A VISION for our area under a new authority will be laid before councillors next week.

Cumberland Council will takeover in Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland from the existing county, city and borough councils on April 1, 2023.

On the same date, Westmorland & Furness Council will takeover in Eden, South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness.

And a vision has been created for the new area of Cumberland, setting out “a fresh approach” to services and priorities around health and wellbeing.

READ MORE: Parliament to discuss PCC's takeover of Cumbria Fire and Rescue

The Cumberland Plan, put together by leaders of the new authority, guides how it will operate from 2023.

Cumberland Council has already began holding meetings after councillors were elected in May. However, the council is currently meeting as a Shadow Authority, carrying out important work to prepare for its takeover.

Production of a Council Plan is part of that preparatory work and the full council will be asked to approve its adoption at their next meeting on Tuesday October 18.

In the Cumberland Plan, leader of the council Mark Fryer said: “There is a thirst, a drive, a passion from the newly elected members and from our fantastic staff to embrace what Cumberland can be – what it will be.

READ MORE: Avanti train managers to strike over staff rosters

“We don’t have all the answers yet, we might get things wrong, but I can promise you that we are going into this with our eyes wide open. We will deliver better services, we will address the income gap and we will improve life for all.”

The Cumberland Plan puts the aim to improve health and wellbeing at the core of everything the new Cumberland Council does. Just some of the key pieces of work to achieve this will include listening, involving and engaging; focussing on environmental resilience and addressing inequalities.

Key values of the authority in the Cumberland Plan are: be compassionate, be innovative, be empowering, be ambitious and be collaborative.

The public and councillors have been engaged in development of the plan, with community events held throughout Cumberland and members of the council’s scrutiny committee given the opportunity to suggest amendments.

READ MORE: Borderline Book Festival proves a success yet again