ELECTED councillors will be given the opportunity to lay the groundwork for the future of local democracy in Cumbria.

Members of each Cumbrian council are set to join a Joint Committee in the coming weeks which will lay the foundations for two new authorities which are set to takeover in 2023.

The county is currently undergoing the local government reorganisation process which will see the existing seven councils abolished and replaced by two larger authorities.

Cumberland Council will govern Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle under one roof.

Westmorland & Furness Council will govern Eden, South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness together.

The next stage of the process is for Joint Committees to form for each area, they will be made-up of existing councillors and they will discuss how they would like the Code of Conduct and the constitution of the new councils to look.

Three members from each existing council will sit on the Local Committee and each council's political make-up will be presented. For example, Allerdale Borough Council's representation will include a member of the Conservative leadership, an Allerdale Independent and a Labour councillor.

Sarah Pemberton, Copeland Borough Council's director of corporate services and commercial strategy said: "The work that they will be doing is the basis for the Shadow Authorities that will come into existence following elections in May."

The Shadow Authorities precede the fully fledged new councils which will takeover in March 2023.

Although Shadow Authorities could decide to make changes to the Joint Committee's constitution or Code of Conduct, the process gives existing councillors a chance to have their say before the new councils are voted in.

Ms Pemberton said: "The constitution is the spine of any council. These recommendations will be put forward to the Shadow Authority, it's assumed they'll be accepted by the Shadow Authority but they don't have to be.

"If it's not in agreement by new members of the Shadow Authority, they have the right to work on the constitution and amend it."

Ms Pemberton said that it is an exciting time to work a Copeland Council as officers and councillors are currently shaping the future of Local Government in Cumbria.

"It's really exciting, it's very stimulating. It's really good to be involved in these design stages of what the new authorities will look like."

Officers are hard at work to ensure that Cumbria's new councils are in a position to provide the best services possible.

Ms Pemberton said: "The invitation for local government reorganisation for Cumbria was based on better outcomes for all in Cumbria and that's the succinct phrase that sums it up."

For more information on the process, visit: https://newcouncilsforcumbria.info/