Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils today welcomed the news Cumbria has passed statutory devolution tests set by the Government and will now be allowed to progress to the next stage of the devolution process.
In a written ministerial statement, Local Government Minister Jim McMahon confirmed the Government believed the introduction of a mayoral authority for Cumbria would improve people’s economic, social and environmental well-being and reflect the identities and interests of local communities.
The two councils will now need to formally decide whether they both want to introduce a Mayoral Strategic Authority. The councils are set to consider this in September.
The Government also confirmed it has agreed to a joint request from the councils to delay a proposed May 2026 election. If the councils do move forward with a Mayoral Strategic Authority, an election would be held in May 2027, alongside elections for the two authorities, thereby saving an estimated £1m in costs.
As part of its assessment, the Government published a summary of the public consultation it ran in the spring, which received more than 1,300 responses from groups, businesses and individuals. The consultation feedback will be considered as part of September’s decision-making process for both councils.
If the councils do agree to setting up a Mayoral Strategic Authority, it is anticipated this would become a legal body early in 2026, with leadership until May 2027 coming from the two constituent authorities, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness.
Last week, the Government published its English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill which sets out in detail the powers and responsibilities that will be available for new Mayoral Strategic Authorities.
These include key areas for economic and community growth such as transport and local infrastructure, skills and employment support, housing and strategic planning, economic development and regeneration, health, wellbeing and public service reform, and public safety.
The Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, Cllr Jonathan Brook, said: “We welcome the agreement to the deferment of an election, if it is required, and confirmation that Cumbria has passed the Government’s statutory tests.
“It will now be down to local elected members to make a final decision on whether to move forward with devolution.
“Before that, and to ensure we reach a decision that is in the best interests of those we represent, we will be engaging with our key partners to understand their perspectives, and carefully considering the public feedback from the consultation.”
The Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “This important milestone towards devolution in Cumbria is another step forward in bringing transformational change to our region.
"Devolution will unlock more funding and more powers for our area, with decisions being made in Cumbria rather than in London. We have seen the long-term benefits of devolution for communities and local economies in areas that have directly elected Mayors and this announcement is the start of our journey to match the growth we see in other regions.”
The consultation summary response is now live at Cumbria devolution - GOV.UK.