Westmorland and Furness Council | |
|---|---|
 Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Sam Plum since 31 December 2022[4] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 65 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years (from 2023) |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
.jpg) | |
| Town Hall, Lowther Street, Kendal, LA9 4DQ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Westmorland and Furness Council is the local authority for Westmorland and Furness, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since its creation in 2023. It has its official headquarters at the Town Hall and adjoining South Lakeland House in Kendal, with additional offices in Barrow-in-Furness and Penrith.
History
[edit]The district of Westmorland and Furness and its council were created in 2023. The district covers the combined area of the former districts of Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland. The new council took over the functions of the three former district councils plus those of the abolished Cumbria County Council within the area. Legally, Westmorland and Furness is both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county, but there is no separate county council; instead the district council also performs the functions of a county council, making it a unitary authority.[5] For the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty, Westmorland and Furness remains part of the ceremonial county of Cumbria.[6]
The inaugural election to the new council was held on 5 May 2022. It initially operated as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until 1 April 2023, when the new district and its council formally came into being.[5]
Governance
[edit]Westmorland and Furness Council provides both district-level and county-level services. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government.[7]
Much of the west of the district lies within the Lake District National Park, and south-eastern parts of the district lie within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. In those areas, town planning is the responsibility of the national park authorities. Westmorland and Furness Council appoints six of its councillors to serve on the 20-person Lake District National Park Authority,[8] and three of its councillors to serve on the 25-person Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.[9]
Political control
[edit]The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since its creation.[10]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 2023–present | |
Leadership
[edit]Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The first leader is Jonathan Brook, a Liberal Democrat, who was also the last leader of South Lakeland District Council.[11][12]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Brook | Liberal Democrats | 1 Apr 2023 | ||
Composition
[edit]Following the 2022 election, the composition of the council was:[13][14]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 36 | |
| Labour | 15 | |
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Total | 65 | |
The next election is due in 2027.[15]
Elections
[edit]The council comprises 65 councillors representing 33 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are to be held every four years from 2027.[5]
Premises
[edit]
The council has its official headquarters at Kendal Town Hall and the adjoining South Lakeland House at the junction of Stricklandgate and Lowther Street in the centre of Kendal. Other headquarters buildings are at Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall and Voreda House in Penrith.[16][17]
Full council meetings were initially held at County Hall in Kendal, the former headquarters of Westmorland County Council, which had been built in 1939.[18][19] In June 2024 the council decided to close County Hall in September 2024 and move meetings to Kendal Town Hall.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ Nicholson, Savannah (17 May 2022). "Cllr Jonathan Brook appointed leader of Westmorland and Furness Council". Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "Councillor Matt Severn continues to take on Chair mantle". Westmorland and Furness Council. 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Liberal Democrats elect new group leader for Westmorland and Furness Council - Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Chief executive named for Westmorland and Furness Council". Cumbria Crack. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022: Article 4", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/331 (art. 4), retrieved 25 July 2024
- ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23 (sch. 1), retrieved 25 July 2024
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Members". Lake District National Park. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Members". Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Westmorland & Furness result - Local Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Liberal Democrats elect new group leader for Westmorland and Furness Council - Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Westmorland and Furness Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Westmorland and Furness". www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
- ^ "Westmorland & Furness result - Local Elections 2022". BBC News.
- ^ "Westmorland and Furness". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "New council pledges unique HQs for communities". Cumbria Crack. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "Penrith's Voreda House set to open its doors for first time". Cumbria Crack. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Cabinet agenda, 12 September 2023". Westmorland and Furness Council. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ Fletcher, Joe (12 September 2022). "New council to have headquarters in Barrow, Kendal and Penrith". The Mail. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ Hunt, Dan (5 June 2024). "Council set to close 'obsolete' County Hall". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
