Rankings · Unitary council
Westmorland and Furness
Westmorland and Furness council ranks 32nd of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 20th to 54th), in the top quarter. Strongest on service quality (12th of 130), weakest on value for money (118th of 127).
Compare Westmorland and Furness with another council
Data as of 13 October 2026 · methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Westmorland and Furness council, Council Rankings, 13 October 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/westmorland-and-furness/"
Likely range 20th–54th. Stays in the top quarter in 45% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Westmorland and Furness scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Westmorland and Furness beats. Overall weights: service quality 60%, value for money 20%, financial health 20%. Select any measure below to see how every council compares on it.
Service quality
Allowing for need, Westmorland and Furness ranks 21st of 130 (likely range 13th–34th), against 12th unadjusted. That is 9 places lower once need is allowed for. The difference is larger than the uncertainty, so this is one of the few councils where allowing for need clearly changes the picture (why).
Adjusted: children's services, adult social care and waste & recycling. Not adjusted, because there is no published measure of need: planning, complaints, special educational needs and homelessness. This view is not part of the overall rank. How we adjust
Planning
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 95.9% | 93.7% | 43 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 91.1% | 92.0% | 73 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 1,204 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 50.2% | 37.4% | =18 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 449 kg | 516 kg | 35 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 2.8 | 4.8 | 17 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 81.3% | 81.9% | =58 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 66.7% | 75.0% | =82 / 128 | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | 12.5% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Good | Good | =40 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 2.75 / 4 | Good | =76 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 61.1%Requires improvement assessment published 12 February 2026 | 63.9% | =77 / 126 | latest at 2026-10-13 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.447 | 0.417 | 10 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 67.7% | 65.5% | =39 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 78.3% | 62.5% | =1 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 68.5% | 83.9% | =123 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 76.0% | 70.7% | 14 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 81.1% | 58.3% | 33 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 52.0% | 51.7% | 62 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 40.8% | 33.5% | 42 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 0.6 | 2.8 | 11 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 0 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Westmorland and Furness spends £624 per adult on adult social care, against about £626 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£1 less). Its adult social care results rank 33rd of 125.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 64th of 122
Children's services value for money
Westmorland and Furness spends £1,596 per child on children's services, against about £1,404 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£192 more). Its children's services results rank 76th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 93rd of 127
Waste value for money
Westmorland and Furness spends £374 per home on waste & recycling, against about £207 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£167 more). Its waste & recycling results rank 24th of 130.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 119th of 127
Planning value for money
Westmorland and Furness spends £2,050 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£1,348 more). Its planning results rank 55th of 130.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 118th of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 20.4% | 33.0% | 98 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | -3.2% | 0.4% | 97 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 6.7% | 9.7% | 37 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 90.5% | 184.6% | 10 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 12.3% | 8.8% | 82 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Westmorland and Furness | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 0.0% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 231,307 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £2,156.29 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 17.836 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 0 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Liberal Democrat majority | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Liberal Democrat 35, Labour 15, Conservative 9, Independent and other 5, Green 1 (of 65 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | Opinion signed 25 February 2026. PSAA status: delivered by backstop. | 2024-25 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 0 | median 0 | 2022-23 to 2024-25 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £2,014.73 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,507.99 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Westmorland and Furness
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Westmorland and Furness's score.
- Cumbria Combined Authority: transport (shared with the councils until 31 March 2027); economic development
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
- Cumberland: 115th of 130, bottom quarter · compare
- Blackpool: 124th of 130, bottom quarter · compare
- Blackburn with Darwen: 17th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Darlington: 11th of 130, top quarter · compare
- Bolton: 22nd of 130, top quarter · compare
ONS code E06000064 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog