MEMBERS of the public will get plenty of opportunities to have their say on the emerging Cumberland Local Plan, it has been revealed.

Members of the council’s place overview and scrutiny committee were given a progress report at a meeting at The Copeland Centre in Whitehaven on Wednesday (June 12).

Chris Hoban, the co-author of the report, told members that it would replace the current local plans for the former Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland district councils, as well as the former Cumbria County Council.

According to the report there will be a public consultation in early 2025 and the spring of 2026 with a final plan consultation in March 2027 and its adoption in March 2028.

A council’s local plan is a statutory development plan for the council area which has full weight, together with made neighbourhood plans where relevant, in determining planning applications and development decisions within the area.

Julie Ward, the second co-author of the report, assured members that that consultation with members of the public would be key to the local plan’s development.

Members noted the contents of the report and decided that a local plan member advisory group should be formed to oversee it.

The local plan will cover a period of 2025 to 2040.