CUMBRIA could lose a constituency if new proposals from the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) are adopted.

The BCE has revealed plans for new Parliamentary constituencies which would expand Carlisle and create three new constituencies: Penrith and Solway; Workington and Whitehaven; and Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Carlisle constituency would extend to take in the remaining seven wards of Carlisle City Council: Longtown and Rockcliffe, Great Corby and Geltsdale, Stanwix Rural, Lyne, Irthing, Brampton and Hayton.

The BCE increased the Carlisle constituency because the number of people eligible to vote in the area is too few at 60,507.

Under the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, every constituency must be within five per cent of the electoral quota, which is 74,769, meaning constituencies must have no fewer than 71,031​ electors.

The BCE created the new Workington and Whitehaven constituency for the same reason: Copeland was well below the lower five per cent limit at 60,785. The BCE therefore proposed a coastal constituency containing Workington and Whitehaven, extending from Maryport to the River Mite.

The report states: "Although we recognised that both Workington and Whitehaven have their own identities, we considered that a coastal constituency containing these two towns was preferable to constituencies that each contained one of the towns and large rural areas that stretched eastwards across the mountains, fells and lakes."

Swathes of what is now Copeland would be transferred to the new Penrith and Solway constituency, renamed to reflect its geography.

Appleby, Orton, Brough and Kirkby Stephen would be transferred into an extended Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, which also includes the southern lakes.

The publication of the plans marks the start of 12 weeks of consultation during which people are invited to comment on anything about the plans at www.bce2018.org.uk.

There will be two more consultations in 2017. Following the conclusion of all three consultations, the BCE will look at all the evidence received and make final recommendations to Parliament in September 2018.

If agreed by Parliament, the new constituencies will be in use at the next scheduled General Election in 2020.