Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: February 24, 2026

Purpose:

Content: The Council voted (unanimous) on the motion by Councillor Helene Leeming, which was carried as follows:   “Council notes: Cambridgeshire, and in particular South Cambridgeshire, has seen rapid population growth over recent years. This has resulted in greater demand on services that are important to our residents such as policing, fire and rescue, education, healthcare and more. Government has been working on plans to accelerate this growth, most recently proposing that a Development Corporation be established. Cambridgeshire’s population is expected to grow to 1,078,000 by 2041. Government funding for many of these key services in Cambridgeshire significantly lags behind other areas.   Council notes, as an example, Cambridgeshire Police: Cambridgeshire Police is the 4th worst funded police force in the country on a per person basis. Were the force to receive the average national funding per person in 2025/26., it would have an additional £28 million a year in funding. To maintain existing policing levels as the population increases, Cambridgeshire Police will need to recruit an additional 17 officers per year between now and 2041. The formula used to determine funding for police forces is still based on 2011 Census data, despite it now being 2026.   Council notes, as a further example, education funding: The f40 fairer funding campaign, which provides comparative historical data, has exposed huge variations in funding allocations per pupil by local authority. For funding per pupil, Cambridgeshire remains in the bottom quartile nationally for the dedicated schools grant and for the high needs block funding per pupil. In 2025/26, Cambridgeshire ranked 133rd out of 151 local authorities. If Cambridgeshire received equivalent funding per pupil to Lincolnshire, near the national median, we would receive an additional £23.8 million a year. If Cambridgeshire received equivalent funding per pupil to Peterborough, it would receive an additional £33 million a year.   Council believes: The failure of Government to adequately fund key services across Cambridgeshire, especially in light of their ambitions for growth in our area, is unacceptable, has negatively impacted our residents and cannot continue.   Council resolves: ·       To request that the Leader write to the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and other relevant ministers expressing our frustration at the Government’s chronic underfunding of key services in our county and imploring ministers to review how funding for these services is allocated, recognising the scale of growth across the Greater Cambridge area.”