AN HISTORIC day is taking place across the county today as the public go to the polls to elect the first members of Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council.

Local elections are taking place across the UK but in Cumbria, the public will elect councillors to two new unitary authorities.

Cumberland will comprise the new Local Authority Area of Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland.

The new Local Authority Area of Westmorland & Furness will be comprised of Eden, South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness.

Those elected on Thursday will serve as Shadow Authorities for the first year, briefly co-existing with the county, city and district councils.

But from Vesting Day, April 1, 2023, Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council, and the borough councils of Allerdale and Copeland will be abolished and Cumberland Council will take over as the single responsible authority in the area.

The same process will take place in Westmorland & Furness with South Lakeland District Council, Barrow Borough Council and Eden District Council also serving their last day on April 1.

Those you elect today will then serve for a further four-year term.

The new councils will be a unitary authority, this means that they will carry all of the decision-making powers and responsibilities of both a county and district council.

46 councillors will be elected for Cumberland in total with one elected member of the council for each ward.

Polling stations will be open across both patches today from 7am until 10pm.

In Allerdale there are 102 polling stations to choose from including the Cockermouth Titans ground on Highfield Road; Moorclose Community Centre in Workington and Thursby Parish Hall.

Carlisle has 114 polling stations including Kingmoor Business Centre; Botcherby Community Centre and the village hall in Wreay.

Copeland has 63 polling stations to choose from including Cleator Moor Civic Hall, Egremont Bowling Club and Seascale Library.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about changes to our county