Council merger plans due to be announced

10 hours ago

Emma HowgegoCambridgeshire and Peterborough political reporter

Councils across Cambridgeshire will find out this week what the merger plans are

Emma Howgego/BBC A five-storey Victorian-looking building with large windows. In front are a row of bikes and a market stall is on the bottom right hand side. — Councils across Cambridgeshire will find out this week what the merger plans are

A decision on merging Cambridgeshire's councils is expected this week.

The government has decided to abolish two-tier council systems across England, such as the one currently operating in the county.

It will mean the seven councils covering Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be amalgamated into two or three.

Four options on how that might look went forward to the government earlier this year.

Why is this happening?

The government says having a single council covering an area will save money by streamlining services.

It also hopes it will make it easier for local residents to understand who is in charge of services.

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, seven councils currently deliver services.

The county council is responsible for services such as social care, education and highways.

District councils, meanwhile, are in charge of services such as bin collections and planning applications.

Peterborough already operates as a unitary council, meaning it carries out all local authority functions.

All the options on the table would see the city combined with parts of Cambridgeshire.

What will it mean for services?

Existing authorities, such as Cambridge City Council, will continue to operate as normal during the transition period

Phil Shepka/BBC A view of a council meeting. Councillors sit in semi-circular rows in a large chamber. — Existing authorities, such as Cambridge City Council, will continue to operate as normal during the transition period

Local councils say residents shouldn't notice any change in the services they receive.

Bins will still be collected, care services will continue and libraries will remain open.

The name of the councils doing the work will likely change but they will have the same responsibilities as now.

What are the options?

Four options went forward to the government for consideration. They were known during the consultation as A, B, D and E.

Option C, which would have seen Huntingdonshire, Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire combined in one council and Fenland, Peterborough and East Cambridgeshire in another, was not supported by any local council.

Option A is the preferred choice for Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire County Council A basic map of Cambridgeshire which shows Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire in blue and Peterborough, Fenland and Huntingdonshire in light brown. — Option A is the preferred choice for Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire County Council is the only authority to back Option A. Its official response is headlined as "Two councils. One fairer future."

Liberal Democrat council leader Lucy Nethsingha said it "reflects the travel to work corridors, the health and care boundaries, protects the historic identities that matter to our communities, and it has an equal balance of population and financial resources".

Option B would see a 'Greater Cambridge' authority in the south and the rest of the county joined together

Cambridgeshire County Council A basic map of Cambridgeshire showing Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in light blue and Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire — Option B would see a 'Greater Cambridge' authority in the south and the rest of the county joined together

Option B is supported by Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire District councils.

South Cambridgeshire's Liberal Democrat leader, Bridget Smith, said: "Option B creates two new unitary councils that are the right size to thrive, while being local enough to care."

East Cambridgeshire has said it does not want to be "overshadowed" by Greater Cambridge and become "its overspill building site".

Conservative leader Anna Bailey said this option "creates simpler councils, with stronger services – while respecting the unique character of the different districts within the area".

Option D would see Huntingdonshire split in two

Cambridgeshire County Council A basic Cambridgeshire map showing Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in light blue, Peterborough and the western part of Huntingdonshire in light brown and Eastern Huntingdonshire, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire in grey — Option D would see Huntingdonshire split in two

Option D is supported by Peterborough City Council, whose Labour leader, Shabina Qayyum, said: "This decision has the potential to shape the future governments of our region and must be made with clarity, confidence and collective purpose."

It was also supported by Fenland District Council as the "least bad option".

However, its Conservative leader Chris Boden has called on the whole reorganisation process to be halted.

Option E would see Huntingdonshire as a separate local authority

Cambridgeshire County Council A basic map of Cambridgeshire showing Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in light blue, Huntingdonshire in grey and Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire in light brown. — Option E would see Huntingdonshire as a separate local authority

Option E would create three councils. Huntingdonshire would operate as one, Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire as a second, and Cambridge would merge with South Cambridgeshire.

Supported by Huntingdonshire District Council, this option would see the historic county of Huntingdonshire back on the local government map.

Its Liberal Democrat leader, Sarah Conboy, said it "provides an opportunity to create councils that are connected to the communities they serve, financially robust, and forward-thinking in how they deliver services".

What happens next

New councillors will need to be elected to the new authorities. These will be called "shadow elections" and are scheduled to take place in May 2027.

The new councils are due to be up and running by 1 April 2028. Between the elections and the launch day there will be a transition period where services and staff will transfer to the new authorities.

However, there is a potential spanner in the works for those timings. Some councils elsewhere, such as Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, are asking for a judicial review.

It is not known how long that will take.

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