SENIOR councillors have agreed to start a competitive process of procurement for Cumberland Council's Healthy Child Programme.

It is due to begin on April 1 next year, for a period of up to eight years, at a total value of up to £39 million.

Members of the council's executive committee made the decision at a meeting at the Copeland Centre in Whitehaven on Tuesday (July 23).

The initiative is aimed at children and young people aged up to 19 years old as well as those up to age 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

According to a council report it hopes to improve the health and wellbeing of residents, including focussing on prevention and early intervention to support families with a range of issues which could affect their health and wellbeing longer-term.

Speaking at the meeting councillor Lisa Brown (Currock, Labour), the portfolio holder for adults and community health, said it was part of the council's statutory duties and added: "A huge amount of work has gone into this. This will allow us to do all that prevention work."

She moved that they should agree the recommendations, which included starting the procurement process, and the committee unanimously agreed with his proposal.