Draft Devolution Deal For Cumbria Likely to be Known Next Month as Councils Consider If to proceed

Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet will receive the latest information and updates regarding the Government’s position on Devolution for Cumbria. This will also include a potential draft devolution agreements for Cumbria, and any draft statutory instruments that would create the new authority and mayor role with timescales for implementation and proposed governance arrangements together with all legal and financial implications.

Cabinet will be asked to make a decision on refer the devolution proposal to Full Council taking place on the 25th September 2025 and then back to Cabinet on the 29 September 2025 for final consent decision on whether or not to consent to the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority for Cumbria.

If consent is given by Westmorland and Furness council and its cabinet along with Cumberland Council also give consent the new mayoral combined authority could be set up as early as May 2026, with election for the first Cumbria Mayor taking place in May 2027 alongside the local council elections after a request to delay the elections by a year was made by Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness council to government.

A mayoral combined authority would see powers usually held by Westminster passed to Cumbria increasing local control over economic development, infrastructure, transport and public safety along with a set financial settlement from government.

Government confirmed last month (July), that Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council had passed statutory requirements for devolution to progress to the next stage, but it emerged from government published consultation documents that one of the unitary councils had reservations about devolution and was less keen to progress plans.

Cumbria is now the only area in the North of England without a devolution deal with most other areas also already having a directly elected mayor.

Both Unitary council leaders along with officers from Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council will be updating town and parish councils on the progress with devolution and answering questions from town and parish councillors on the subject on Wednesday evening ahead of the cabinet meeting and Westmorland and Furness Council meeting and final decision in September on if Cumbria will have a directly elected Mayor and accept a devolution deal from government that will see a new combined authority created.