Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have informed the government of their commitment to exploring devolution.

The two councils have submitted an expression of interest on furthering a discussion on combined authority devolution. 

Devolution decentralises certain powers and decision-making to give regions more control over what happens on matters such as transport, planning, and housing.

The council's expression of interest follows an announcement by the new government that devolution would be open to more regions. 

Cllr Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, said: “Devolution is an exciting prospect, and we are keen to see how it can enhance our collaborative efforts and drive positive change for the people of Cumberland.

“We continue to work with Westmorland and Furness Council on a variety of hosted and shared services. The relationship between the two councils is as strong as ever, and the CLEP transfer is a catalyst for us working together on the economic prosperity of Cumbria.

“We are fully supportive of key developments underway within the wider region and know there is real benefit to us working together to create a strong voice for Cumbria.”

The expression of interest form is focused on understanding the council’s preferred geography for devolution and its views on adopting the mayoral model seen in places such as Greater Manchester and Tees Valley. 

Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have confirmed that Cumbria is their 'preferred economic geography' but they're open to working with the government on this as the devolution agenda progresses.

They have also stated that they are open to exploring all of the devolution governance arrangements.

Within their joint submission the councils said: "We recognise the opportunity presented by the Government’s devolution agenda to help drive forward inclusive and sustainable economic growth and are agreed that this expression of interest seeks to build on the existing working relationship on the Cumbria geographic footprint.

"This reflects our shared history and areas of strategic interest, as well as the reality of current devolution arrangements in our neighbouring geographies."

Cllr Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “This is a real milestone for the two new councils and shows genuine commitment from both to work together and achieve the very best outcomes for the people we represent.

“I look forward to working with Cumberland and Government colleagues to explore what opportunities lie ahead for us.”