IN NOVEMBER, the people of the Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether they want an elected regional assembly for the North West.

A yes' vote in that referendum will usher in the biggest overhaul of local government in the three decades since Westmorland and Cumberland were merged to become the Cumbria we know today.

This week, the Boundary Committee put forward two options for council reorganisation in Cumbria so the people can decide what would replace the current two-tier system, where Cumbria county and the six district councils share responsibility for delivering services such as education, social services, street sweeping, leisure centres and libraries.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has the final say on which choices will appear on the referendum ballot paper, but both options proposed by the Boundary Committee spell the end for South Lakeland District Council and its counterparts across the county.

Here, JUSTIN HAWKINS takes a look at the options and the issues.