THE number of Copeland councillors should be slashed by more than half, says the borough's mayor.

Mike Starkie was speaking as Copeland Council formally requested a review of its councillor ratio by the influential Boundary Commission that will take effect at the next election in 2019.

The mayor said he wants to see a "significant cut" in the number of councillors, and suggests 24 as an appropriate number - down from the current 51. Each earns a basic £3,064 allowance, plus extras for special responsibilities.

"Everything about Copeland has been scaled down in recent years, from the number of staff we have and the services we provide, yet the number of councillors has remained the same," said Mr Starkie.

"I strongly believe that the whole borough is overgoverned and I think 24 councillors - around one per ward - would be a more appropriate number to deal with in a more streamlined council."

He claimed that a reduction in the number of members would result in all the seats being "competitively contested and avoid parties not defending some seats and putting paper candidates up in others".

He added: "There would be a cash saving to the council by reducing the number of members, but I would advocate diverting some of this saving to increasing the allowance to the councillors that remain."

Councillors unanimously voted to invite the Boundary Commission to inspect the borough's size, geography and population and impose its recommendations by 2019.

The review is likely to begin in October next year, and would finish between January and October 2018. Although Copeland's mayor and senior managers will have an input in the process, the Commission will make its own decision and impose it on the council.

Alistair Norwood, deputy leader of the council's Conservative group, said: "There is a strong desire among the electorate to reduce the number of councillors and it is something that has got to happen."