Westmorland and Furness Council

Last updated
Westmorland and Furness Council
Westmorland and Furness Council logo.svg
Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2023
Preceded by Cumbria County Council
Leadership
Matt Severn,
Liberal Democrats
since 1 April 2023 [1]
Jonathan Brook,
Liberal Democrats
since 1 April 2023 [2]
Sam Plum
since 31 December 2022 [3]
Structure
Seats65 councillors
United Kingdom Westmorland and Furness Council 2022.svg
Political groups
Administration (36)
  Liberal Democrat (36)
Other parties (29)
  Labour (15)
  Conservative (11)
  Independent (2)
  Green Party (1)
Length of term
4 years (from 2023)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
County Hall, Kendal.jpg
County Hall, Busher Walk, Kendal, LA9 4RQ [4] [5]
Website
www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

Westmorland and Furness Council is the local authority for Westmorland and Furness in the north-west of England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county council and district council combined. [lower-alpha 1] Westmorland and Furness Council was first elected in May 2022, operating as a shadow authority until it replaced Cumbria County Council, Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council, Eden District Council and South Lakeland District Council on 1 April 2023.

Contents

Politics

Westmorland and Furness has 65 councillors, [7] It was first elected in May 2022 and operated as a shadow authority until taking up its powers on 1 April 2023. [6]

Composition

At the 2022 council election, the Liberal Democrats secured a majority on the council with 36 out of 65 councillors. Labour have 15 councillors, the Conservatives have 11 councillors, the Green Party have 1 councillor and 2 councillors were elected as independents. [8] [9]

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 36
Labour 15
Conservative 11
Independent 2
Green 1
Total65

Leadership

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. [10] [11]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Jonathan Brook Liberal Democrats 1 Apr 2023

Composition of predecessor bodies

The combined composition of the three merging district councils going into that election was as follows: [12]

AffiliationMembers
Liberal Democrat 44
Conservative Party 35
Labour Party 28
Independent / Other14
Green Party of England and Wales 3
Vacant1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Lakeland</span> Former local government district in England

South Lakeland was a local government district in Cumbria, England, from 1974 to 2023. Its council was based in Kendal. The district covered the southern part of the Lake District region, as well as northwestern parts of the Yorkshire Dales. At the 2011 Census, the population of the district was 103,658, an increase from 102,301 at the 2001 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Oxfordshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

South Oxfordshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Its council is temporarily based outside the district at Abingdon-on-Thames pending a planned move to Didcot, the district's largest town. The areas located south of the River Thames are within the historic county of Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

Westmorland and Lonsdale is a constituency in the south of Cumbria, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Tim Farron, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats (2015–2017).

The 2003 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

The 2004 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumbria County Council</span> Former local authority in England

Cumbria County Council was the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Cumbria in the North West of England. Established in April 1974, following its first elections held the previous year, it was an elected local government body responsible for the most significant local services in the area, including schools, roads, and social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yorkshire Council</span> Unitary authority in England

North Yorkshire Council is the unitary authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, within the larger ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, in England. North Yorkshire was a two-tier non-metropolitan county from 1974 to 2023, when North Yorkshire Council was a county council called North Yorkshire County Council. On 1 April 2023 the seven lower-tier districts of the county were abolished and their functions taken over by the new unitary authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Cumbria County Council election</span>

An election to Cumbria County Council took place on 2 May 2009 as part of the 2009 United Kingdom local elections. All 84 councillors were elected from various electoral divisions, which returned one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. They coincided with an election for the European Parliament. All 84 seats in the Council were up for election, and a total of 301 candidates stood. The total number of people registered to vote was 392,931. Prior to the election local Conservatives were leading a coalition with the Liberal Democrats with the Labour party as the council's official opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland County Council, England</span> Local government body in Cumberland, England

Cumberland County Council was the county council of Cumberland in the North West of England, an elected local government body responsible for most local services in the county. It was established in 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888. Carlisle was initially within its area but became a separate county borough in 1914. In 1974, both authorities were merged along with parts of others into the new Cumbria County Council. In April 2023 local government in Cumbria was reorganised into two unitary authorities, one of which is named Cumberland Council and includes most of the historic county, with the exception of Penrith and the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 South Lakeland District Council election</span>

The 2010 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Council</span> Local authority of Cumberland, England

Cumberland Council is the local authority for Cumberland in England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It was first elected in May 2022 and operated as a shadow authority until taking up its powers on 1 April 2023. Cumberland Council replaced Cumbria County Council, Allerdale Borough Council, Carlisle City Council and Copeland Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council</span>

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is the local authority of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. Windsor and Maidenhead is divided into 19 wards, electing 41 councillors. The council was created by the Local Government Act 1972 and replaced six local authorities: Cookham Rural District Council, Eton Urban District Council, Eton Rural District Council, Maidenhead Borough Council, New Windsor Borough Council and Windsor Rural District Council. Since 1 April 1998 it has been a unitary authority, assuming the powers and functions of Berkshire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorset Council (UK)</span> Local authority in England

Dorset Council is a unitary local authority for the district of Dorset, encompassing almost all of the county of the same name (Dorset) except for the district of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Created in April 2019, the council was formed when the county moved from a two-tier county council and district council system to a one-tier system, with the county divided into two districts administered by two independent unitary authorities.

Structural changes to local government in England took place between 2019 and 2023. Some of these changes continue the trend of new unitary authorities being created from other types of local government districts, which was a policy of Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick from 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United Kingdom local elections</span> Elections to local councils and mayoralties

The 2022 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 5 May 2022. These included elections for all London borough councils, for all local authorities in Wales and Scotland. Most seats in England were last up for election in 2018 and in Scotland and Wales in 2017. The elections coincided with the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. In 91 cases, most of them in Wales, council seats were uncontested, each having only one candidate. Three seats in Scotland remained unfilled as no one nominated to fill them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland (unitary authority)</span> District in Cumbria, England

Cumberland is a unitary authority area in Cumbria, England, which means that is a non-metropolitan county and district. It borders Scotland, Northumberland, Westmorland and Furness, and the Irish Sea. Part of the area is in the Lake District National Park and notable landmarks include Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle Castle and Hadrian's Wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmorland and Furness</span> District in Cumbria, England

Westmorland and Furness is a unitary authority area in Cumbria, England. The economy is mainly focused on tourism around both the Lake District and Cumbria Coast, shipbuilding and the port in Barrow-in-Furness, and agriculture in the rural parts of the area.

The 2022 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third—20 out of 60—of councillors on Oldham Council was elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

The 2022 Westmorland and Furness Council election was held on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Westmorland and Furness Council in England. The council area will consist of the area covered by the districts of Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland.

All 65 members of Westmorland and Furness Council unitary authority in England are elected every four years.

References

  1. Legally, the council is a district council which additionally performs the functions assigned to county councils by local government legislation. The Westmorland and Furness area is both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county, but the county has no separate county council. [6]
  1. "Leader selected for new Westmorland and Furness Council". The Westmorland Gazette.
  2. "Liberal Democrats elect new group leader for Westmorland and Furness Council - Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". 8 May 2022.
  3. "Chief executive named for Westmorland and Furness Council". Cumbria Crack. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  4. "Agenda for Shadow Authority for Westmorland and Furness Council on Tuesday, 17th May, 2022, 2.30 pm". westmorlandandfurness.moderngov.co.uk. 17 May 2022.
  5. "New Cumbria councils to hold inaugural meetings - cumbriacrack.com".
  6. 1 2 "The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2022/331, retrieved 24 January 2024
  7. "Elections - May 2022". New Councils for Cumbria.
  8. "Westmorland and Furness". www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
  9. "Westmorland & Furness result - Local Elections 2022". BBC News.
  10. "Liberal Democrats elect new group leader for Westmorland and Furness Council - Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". 8 May 2022.
  11. "Council minutes". Westmorland and Furness Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  12. "English Councils 2021". Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.