Latest update on Local Government Reorganisation
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.
Read the reports:
- 12 November 2025 - Full Council meeting - Option D was supported by a majority of councillors - view the Full Council agenda - 12 November 2025 on the Democracy Peterborough website
- 18 November 2025 - Cabinet approved the Option D Greater Peterborough proposal being sent to Government as one of the options for Local Government Reorganisation across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - view the Cabinet agenda - 18 November 2025 on the Democracy Peterborough website (opens PDF)
The English Devolution White Paper: Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth sets out the Government's agenda to increase and expand devolution across all parts of England. In addition, it also sets out proposals to take forward Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in areas where there are two-tier local authorities, like Cambridgeshire. Neighbouring councils such as Peterborough are also included.
On 16 December 2024, we received a letter from Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution. The letter sent to all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitary authorities sets out clear process and milestones.
What is devolution?
In England, devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to local people, communities and businesses. Cambridgeshire benefits from an existing devolution deal through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). Through the white paper, the Government aims to establish devolution deals for all areas in England.
What is Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)?
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the process in which the structure and responsibilities of local authorities are reconfigured.
The Government has set out plans to move away from the current two-tier system of district and county councils in England. This is relevant to Cambridgeshire County Council and the five district councils in the county (Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council). It is also relevant to Peterborough City Council as a neighbouring unitary council.
Local services in Cambridgeshire will be delivered by one or many unitary authorities. A single tier of local government.
Current system of councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, we have a mixture of county and district councils, as well as one unitary authority council. Each has its own specific duties and responsibilities for providing services for its authority area.
Cambridgeshire County Council is the shire authority. It is responsible for services that cover the whole county, excluding Peterborough, such as:
- Social care
- Education
- Highways
- Libraries
- Household Recycling Centres
- Trading Standards
- Registrations
- Public health
The district councils are:
- Cambridge City Council
- East Cambridgeshire District Council
- Fenland District Council
- Huntingdonshire District Council
- South Cambridgeshire District Council
The district councils provide local services such as:
- Waste collection
- Housing
- Environmental health
- Leisure facilities
- Planning applications
- Council tax
- Business rates
- Licensing
Peterborough City Council is a unitary authority. It provides all the services of a county and district council for the city of Peterborough in a single tier of local government.
Future system of councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
From April 2028, the current seven councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be replaced and no longer exist. Rather than dealing with separate county, city and district councils, residents will access all services through a unitary council. At this stage, no decisions have been made on how many unitary councils will cover the county and which geographical areas they will cover.
We anticipate that ‘shadow’ unitary authority councils would be established 12 months in advance of any handover to new unitary authorities. This ensures that new arrangements can be put in place without interrupting services to residents.
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’.
Timeline
This is an outline of the timeline provided by the Government in the White Paper. It includes proposed and confirmed dates. Dates become confirmed as we receive updates.
Key dates for the council's engagement activities are also listed.
- Confirmed - 5 February 2025 - statutory invitation received from Government to submit unitary proposals
- Confirmed - 21 March 2025 - interim LGR proposal response submitted
- Confirmed - 19 June 2025 - LGR engagement survey launched
- Confirmed - 20 July 2025 - LGR engagement survey closed
- Confirmed - 28 November 2025 - deadline to submit full LGR proposal
- Proposed - April / May 2027 - elections for shadow authorities
- Proposed - April 2028 - vesting day for new unitary councils
Key updates
Reports from joint engagement in summer 2025
The seven Cambridgeshire councils ran an initial joint survey in June and July 2025 asking residents for general feedback about local government and their future priorities.
There are three reports that were produced following this survey, which outline details of what people said during the engagement.
Who makes the final decision
The deadline to submit proposals to the Government is the end of November 2025.
The final decision on which new local government structures are put in place will ultimately be made by the Government.
Further reading
- The English Devolution White Paper (opens PDF)
- Letter from Jim McMahon OBE, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution (opens PDF)
- Local Government Association (LGA) Devolution Hub
The LGA Devolution Hub has further information and resources. This includes a list of regularly updated devolution and local government reorganisation frequently asked questions. You can find updates on the current devolution framework and devolution deals agreed between Government and local areas.