TRANSFORMING council services for the benefit of people in Cumberland is high on the agenda for leaders of the new unitary authority.

The leadership of Cumberland Council held their inaugural executive meeting at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Wednesday.

Cumberland Council, serving Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland, is currently operating as a Shadow Authority which means for one year it will co-exist with the current county, city and borough councils.

The existing councils will be abolished on Vesting Day, April 1, 2023, when the new unitary authority comes into force.

And councillors heard from local government reorganisation programme director Kim Rennie that once the implementation of the new council is complete, members can then consider transforming services.

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The leadership of the new authority is keen to consider re-designing council services, pioneering a new way forward.

Executive member for Finance and Assets, Barbara Cannon said: “Just a comment about transformation post day one, which I’ve read a few times.

"We keep being told we’re on this new journey and that it’s better to travel, hopefully, than to arrive. Well, life isn’t like that.

Cllr Cannon, who represents St Michael's ward said: "I actually think there’s a wonderful opportunity to change things and I don’t think we have to or should wait until day two or three until we start change.

"We were elected, we’ve got a view about how we might want things to change or be run.

"So if we can, can we in our meetings in the future consider, as the options that has been suggested that we look at change too and not just more of the same.”

READ MORE: Cumberland Council holds historic first meeting in Carlisle

Leader of the council Mark Fryer said: "It’s the first time a report’s come to us that’s talked about transformation post Vesting Day which is probably the most exciting thing you could have as a new councillor."

Earlier this month Josh MacAlister, a children’s services expert from Eden, said that Cumberland Council has “first mover advantage” on a nationwide review of young people’s social care.

Mr MacAlister led the independent review which will see nationwide change to children’s social care over the next five years.

"The review will mean a period of major change for social care anyway for the whole country. Cumberland has first mover advantage because it is already making some changes next April.

"If the council can seize that opportunity as something exciting to do things differently, they’ll be ahead of the game."

READ MORE: Cumberland "ahead of the game" in children's services overhaul