On 1 April 2023 local government in Cumbria will change.   

The current six borough, city and district councils, along with Cumbria County Council, will be replaced by two new ‘unitary’ councils – Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.  If you live in the Allerdale, Carlisle or Copeland areas - your council services will be delivered by Cumberland Council. 

Since the local elections for Cumberland Council in May 2022, a Shadow Authority has been carrying out the work to set this new council up. A key part of this process is to establish a budget and set the council tax for 2023/24. 

Whilst no decisions have been made this consultation looked at the following proposals:

1. The option to harmonise Council Tax rates – to ensure that all residents in the Cumberland area pay the same, per council tax band, for the services that Cumberland Council delivers 
2. The proposed increase in Council Tax for 2023/24

The consultation ended on 31 January 2023. Thank you to those who took the time to have their say.

The results will form part of the final budget report which will be considered by the Shadow Executive and the Shadow Council in the coming months. 

Hard-copy versions of the consultation were available from local libraries and by contacting local council offices.