Everything known about local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire
In just three years time, the seven councils in Cambridgeshire could no longer exist, as the government looks to replace them with new unitary authorities.
Last week (March 21), council leaders sent initial responses to the government about their thoughts on local government reorganisation.
While no new council structure has been set out, the letters, alongside a number of councillor discussions held last week, do provide more insight as to what might happen in the area.
Last month, Jim McMahon OBE MP, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, asked the leaders of the county’s seven councils to work together to create a new ‘simpler’ local government structure.
Currently, the area has a two-tier system, with some services delivered by Cambridgeshire County Council, such as road maintenance, and others by the district councils, such as housing.
The county is also covered by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
The government has said it wants to see a move to unitary councils that provide all the services currently shared between the county and district councils.
Peterborough City Council is already a unitary council, but is included in the reorganisation plans.
A letter sent to the government, which was signed by six of seven council leaders, said they will work together and are “currently considering different unitary scenarios”.
Fenland District Council sent its own letter to the government, which said it would “co-operate fully” both with the government and other councils in the area.
The letter differed in parts from the other councils’ response, including specifically stating the district council opposed any proposals that would see the whole of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined under a single unitary authority.
Here is a breakdown of what we know so far about what local government reorganisation could look like in Cambridgeshire.
Timeline for change
A potential timeline for local government reorganisation has been set out in papers published by the county council.
The report said the key milestones highlighted were based on information from the ministerial letter, and on briefings provided by senior officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
March 21 – Deadline for submitting an interim plan to the government. Letters have been sent from council leaders, these do not set out an interim plan, but do state the authorities will work together on proposals.
November 28 – Deadline to submit a full reorganisation proposal to the government.
Early 2026 – The government is expected to respond around this time to the proposals submitted by the councils and to consult with relevant statutory bodies.
May 2027 – Following a decision on what the new local government structure will be, elections are expected to be held to ‘shadow’ unitary councils.
April 2028 – The official establishment of the new unitary authorities.
How many councils will be created?
Under the initial guidance set out by the government, the new council structure could see a single unitary authority covering the whole area, or multiple unitary authorities.
While an exact answer has not yet been decided upon, what is fairly certain is there will be fewer councils each covering a larger area compared to the existing district and city councils.
The government said in its guidance that the new authorities should cover a population of around 500,000 people.
However, the Councillor Mike Davey, leader of Cambridge City Council, said the government had said there could be exemptions to this.
Opposition has been voiced by some to the possibility of a single unitary authority being created to cover the whole of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the issue being raised specifically by Fenland District Council in its letter to the government.
A lot of the debate from councillors has suggested multiple councils would be preferred, but the exact areas that could be included in each council is unclear.
At a debate in Cambridge some councillors raised concerns about wanting to ‘avoid diluting urban interests in a non-urban majority’ at a new authority.
Similarly, in a debate in Fenland some councillors raised concerns that rural villages could lose out compared to the cities if the area is included in the same authority.
Where will the new councils be based?
A number of councillors have raised concerns about the new unitary authority becoming more ‘remote’ from people, compared to the existing district and city councils.
However, there has not yet been a suggestion as to where the new council or councils could be based.
At a meeting of Cambridge City Council some councillors said they would like the Guildhall in Market Square to remain in use, with members highlighting the investment being put into it through the Civic Quarter project.
Cllr Davey has said the Guildhall remaining as a civic centre in Cambridge was a “red line” for the authority.
How much will local government reorganisation cost?
The chief executive of the county council has previously said that the government has made it “very clear” the councils in the area will be expected to “consume the costs of local government reorganisation”.
He said based on the costs faced by councils in other parts of the country which have already gone through reorganisation, that it is anticipated it will cost “at least £18.6million” across all the Cambridgeshire councils.
What will happen to parish and town councils?
Town and parish councils are not included in the local government reorganisation proposals and will remain in place after whatever changes are agreed.
Councillor Tom Bygott did ask at a South Cambridgeshire District Council meeting whether it had been considered if some powers could be devolved to town and parish councils under the changes.
Councillor Bridget Smith, leader of the district council, said she had been advised by other areas that had gone through unitarisation that they should “parish everywhere”.
She said the unitary council would become more of a “strategic organisation” and that devolving powers and responsibility down to parish level “gets more stuff done at a local level”.
