Council submits unitary proposal

A bid to scrap seven Cumbria councils and replace them with a single county-wide authority has been submitted to the government.

County Councillors voted to approve the move, which it is claimed could save up to £22m a year.

Supporters also say scrapping the two-tier authority would increase efficiency and cut bureaucracy.

The proposal will now be considered by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The submitted document, "One Council, One Vision, One Voice", outlines plans for around 100 newly-elected councillors working in 20 to 30 Community Boards.

These would replace the six district councils in the region - Allerdale, Barrow, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland.