A growing number of people are behind plans to create a neighbourhood development plan for Cockermouth in a bid to have some control over how the town is developed in the future.

The town's civic trust has written to various groups and interested people in an effort to gauge interest.

It will hold a meeting next month at which people can hear expert advice.

Last month, town councillors voted against creating a plan.

There was a heated discussion about this at the annual parish meeting but the 24 members of the public who attended were told that the decision could not be revised in the next six months unless seven of the 12 councillors signed a special motion.

Councillor Alan Smith had said he would endeavour to get the necessary signatures but was unable to.

At a town council meeting he said: "I'm willing to work with any other parties, as an individual, not as a town councillor, to progress this plan."

Phil Campbell, chairman of the civic trust, said: "Quite a lot of people are interested.

"We would eventually need to get the town council on board. The process does not recognise a situation where you have a council that is not involved.

"Creating one of these is not a small amount of time, it's 18 months to two years. There's got to be a legal document and a referendum.

"We want to establish whether there are enough people to take this forward and whether it's worth doing.

"If, in six months, we want to move this on, we can go to the council and say we are prepared to put the effort in over the next two years. We would discuss what would be in the plan and where we could get financial support."

The civic trust has written to the chamber of trade, Sustainable Cockermouth and interested individuals.

Mr Campbell has also met with some members of Cockermouth by Candlelight.

He said: "They are all enthusiastic about Cockermouth as a town and have clear views about the need to develop it in a sustainable way, whilst maintaining its individuality and character."