Bay area councils plan to combine as unitary authority

Barrow Borough Council, Lancaster City Council and South Lakeland District Council plan to join forces as a unitary authority after the idea received strong support from local residents.

The new Bay unitary authority would continue to deliver existing services provided by the three councils, but would also take on the services currently run by Cumbria and Lancashire County Councils in the area.

Initial proposals described how by working together with a range of organisations in the Bay area, the new authority will drive positive change on shared priorities including building community power and engagement, reducing inequality and improving wellbeing, building community wealth and tackling the climate emergency.

The document argues that joining up Barrow, Lancaster and South Lakeland offers the best solution for residents and businesses in the three areas and that by creating a second unitary in the north of Cumbria - consisting of Allerdale, Carlisle, Copeland and Eden council areas - the two unitaries would be on a footprint that follows ‘natural geography’.

After the plans were revealed, around 4,000 people responded during a three-week consultation and businesses and organisations sent in letters of endorsement.

A survey of more than 1,000 adults by independent polling company Survation showed that 60 per cent of people believe the area would be best served by a unitary council for Morecambe Bay. A joint survey by the three councils that gathered nearly 3,000 responses showed that 85 per cent of people in the area favoured a Bay authority over a county-wide unitary.

On reviewing the results and examining the full proposal, special Full Council meetings of all three councils agreed the Bay proposal should be submitted to the government.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the three district councils, Councillor Ann Thomson from Barrow Borough Council, Councillor Dr Erica Lewis from Lancaster City Council and Councillor Giles Archibald from South Lakeland District Council, said: "We believe that the option of a Bay unitary, linking up our three councils, has the potential to deliver the best outcomes for our communities and it seems that our communities agree.

"We have been delighted with the positive reaction to our proposal and that so many people have taken the trouble to engage with us, learn about the proposal and share their views.

"What is clear is that this proposal has caught the imagination and just about everyone that we have spoken to agrees that it is an exciting prospect, an opportunity to deliver lasting and positive change in local government across the Bay area."

The government will consider the proposals submitted and will determine which, if any, options it wishes to take forward for further public consultation. The full Bay unitary proposal document and public opinion survey results can be viewed here.

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