Cumberland Council met on 4 November 2025. Full Council is the meeting where all 46 councillors attend to debate major decisions affecting the whole area.
Full papers for the meeting are available here:
https://cumberland.moderngov.co.uk
Public Questions
Members of the public submitted questions to the Leader on issues including council governance and standards.
One question asked whether Cumberland Council would introduce criminal background checks for councillors, similar to those recently announced by Westmorland & Furness Council.
The Leader confirmed that the Nolan Principles of public life already underpin the council’s Member Code of Conduct and that the issue of DBS checks for councillors is currently under review by the Monitoring Officer, with a report expected to go to the Standards and Governance Committee. b02796f0-38a6-4dfc-89f6-0c0dd58…
Councillor Questions
Councillors also submitted written questions covering a range of local issues, here are the questions submitted by myself and other Liberal Democrat councillors:
https://timpickstone.mycouncillor.org.uk/2025/11/13/answers-to-questions-4-november-2025/
Committee and Panel Appointments
Council considered a report updating the allocation of seats on committees and panels following a change in the council’s political balance.
Youth Justice Plan
Council approved the Cumberland Youth Justice Plan for 2025/26, which sets the strategic direction for youth justice services across the area.
The plan focuses on preventing offending and improving outcomes for vulnerable young people, working in partnership with police, schools and other agencies. b02796f0-38a6-4dfc-89f6-0c0dd58…
Treasury Management
Members also received the Treasury Management Annual Review for 2024/25, outlining how the council has managed borrowing, investments and cash balances during the year.
The report confirmed that the council operated within its approved treasury management strategy and prudential borrowing limits. b02796f0-38a6-4dfc-89f6-0c0dd58…
Community Governance Review
Council approved the outcome of a Community Governance Review designed to align parish council election cycles with Cumberland Council elections.
This means that:
- Parish elections scheduled for 2026 will move to 2027
- Parish elections scheduled for 2028 will be brought forward to 2027
The aim is to create consistent four-year election cycles across the area. b02796f0-38a6-4dfc-89f6-0c0dd58…
Devolution Update
The Leader also updated Council on progress towards establishing a Cumbria Mayoral Combined Authority covering Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness.
Government has now confirmed that the statutory tests required for devolution have been met, and both councils will need to provide formal consent to establish the new authority.
Work is continuing between the two councils and Government to prepare the governance and implementation arrangements for the new strategic authority. b02796f0-38a6-4dfc-89f6-0c0dd58…
Motion on SEND Provision
Council also debated a motion proposed by Cllr Pickstone on the issue of profit-making in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.
The motion highlighted concerns that private equity-backed providers are making significant profits while councils face rising SEND costs, and called on Government to introduce stronger regulation of the sector.
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