A DEVOLUTION package for Cumbria worth a reported £300m has fallen flat after politicians within the county were given just hours to consider the deal.

The Cumbria Deal, first mooted last year, was initially said to be offering the county the opportunity to join the Northern Powerhouse by accepting more local power from the government in exchange for installing an elected mayor.

But politicians in Cumbria opted to turn down the deal yesterday morning after claiming they had been given less than 24 hours to formally sign paperwork tying them to the major proposal.

The news was greeted with disappointment by Ulverston Councillor and leader of Cumbria County Council's Conservative group, James Airey, who said it was a "huge disappointment" in terms of a missed investment for Cumbria.


Conservative Councillor James Airey  He urged council leaders to "get their act together" to ensure Cumbria secured a devolution deal and with it, a seat at the power table alongside the likes of big cities like Manchester and Liverpool.

"We are definitely falling behind by not signing up to extra investment for Cumbria.

"Politicians across the board in Cumbria can't be trusted to deliver this.

"It meant hundreds of millions of pounds in investment for the county.

"We need the government to come in and tell us we are having a unitary authority. Enough is enough."

The terms of the Cumbria Deal were reportedly not as expected following initial discussions on the matter last year.

The Evening Mail understands the £300m investment for the county was set to be delivered over the course of 30 years – though there was an 'x' in the space within the contract for the exact amount to be delivered.

The county would also have had to agree to elect a mayor by 2017 paid for by its taxpayers, it was claimed.

And there was no guarantee the full amount would be received within the allotted time frame even if the devolution package had been formally adopted across the area.

South Lakeland District Council leader Councillor Peter Thornton said signing the agreement in a matter of hours without consulting elected members would have been undemocratic.


South Lakeland District Council leader Peter Thornton He added: "I suspect they (the government) wanted a quick reply for political reasons while we just want the best for our communities.

"We are not prepared to be bounced around to fit in with the speech on the Budget next week but we hope this is not the end of the road for the deal and meaningful discussions can continue."