Purpose

This report seeks to provide an
overview of proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and seeks to enable Members to
make an informed decision over what, if any, response the Council
wishes to make within the timescales and processes established by
Government.

Decision

The Cabinet has
 
(a) 
noted the various options that have been presented relating to
Local Government Reorganisation for Cambridgeshire &
Peterborough;
 
(b) 
noted the criteria and process established by Government and that
the Secretary of State will be the end decision-maker;
 
(c) 
considered and commented on the various options against the
criteria identified, noting that the various options will be
incorporated into a single submission made on behalf of all
Councils in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough;
 
(d) 
considered the comments provided by the Overview and Scrutiny Joint
Group and Full Council in respect of the proposals and the vote by
Council to support any or none of the options presented.
 
(e) 
determined that the Council wishes to support Option E (noting that
the Council can only support one option);
 
(f) 
delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with
the Executive Leader of the Council, to write to the Secretary of
State and other Leaders & Chief Executives within
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough to communicate the
Council’s decision (rec E);
 
(g) 
delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with
the Leader of the Council, to complete and finalise a Foreword for
the final business case in support of Option E. (rec E);
 
(h) 
based upon the final decision (rec E), delegated authority to the
Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Leader of the
Council, to liaise with other Leaders and Chief Executives to make
any final amendments to the single submission for Cambridgeshire
& Peterborough in advance of submission to the Government;
and
 
(i) 
delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with all Group
Leaders and non-group aligned Members, to formulate and submit a
response to any formal consultation on proposals for Local
Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

Reasons for the decision

As stated at the outset, given the
significance of the matter, combined with the criteria established
by Government, no formal recommendation is presented in respect of
any given option.
 
This report does, however, identify the merits
and challenges of the various options, along with other key factors
for consideration, so that Members may make informed decisions.
 
Members are encouraged to consider the options
presented and determine which option(s) if any, represents the most
appropriate solution for the region. Recognising that of the
Government criteria, “Criterion 1: A proposal should seek to
achieve for the whole of the area concerned the establishment of a
single tier of local government” establishes the need for a
whole region solution across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough; as
opposed to what is best for the future of local government in
Huntingdonshire.

Alternative options considered

This report presents a comprehensive,
well-evidenced and robust overview of the five main options for
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough. Developed collaboratively by all seven councils, each
option has been rigorously assessed against national criteria,
local priorities, and independent expert evidence.
 
The options include North/South Split (Option
A), Horseshoe (Option B), East/West Split (Option C), Three Unitary
Authorities (Option D), and Huntingdonshire Three Unitary
Authorities (Option E). Each option presents distinct strengths and
challenges, particularly around financial resilience, service
quality, and local identity. The report includes a comparative
assessment and detailed appraisal of each option.
 
The report provides particular detail on the
two options (C & E) which the Council is responsible for the
preparation of. Members are invited to review the evidence and
indicate their preferred option (if any) to inform the future
decision of the Cabinet over which option (if any) should be put
forward as part of the single proposal for Cambridgeshire &
Peterborough, ensuring the region’s submission is both robust
and aligned with local and national objectives.