Cllr Jonathan Brook, the Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, today welcomed confirmation from government of funding investment for the new Cumbria Combined Authority (CCA).
A ministerial statement from Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, confirmed:
- An investment fund of £11.1m per year for 30 years for Cumbria split 50/50 between capital projects and revenue spending. Funding of £5.5m for the pre-election year of 2026/27 has also been confirmed.
- The funding is based on a universal ‘per head’ allocation across six new devolved areas. Decisions on how and where to invest the money will be made locally.
- £4m of capacity funding over four years to help establish the new authority.
- Funds are the ‘baseline’ of government’s commitment and additional to devolved funding streams from other government departments, such as adult skills and transport funding.
- Mayoral election to be held in May 2027 aligning with unitary authority elections, thereby saving money and aiding voter turnout.
Cllr Brook, who is also current Chair of the Joint Executive Committee which is overseeing the introduction of CCA, said:
“We welcome confirmation of this long-term funding which provides a basis for us to develop initial plans and priorities for the new authority to push forward economic development.
“We also recognise the intention for further funding streams to become accessible to mayoral authorities, thereby enabling decision-making on key areas like skills development and transport to be made here in Cumbria, rather than in London.
“We are pleased that government acknowledges that local leaders and communities are best placed to identify the issues and initiatives that reflect the interests of people in Cumbria.”
The minister’s statement read: “Devolution is a critical lever for delivering growth and prosperity for local communities – through bringing local transport back into public control, making people's daily commute easier, tailoring local skills training to local employers’ needs, so people can get a good job, and driving regeneration of local areas, so people feel proud of the place they live.
“For too long decisions have been made centrally in Whitehall, away from the places and communities those decisions impact. Mayors and other local leaders are best placed to identify and invest in the projects and infrastructure that reflect the needs of local people and drive growth, but they need long-term funding certainty to harness their region’s potential.”
In October, both Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils gave their consent to the government’s devolution proposals, paving the way for the new Cumbria-wide strategic authority. CCA will have strategic overview of economic development across Cumbria.
It will be established in early 2026, operating for a year without a Mayor before Cumbria’s first Mayoral election in May 2027.