The councillors who led the way on proposing a unitary council for the whole of Cumbria have confirmed they will not be seeking a Judicial Review in the High Court to overturn the recent decision by the Local Government minister to turn down Cumbria's bid.
Following a meeting of the White Paper Working Group yesterday (29 August), Chairman Cllr Jack Richardson said:
"We have taken account of legal advice and considered this issue very carefully. Whilst we are unhappy with the Government's decision and the rationale they gave, we strongly feel that it would not be in the best interests of Cumbria to pursue Judicial Review through the courts.
"This would be expensive for the taxpayer, and could be divisive at a time when we are building bridges and exploring new ways of working more closely with our partners.
"This was a unanimous, cross party decision. We recognise the need to look positively to the future."
ENDS
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Notes
The White Paper Working Group is a cross-party group of county council members formed following the publication of the Local Government White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' in October 2006.