The Westmorland and Furness (Electoral Changes) Order 2026
This Statutory Instrument, made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) under powers granted by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, formally enacts the LGBCE's recommendations for electoral changes within the Westmorland and Furness district.
It abolishes all existing district wards and replaces them with 35 new district wards, detailing the councillor allocation for each in Schedule 1, effective for elections occurring in 2027.
Furthermore, it concurrently alters the parish wards for Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, Kendal, Pennington, Penrith, and Ulverston in Schedule 2, ensuring these consequential changes align with the new district structure for local elections.
Arguments For
The changes ensure that the electoral arrangements for the district of Westmorland and Furness reflect the principle of equality of representation, based on formal recommendations from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).
Establishing new wards and specifying the number of councillors per ward provides clarity and certainty for future local elections within the district, specifically from 2027 onwards.
Consequential changes made to parish wards in certain parishes (Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, etc.) align the internal structure of those parishes with the new district ward boundaries.
Arguments Against
The complete abolition of existing district wards (Article 3(1)) disrupts established local identities and historical electoral boundaries that residents and local bodies may have been accustomed to.
Implementation involves administrative complexity in transferring maps, defining new boundaries based on the LGBCE report, and preparing for elections under the new structure commencing in stages in late 2026 and 2027.
While an impact assessment was deemed unnecessary, any alteration to electoral structures inherently affects the administration and political representation carried out by the local authority.
STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2026 No. 296
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND
The Westmorland and Furness (Electoral Changes) Order 2026
Made - - - 11th March 2026 Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and (3)
Under section 58(4) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009( 1 ) ('the Act') the Local Government Boundary Commission for England( 2 ) ('the Commission') published a report dated September 2025( 3 ) stating its recommendations for changes to the electoral arrangements for the district of Westmorland and Furness. The Commission has decided to give effect to the recommendations.
A draft of the instrument has been laid before Parliament and a period of forty days has expired since the day on which it was laid and neither House has resolved that the instrument be not made.
The Commission makes the following Order in exercise of the power conferred by section 59(1) of the Act.
This introductory section identifies the legal vehicle as Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 296, titled "The Westmorland and Furness (Electoral Changes) Order 2026," concerning Local Government in England.
It states the Order was made on March 11, 2026, under the authority of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) confirmed its decision to implement its September 2025 report containing recommendations for new electoral arrangements for the Westmorland and Furness district.
The instrument has also met parliamentary scrutiny requirements.
Citation, commencement, extent and application
- -(1) This Order may be cited as the Westmorland and Furness (Electoral Changes) Order 2026.
- (2) This article and article 2 come into force on the day after the day on which this Order is made.
- (3) Articles 3 and 4 come into force-
- (a) for the purposes of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of councillors, on 15th October 2026;
- (b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in England( 4 ) in 2027.
- (4) This Order extends to England and Wales but applies in relation to England only.
Article 1 establishes the official title of this Order and defines its scope and timing of effect.
Subsections (2) state that Article 1 (citation/commencement) and Article 2 (interpretation) take effect the day after the Order is officially made.
Articles 3 and 4, which contain the substantial electoral changes, are phased: they become effective for preliminary election proceedings on October 15, 2026, but their full effect for all other purposes begins on the ordinary day of councillor elections in England in 2027.
The Order legally applies only to England, despite extending to Wales jurisdictionally.
( 1 ) 2009 c. 20.
( 2 ) The Local Government Boundary Commission for England was established on 1st April 2010 by section 55(1) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20).
( 3 ) The report is available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YZ. It is also accessible online at https:// www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/westmorland-and-furness/.
( 4 ) The ordinary day of election of councillors in England is prescribed by section 37(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2), as amended by section 18(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50), renumbered by paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29), and further amended by section 6(16) of the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4).
These footnotes provide necessary legal context and references.
Footnote (1) cites the enabling Act as the 2009 chapter 20 legislation.
Footnote (2) confirms the establishment date and statutory basis of the LGBCE. Footnote (3) details where the public can inspect the September 2025 report recommending these changes—at the LGBCE's London office or via a specific URL. Footnote (4) specifies that the timing for the 2027 elections definition relies on various amendments to the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Interpretation
- -(1) In this Order, 'the map' means the map marked 'Map referred to in the Westmorland and Furness (Electoral Changes) Order 2026' held by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England( 5 ).
(2) Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, watercourse, or similar geographical feature, it is to be treated as running along the centre line of that feature.
Article 2 defines key terms used in the Order.
Specifically, it details that 'the map' refers to the official map held by the LGBCE, which illustrates the boundaries established by this Order.
It also provides a rule for interpreting boundaries shown on that map: if a boundary follows physical features like roads or rivers, the line taken is the centre line of that feature.
Wards of the district of Westmorland and Furness and number of councillors
- -(1) The existing wards of the district of Westmorland and Furness are abolished.
(2) The district of Westmorland and Furness is divided into the 35 wards listed in the first column of the table in Schedule 1.
(3) Each ward comprises the area identified on the map by reference to the name of the ward.
(4) The number of councillors to be elected for each ward is the number specified in relation to that ward in the second column of the table in Schedule 1.
Article 3 enacts the primary structural change for the Westmorland and Furness district council area.
It abolishes all current electoral wards within the district.
The district is then formally divided into 35 new wards, as detailed in Schedule 1.
The precise geographical area for each new ward is defined by reference to the official map, and the number of councillors to be elected for each new ward is set out in Schedule 1.
Parish wards of the parishes of Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, Kendal, Pennington, Penrith and Ulverston and number of councillors
- -(1) The existing parish wards of the parishes of Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, Kendal, Pennington, Penrith and Ulverston are abolished.
(2) The parish of Barrow is divided into the 11 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 1 in Schedule 2.
(3) The parish of Dalton Town with Newton is divided into the 4 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 2 in Schedule 2.
(4) The parish of Kendal is divided into the 10 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 3 in Schedule 2.
(5) The parish of Pennington is divided into the 2 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 4 in Schedule 2.
(6) The parish of Penrith is divided into the 6 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 5 in Schedule 2.
(7) The parish of Ulverston is divided into the 7 parish wards listed in the first column of Table 6 in Schedule 2.
(8) Each parish ward comprises the area identified on the map by reference to the name of the parish ward.
(9) The number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward is the number specified in relation to that parish ward in the second column of the relevant table in Schedule 2.
Article 4 addresses consequential changes to parish boundaries within specific larger parishes in the district.
It abolishes the existing parish wards for Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, Kendal, Pennington, Penrith, and Ulverston.
It then redefines the structure for these parishes by creating a specified number of new parish wards for each, detailed across Tables 1 through 6 in Schedule 2, along with the associated number of councillors for those wards.
The area for each parish ward is also identified by reference to the official map.
( 5 ) The map is available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YZ. It is also accessible online at https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/ westmorland-and-furness/.
Status:
This is the original version (as it was originally made). This
This is a continuation of the footnote references, reiterating where the defining map for the new boundaries can be inspected, both physically at the LGBCE office and online. The text also indicates the status of the document as the original version when it was made.
Sealed with the seal of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England
This confirms the formal act of authentication: the Order was officially sealed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, signifying its legal enactment.
S c h e d u l e s
Schedule 1 Article 3 Wards of the district of Westmorland and Furness and number of councillors
| (1) Name of District ward | (2) Number of councillors | |-----------------------------|-----------------------------| | Alston Moor &Fellside | 2 | | Appleby &Bongate | 1 | | Arnside, Milnthorpe &Burton | 3 | | Askam &Ireleth | 1 | | Bowness &Lyth | 1 | | Broughton &Coniston | 1 | | Dalton in Furness | 2 | | Grange &Cartmel Peninsula | 3 | | Greenodd &Satterthwaite | 1 | | Hawcoat &Newbarns | 3 | | Hesket &Lazonby | 2 | | Kendal Castle | 2 | | Kendal Highgate | 2 | | Kendal Nether | 1 | | Kendal South &Oxenholme | 2 | | Kendal Strickland &Fell | 2 | | Kirkby Lonsdale | 1 | | Kirkby Stephen &Brough | 2 | | Levens | 1 | | Long Marton &Kirkby Thore | 1 | | Low Furness | 1 | | Old Barrow &Hindpool | 3 | | Ormsgill &Parkside | 3 | | Penrith North | 2 | | Penrith South | 3 | | Risedale &Roosecote | 3 | | Sedbergh | 1 |
Schedule 2
| (1) Name of District ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------------|-----------------------------| | Shap &Clifton | 2 | | Tebay &Old Hutton | 1 | | Ullswater &Dacre | 1 | | Ulverston North | 2 | | Ulverston South &Swarthmoor | 2 | | Upper Kent | 1 | | Walney Island | 3 | | Windermere, Ambleside &Grasmere | 3 |
Parish wards of the parishes of Barrow, Dalton Town with Newton, Kendal, Pennington, Penrith and Ulverston and number of councillors
Table 1 Parish wards of the parish of Barrow and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Barrow Island | 1 | | Central | 2 | | Hawcoat | 2 | | Hindpool | 2 | | Newbarns | 2 | | Ormsgill | 2 | | Parkside | 2 | | Risedale | 2 | | Roosecote | 2 | | Walney North | 2 | | Walney South | 2 |
Table 2
Parish wards of the parish of Dalton Town with Newton and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Anty Cross | 4 | | Beckside | 3 |
Article 4
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Dowdales | 2 | | Newton | 1 |
Table 3 Parish wards of the parish of Kendal and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Castle | 6 | | Fell | 2 | | Heron Hill | 2 | | Highgate | 2 | | Kirkland | 2 | | Mintsfeet | 2 | | Nether | 3 | | Oxenholme | 3 | | Stonecross | 2 | | Strickland | 4 |
Table 4 Parish wards of the parish of Pennington and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Pennington | 2 | | Swarthmoor | 5 |
Table 5 Parish wards of the parish of Penrith and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | Carleton | 4 | | East | 2 | | North | 4 | | Pategill | 1 | | South | 2 | | West | 2 |
Table 6
Parish wards of the parish of Ulverston and number of councillors
| (1) Name of parish ward | (2) Number of councillors | |---------------------------|-----------------------------| | East | 3 | | North | 3 | | South | 3 | | South East | 2 | | South West | 1 | | Town | 3 | | West | 3 |
Schedule 1 details the 35 new district wards for Westmorland and Furness and specifies the corresponding number of councillors to be elected for each, such as 'Alston Moor & Fellside' electing 2 councillors, and 'Arnside, Milnthorpe & Burton' electing 3.
Schedule 2 provides the consequential changes for specific parishes.
Table 1 lists the 11 parish wards for Barrow and their councillor numbers.
Tables 2, 3, 4, and 5 detail the structure for Dalton Town with Newton (4 wards), Kendal (10 wards), Pennington (2 wards), and Penrith (6 wards), respectively.
Table 6 outlines the 7 parish wards for Ulverston.
In all cases, the second column states the mandated number of councillors for that electoral area.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order makes changes to electoral arrangements for the district of Westmorland and Furness following recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This Order does not change the boundary of the district itself.
Article 3 abolishes the existing electoral wards of the district of Westmorland and Furness and replaces them with the 35 new ones listed in Schedule 1 for the purposes of elections held on or after the ordinary day of election of councillors in England in 2027. It also establishes the names and areas of the new electoral wards and the number of councillors for each.
Article 4 makes changes to parish wards that are consequential on the changes made by article 3. The changes to parish wards introduced by article 4 come into force for the purposes of parish elections in 2027 and in respect of subsequent parish elections.
The area covered by each ward created by this Order is identified on a map which is available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YZ. The map is also accessible online at https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/westmorland-and-furness/.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
The Explanatory Note clarifies that the Order implements LGBCE recommendations regarding electoral arrangements for Westmorland and Furness, explicitly stating that the district's external boundary remains unchanged.
Article 3's effect is to abolish old district wards and substitute 35 new ones, with the new arrangements applying to elections from 2027 onwards, fixing the names and councillor numbers.
Article 4 details that related parish ward changes also take effect for the 2027 parish elections.
The note confirms the location where the official boundary map can be inspected.
Finally, it confirms that a full impact assessment was deemed unnecessary because significant impacts on private, voluntary, or public sectors were not anticipated.
Related
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Castlefield, Manchester) Regulations 2026
The regulations imposed a temporary ban on unmanned aircraft flying below 1,200 feet over a specified area in Castlefield, Manchester, on March 16, 2026, to protect a Royal visit.
Read MoreThe Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2026
The instrument codified the commencement date and established transitional rules for applying the 2026 up-rated rates of Guardian's Allowance.
Read MoreThe Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026
Section 49 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, concerning the installation of electric vehicle charge points, was brought into force on March 13, 2026, substituting the previous street works licensing regime with a permit system.
Read MoreThe Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026
The Regulations brought into force specific sections of the Online Safety Act 2023, primarily mandating CSEA content reporting duties for regulated user-to-user services effective April 7, 2026.
Read More