Borough of Copeland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Copeland
Borough and non-metropolitan district
Coat of arms
Copeland shown within Cumbria
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	North West England
Ceremonial county	Cumbria
Historic county	Cumberland
Founded	1 April 1974 (1974-04-01)
Abolished	31 March 2023 (2023-03-31)
Administrative HQ	Whitehaven (The Copeland Centre)
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district
• Body	Copeland Borough Council
Area
• Total	282.53 sq mi (731.76 km2)
Population  (2021)
• Total	67,176
• Density	237.762/sq mi (91.8006/km2)
Ethnicity (2011)
• White	99.3%
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode areas	CA (14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) LA (18, 19, 20)
Dialling codes	01229 (Barrow-in-Furness/Millom) 01946 (Whitehaven)
Vehicle registration prefix	P
GSS code	E07000029
NUTS 3 code	UKD11
ONS code	16UE
Trunk primary routes	A595
Police area	Cumbria
Fire service	Cumbria
Ambulance service	North West
Website	copeland.gov.uk

The Borough of Copeland was a special area in western Cumbria, England. It had its own local government, like a council, based in the town of Whitehaven. Copeland was created on April 1, 1974. It was formed by joining three smaller areas: the Borough of Whitehaven, Ennerdale Rural District, and Millom Rural District. In 2011, about 70,603 people lived in Copeland.

The name Copeland comes from an older name, kaupland. This means "bought land." It refers to an area of forest that was bought from the land of St Bees Priory.

In July 2021, the government decided to change how Cumbria was organized. On April 1, 2023, Copeland Borough Council was closed down. Its duties were moved to a new, larger council called Cumberland. This new council also covers the areas of Allerdale and Carlisle.

Life in Copeland: People and Jobs

Copeland was known for having different types of jobs and incomes. In 2018, it had one of the highest average incomes in the UK. This was mainly because many people worked at the Sellafield nuclear site.

However, there was a big difference in earnings between those working at Sellafield and people in other jobs. This led to Copeland being called 'a community of two-halves'. It meant some people earned a lot, while others earned much less.

How Copeland Was Governed

Copeland had a council that made decisions for the area. Elections for the council were held every four years. Each time, 51 councillors were chosen by the people.

From 1973, the Labour Party usually had the most councillors. This meant they were in charge of the council. Only between 1976 and 1979 did no single party have overall control.

Council Members in 2019

The last election for the council was in 2019. Here is how the councillors were split between the different political groups:

Choosing a Mayor for Copeland

On May 22, 2014, people in Copeland voted on a big change. They decided if they wanted a directly elected mayor. This means the mayor would be chosen directly by the public, not by the councillors.

Campaigners called Time For Change collected enough signatures to make this vote happen. The results were clear: 12,671 people voted for a mayor, and 5,489 voted against it.

First Elected Mayor

The first election for mayor happened on May 7, 2015. Mike Starkie won this election. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of a major political party. Later, he joined the Conservative Party. He received 15,232 votes, beating the Labour Party candidate, Steve Gibbon, who got 14,259 votes.

Freedom of the Borough Award

The "Freedom of the Borough" is a special honor. It is given to people or military groups who have done great things for the area.

One person who received this award in Copeland was Gary McKee. He was given the honor on October 21, 2017.

Map of Copeland

See also

In Spanish: Copeland para niños