A UNITARY authority for Cumbria that could spell the demise of the six district councils in the county has been given the amber light by ministers.

The bid, put forward by Cumbria County Council in response to Ruth Kelly's white paper; Strong and Prosperous Communities, is one of 16 successful proposals to be approved for further investigation by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The county council's document, entitled One Council, One Vision, One Voice, will now be looked at closely by a team of government auditors to ensure the costings of any potential transition are financially sound.

A consultation process will also be undertaken with the district and parish councils, primary care trust, police authority, Lake District National Park Authority and the North West Regional Dev-elopment Agency.

A final decision is expected to be taken in July.

Tim Stoddard, leader of Cumbria County Council, said: "The new council will belong to everybody in Cumbria, so everybody should have a say in how it is shaped."

County Coun Joan Stocker said: "One Council, Once Vision, One Voice delivers an authority that saves tens of millions of pounds, reduces council tax bills and gives its newly-elected councillors the ability to make a real difference to their communities."

But Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron felt the plans for Cumbria would not be right for the area.

He said: "This has the potential to be another of the Government's sham consultations, they will only be consulting with stakeholders which is just plain wrong. The vast majority of people I speak to in South Lakeland are not supportive of these plans, which have not been officially rubber-stamped by the Government."

See March 30 Westmorland Gazette for story in full.