Local Government Reorganisation

We understand that the reorganisation of local councils may feel concerning, particularly for residents who rely on regular council services. We want to reassure you that there will be no immediate changes to the services you receive. 

• The council that currently provides your services will continue delivering them as usual, with the same care, support, and contact points you are familiar with today.
• If you rely on council services, for example if you receive care or assistance, your day-to-day support will remain in place.

If any changes to services are proposed in the future, these will be: 

• Clearly explained in advance, 
• Communicated in accessible formats, and 
• Shared with plenty of time for you and your carers, family members, or support networks to understand what is happening. 

We are committed to making sure that no one is left uncertain or unsupported during this process. Our priority is your wellbeing. We will continue to work closely with residents, communities, and partners to ensure that services remain safe, reliable, and centred around your needs. 

Businesses, organisations, volunteers and public sector colleagues are being reassured that services will continue to run as normal up to the creation of the new authorities in April 2028, known as vesting day, and after the new arrangements are in place. Our aim is for the transition to be as seamless as possible for everyone involved.

We’re committed to working closely with you to design councils fit for the future. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us using your existing contacts and relationships.

It is too early to say what the decision will mean for individual people or teams. However, based on previous reorganisations and current planning assumptions, it is expected that most employees will transfer to a new unitary authority on vesting day. The mechanism for this to take place will need to be confirmed, but it would likely be under the protection of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, commonly known as TUPE, or similar. 

There is always a possibility that Council Tax could change – it is a key source of funding for council services. It is too early to indicate what might happen with regards to council tax levels in future years, and for when any new unitary authority is in place.

Local Government Reorganisation is all about upcoming changes in the structure, responsibilities, and boundaries of local councils in England.

A Government White Paper on English Devolution, published in December 2024, proposed significant changes to how local councils are structured. The plan is for reorganisation in ‘two-tier’ areas such as Cambridgeshire - where there are both district and county councils. In Cambridgeshire, the idea will be to replace multiple layers of councils with larger councils – a Unitary Authority. 

View the English Devolution White Paper on the GOV.UK website (opens PDF).

On 16 December 2024, we received a letter from Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution. The letter set out the Government’s plans and process for achieving Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution in England.

View the letter from Jim McMahon (dated 16 December 2024) on the GOV.UK website (opens PDF).

Cambridgeshire is an area which currently has a ‘two-tier’ authority system. This means Cambridgeshire County Council provide services that cover the whole county such as education, roads maintenance and adult social care.

District councils such as Huntingdon provide local services including rubbish collection, planning, homelessness support and environmental health.

A Unitary Authority is a single tier of local government that takes on the responsibilities of both district and county councils. Peterborough City Council is a Unitary Authority currently.  

When the change is made from April 2028, rather than dealing with separate county, city and district authorities, residents will access all services - from road maintenance and bin collections to education, planning, social housing, social care, and support with benefits - through a unitary council.

Town and parish councils are not currently part of Local Government Reorganisation. No direct impact is anticipated at this stage and there has been no suggestion that town and parish councils will be expected to assume any additional functions or services. 

The benefits of Local Government Reorganisation are intended to include the opportunities to help transformation in the longer term by bringing services together which can support improvements.

This could include more support for preventative and holistic services focused on the needs of local people and communities, while making it simpler for residents to understand who is responsible for the services they receive.

The Government has also been very clear that financial savings are expected through the process of reducing the number of councils. Overall, the Government White Paper on Devolution says “If we are going to build an economy that works for everyone, we need nothing less than a completely new way of governing – a generational project of determined devolution.”

Yes. In 2023, new unitary authorities were established in North Yorkshire, Somerset, and Cumbria. Other reorganisations have occurred in Dorset (2019) and Northamptonshire (2021). However, the difference now is that the Government expects, as a minimum, all council areas across England where there is currently a two-tier system in place to be reorganised.  

In May 2027, elections to a shadow authority will take place. This is a temporary council created to prepare for the launch of the new unitary authority. The shadow council will oversee the early transition work of the council to prepare for the launch of the new unitary authority. 

No. All councils in Cambridgeshire will be abolished. Whatever new unitary authorities are created in Cambridgeshire, they will be governed through the new elected members of those councils. 

New unitary councils are due to begin operating in April 2028. In advance of them legally coming into force, the new councils will exist in a shadow capacity so officers and councillors can help prepare, plan, make transitional decisions needed for day one and provide recommendations to the new authority. This phase would begin from May 2027.

A shadow authority is elected to carry out the functions of a new unitary council until that authority formally comes into effect, on what is commonly called ‘vesting day’.

On Wednesday 5 February 2025, we received our formal invitation to submit Local Government Reorganisation proposals. These proposals will bring together lower and upper tier local government services in new unitary councils. The letter sent from Jim McMahon OBE, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution sets out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed and further guidance on what information the proposals should include.

It also confirms a deadline for when we have to submit our proposals back to Government. Interim proposals due on or before 21 March 2025 and full proposals by 28 November 2025.

At our Full Council meeting on Wednesday 19 March 2025, councillors debated the future structure of local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, focusing on how best to deliver efficient, high-quality services for residents. Councillors received a progress report from our Chief Executive, Matt Gladstone. This report provides an overview of the progress made to date.

View Item 13d. Local Government Reorganisation (opens PDF on the Democracy Peterborough website).

On Friday 21 March 2025, council leaders across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sent a letter to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution. This letter sets out progress on plans to move towards a new system of local government.

Read the Interim LGR Proposal Response Letter (opens PDF).

On Thursday 19 June 2025, an LGR engagement survey launched to attract feedback on council reorganisation. The survey closed on Sunday 20 July 2025. We have published three reports further down this page where you can read an outline of what participants said.

At our Full Council meeting on Wednesday 23 July 2025, councillors received an update on the progress of the Local Government Reorganisation process for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area. This report provides an overview of the progress made to date. 

View the LGR Full Council report (opens PDF on the Democracy Peterborough website).

A Joint Meeting of our Scrutiny Committees took place on Tuesday 28 October 2025 for members to scrutinise and give feedback on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation, including a Greater Peterborough option.

Read the agenda from the Joint Meeting of the Scrutiny Committees (28 October 2025) on the Democracy Peterborough website (opens PDF). It also contains the proposal document for Greater Peterborough (Option D).

At the Full Council meeting held on 12 November 2025, Option D was supported by a majority of councillors. Option D (Greater Peterborough) would include three unitary councils. One for Peterborough and West Huntingdonshire, one for Fenland, East Huntingdonshire, East Cambridgeshire, and another for South Cambridgeshire, Cambridge City.

Read the Agenda from the 12 November 2025 Full Council meeting on the Democracy Peterborough website.

On Tuesday 18 November 2025, Cabinet approved a Greater Peterborough proposal (Option D) being sent to Government as one of the options for Local Government Reorganisation across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

View the Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 18 November 2025 on Democracy Peterborough website.

Councils across the county have submitted to Government their preferred options for Local Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Across all seven councils, four options are being submitted - Options A, B, D and E - which you can read more about in the Cabinet LGR Cover Report - 18 November 2025 on the Democracy Peterborough website (opens PDF).

Following Cabinet approval on 18 November 2025, we have submitted a preference for Option D, a Greater Peterborough proposal.

Option D would include three unitary councils:

• One for Peterborough and West Huntingdonshire
• One for Fenland, East Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire
• One for South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City

We await feedback from Government in 2026, at which point full public consultation will follow.

The Government consulted on a range of options submitted by councils in our area that would replace Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire’s existing two-tier system of one county and five district and city councils, with new unitary authorities.

The consultation closed on Thursday 26 March 2026.

A decision on the reorganisation of local councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has been delayed until the autumn, it has been announced by Government today (Thursday 16 July).

For more information, visit our No decision yet on Local Government Reorganisation for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough news page.