Eden District Council has declared a climate emergency.

The historic decision was made as environmentalists called on the authority to follow in the footsteps of other councils.

It was a landslide victory for the motion tabled by council leader Virginia Taylor, with 22 votes in favour, seven against and six abstaining votes.

She said: “This vote means that sustainability will be at the heart of everything we do and not an add on if we can afford it.

“This has to happen now and we can’t put it off any longer.”

Ahead of the debate on Thursday evening, Penrith Action for Community Transition held a demonstration outside Penrith Town Hall in a bid to persuade councillors attending the meeting.

They also presented the councillors with a petition, signed by more than 800 residents, calling on them to declare an emergency.

The motion called for recognition on seven points, including the declaration of a climate emergency, and to make Eden District carbon neutral by 2030.

John Bodger, chairman of PACT, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that this motion has been passed by Eden District Council.

“We, as a community, have encouraged our councillors to pass this motion through a public petition with signatures from hundreds of people from across the district.”

The declaration of a climate emergency achieves a number of things.

It can be the spark for community-wide action in tackling the problem at a grassroots level.

But, it also inspires hope among those who, in their fight to secure their future, feel as if nobody cares about the impact of climate change.

Jaki Bell, of Cumbria Action for Sustainability, said: “We congratulate Eden District Council for declaring a climate and ecological emergency. 100 councils across the UK that have taken this step, committing to cut carbon emissions in their areas and enhancing biodiversity.”