Lancaster or Carlisle organisations were large enough on their own to meet the BCC demands and needed the 100-member Kendal chamber to help make up the required numbers.

Mr Knowles said the merger would give South Lakeland members greater business opportunities and access to more service, while retaining the present quarterly chamber meetings held in Kendal.

Viv Dodd, chief executive of Carlisle Business Forum, said his 900-strong membership was keen to create a countywide lobbying group for businesses.

"My members were concerned there was not a single private sector voice to represent their views," he said.

The new Cumbria chamber, which is expected to gain the seal of approval from the BCC by the end of this year.

is recruiting three new staff - one will be Kendal-based, charged with recruiting businesses from South Lakeland and Furness.