Heversham and Hincaster are a step closer to adopting a 'Neighbourhood Plan'.
SLDC has put their proposal forward to the 'examination' phase and a referendum could follow.
A Neighbourhood Plan lets a community outline where any future development might occur, and what it will look like.
A six week public consultation starts on Thursday.
Councillor Jonathan Brook, SLDC’s portfolio holder for Housing and Innovation, said: “This is a great example of localism at work.
“Neighbourhood Plans are all about giving local communities greater control over what happens in their area, so they can have a real say and determine real policies that carry weight in the planning and development process.
“We have a Council Plan value to embrace localism and empower people to have a say in decisions that directly affect them, so I am pleased that so many South Lakeland communities are getting involved in the Neighbourhood Plan process.’’