Cumberland is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. It covers the north-western part of Cumbria, including the west of the Lake District. The city of Carlisle is the largest settlement and the administrative centre. The unitary authority area covers the majority of the area of the historic county of Cumberland, from which it takes its name, but does not include the area around Penrith.
The local authority for the area is Cumberland Council, which provides the services of both a county council and a district council. The first elections to the new authority took place in May 2022, with Cumberland Council acting as a "shadow authority" until the abolition of Cumbria County Council and the three district councils on 1 April 2023.
History
Elections to Cumbria County Council were due to take place in May 2021 but were postponed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for one year due to a consultation on local government reorganisation in the area.[4] In July 2021, the government announced that the current authorities in Cumbria would be abolished and replaced with two unitary authorities in the form of an 'east/west split' of the county.[5]
Opponents of the reorganisation claimed that the proposal was pursued to benefit the electoral prospects of the Conservative Party. Cumbria County Council, which would be abolished under the plans, sought judicial review to prevent the reorganisation from taking place.[6] The judicial review was refused by the High Court in January 2022.[7] Draft statutory instruments to bring about local government reorganisation in Cumbria were subsequently laid before parliament.[8] The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022 (2022 No. 331)[9] was made on 17 March 2022 and came into force the following day.[9]
The first elections to Cumberland Council took place in May 2022, with the council acting as a 'shadow authority' until the abolition of the three former district councils and Cumbria County Council on 1 April 2023.[11]Labour won a majority with 30 seats.[12] The Conservatives have 7 seats, Liberal Democrats 4 seats, independents 3 seats and the Green Party 2 seats. Turnout was 36.1%.[13]
Plastic film maker Innovia Films has its headquarters and only UK factory in Wigton, which employs almost 1,000 people and is Wigton's biggest employer.
Sealy Beds UK (which is part of the Silentnight Group) own a factory at Aspatria, which employs around 300 people.
Carr's is a successful foodstuff and agricultural brand that was established in 1831 in Carlisle.[21] It owned a large factory at Silloth which makes the 'Carr's Breadmaker' range and at one time Carr's farm feeds. This has been sold to Whitworths.
Window maker West Port Windows owns a large factory at Maryport, which makes UPVC windows and doors.
U.S.-based Eastman Chemical Company had a factory at Siddick, near Workington. It made plastic bottle pellets and products for the smoking industry and employed 100 people. This has been subsequently demolished and production transferred overseas.
Steel company Tata Steel owns a cast products plant at Workington, which employs 300 people.
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