Plans for mayor of Cumbria move a step closer as consultation ends
A PUBLIC consultation into the future of Cumbria's democratic makeup has ended.
The consultation was launched to gather the views of Cumbrians over the plans to have a directly elected mayor of the county.
Cumbria could be set for a combined authority mayoral election in May 2026 under the plans unveiled by the deputy prime minister.
Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton are all six new potential devolution areas throughout England with 'a view to mayoral elections in May 2026", according to Angela Rayner MP.
Cumbrian councils were invited to join the government's devolution priority programme after earlier expressing interest in exploring what greater devolution of powers could mean in Cumbria.
Metro mayors have proved successful in places like Greater Manchester and Teesside in driving local economic growth and the deputy prime minister has said she would like to see other directly elected, combined authority mayors across the country.
Devolution provides regions with more powers and decision-making over matters including transport, employment support, planning, and housing.
Senior Labour and Conservative politicians in Cumbria have previously called for a mayor in Cumbria which could bring more powers for local transport links, planning and housing.
The proposal to have a mayor in Cumbria has been supported by both the leaders of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness council.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: "This is good news for Cumberland and Cumbria as a whole.
"Being included in this priority programme is a vote of confidence in our ability to drive investment and deliver for local communities.
"Devolution will unlock more funding and more powers for our area, with decisions being made in Cumbria rather than in London."
Critics of devolution say that it adds another layer of bureaucracy and does not offer value for money for taxpayers.
Speculation has previously run rife over candidates for a potential mayoral contest, but nobody has officially put their hat into the ring.
Carlisle MP, Julie Minns has also backed the plans for a regional mayor.
'Greater devolution is key to unlocking regional growth in Cumbria, delivering on the government's plan and putting more money into working people's pockets, while also empowering them to direct change in their communities,' said Ms Minns.
'It will see Cumbria given sweeping new powers, putting our community on the fast-track to deliver growth, opportunities, transport and housing for local communities."
Westmorland and Furness Council has stressed the importance of 'sufficient' funding if devolution in Cumbria is to go-ahead to address a 'legacy of underinvestment'.
In response to the government's proposals for a mayoral combined authority (MCA) the Liberal Democrat-led authority said the funding must be sufficient to address 'historic underinvestment' in the area.
The response from the council reads: 'We await the outcome of the Spending Review later in the year to provide clarity on the future funding for devolution in Cumbria, this understanding will be essential for any decisions to provide our consent.
'Historically, the area has been funded, via 'per head' funding models that have left the area substantially disadvantaged compared to areas with higher population density.
'Devolution has been shown to work in some larger urban and metropolitan areas, but it is not clear how the funding model will work in rural areas where there is a higher cost of service delivery for a dispersed population over a large land area.
'For Cumbria to be a sustainable devolved geography, the funding our area would receive through devolution must be sufficient to make a meaningful difference and address this legacy of underinvestment.'
This comes after the local government finance settlement scrapped the rural services delivery grant which resulted in the council losing £6.44 million this financial year.
Deputy leader of Westmorland and Furness Council councillor Andrew Jarvis previously described the 'political shift' in funding from rural areas to urban areas as 'deeply disappointing'.
The report from the council adds: 'Acknowledging systematic underfunding of some key services in Cumbria and the vital importance of adequate future resourcing, there are potentially significant opportunities for a MCA [mayoral combined authority] to deliver benefits to the local community.
'Many of the devolved powers are essential building blocks for improving social outcomes, such as improving health, housing, transport, employment and the environment.
'The MCA has the opportunity to lead by example, acting as an anchor institution and taking long term decisions that impact on not only its workforce and the local population, but also the outcomes of generations to follow.'
MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron previously said Cumbria should be able to get devolution without a mayor.
Mr Farron previously said: 'We desperately need our local council to be given more funding and powers if we are to properly deliver for our local communities.
'So therefore, I support the council wanting to engage with the Government on devolution.
'However, I am concerned that there is still a lack of detail from the government about what is on offer, and I still remain of the view we should be able to get devolution without us needing to have a mayor.
'What is most important is that the government keeps its promise of running a proper consultation for local residents. And if, once all the details are made clear, the public decide that they don't wish to have a mayor, then the Labour government must not impose one on us.'
Now that the Government-led public consultation exercise has concluded, both unitary councils will then be required to make a final decision later in the year.
If approved, Cumbrians could be set to visit the polls for the new combined authority mayor as early as 2026 ahead of planned local council elections in 2027.
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