KENDAL and South Lakeland Chamber of Commerce is expected to announce next week whether it will join a newly-created Cumbria Chamber of Commerce or merge with the Lancaster chamber.

Kendal chamber members have been asked for their views on which way the organisation should jump, and president Richard Knowles said an announcement was due next week.

An extraordinary general meeting may be called if the decision is not clear cut.

The Kendal chamber is being wooed by both its counterpart in Lancaster and by the Carlisle Business Forum.

Each organisation wants the Kendal chamber to join forces with them to help secure accreditation from the British Chambers of Commerce, which wants to see a network of highly active local chambers each fully staffed with at least 1,000 members.

Neither the Lancaster or Carlisle organisations are large enough on their own to meet the BCC demands and need the 100-member Kendal chamber to help make up the required numbers.

An earlier plan to create a Cumbria and North Lancashire chamber, representing businesses across the region, now looks unlikely after the 'super' merger was rejected by Carlisle Business Forum.