Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents to decide future of local councils
Public are invited to give views on major changes to how services are run across the county
People in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are being asked to share their views on how local government should look in the future.
The Government wants to overhaul the current structure of local authorities by 2028, in a process known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This would see the county, city and district councils replaced with new unitary authorities responsible for delivering all local services – apart from those provided by town and parish councils.
A recent Quality of Life survey by Cambridgeshire County Council found that awareness of the changes is still low, with nearly two-thirds (63%) of residents knowing nothing about LGR, and almost half (46%) saying they’d never even heard of it.
From today (Wednesday 3 September), the County Council is launching an information campaign alongside a second phase of public engagement, which runs until Friday 3 October. The council is asking for views on its preferred model, called Option A.
Under Option A, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough would be split into two new council areas:
North Council – covering Peterborough, Huntingdonshire and Fenland
South Council – covering Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire
Council leaders believe Option A offers the “best fit” for both urban and rural communities, reducing duplication while improving accountability and financial sustainability. They also say it would create two strong partners for devolution under the Mayoral Combined Authority, supporting growth across the county.