PROPOSALS for a unitary authority for Cumbria - where all power and services would be provided at one level - have been given the amber light by minister Ruth Kelly.
The bid, by Cumbria County Council, is one of 16 successful submissions to the Department for Communities and Local Government to progress through to the next stage in the process.
The county council's document, One Council, One Vision, One Voice, will now be investigated by government auditors while a consultation is carried out with the district councils, police authority and primary care trusts in Cumbria.
A final decision on whether a unitary system is to be adopted in the county - at the expense of the six district councils - is expected to be taken in July.
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