Cambridgeshire residents ‘left in limbo’ by council reform delay

Changes to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s councils have been delayed until the autumn, sparking outrage from councillors

Council staff and residents have been plunged into “great uncertainty” after a delay on a decision on local government reorganisation (LGR), councillors say.

An announcement on the future of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough‘s local authorities was expected on Thursday (July 16), but minister Steve Reed said he “decided more time is needed”. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said a decision on “which option, if any, of those presented” would come by October at the latest.

Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, said she was “deeply disappointed” by the delay, but “not particularly surprised”.

Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon, revealed last week that leaks suggested option D would be chosen – which would have split Huntingdonshire in two. The Conservative MP said the delay “leaves residents in limbo” around “the future of Huntingdonshire and means damaging uncertainty over crucial local services”.

He said: “After months of discussion Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is now one of only two local authority areas in the country without clarity on what the structure will look like or what issues are causing this unacceptable delay. By delaying the decision until the Autumn there is a real risk that the new unitary won’t have enough time to restructure before next year’s local elections.”

Cllr Elliot Tong, leader of the Green group on Cambridgeshire County Council, said the delay came as a surprise. He said: “I was surprised because I didn’t think things could possibly get any worse – I thought every mistake that [could have] been made, had been made.

“Delaying the elections and then suddenly deciding not to do that – I thought all of the growing pains were out of the way but somehow Labour can still surprise me.”

Cllr Tong, who also sits on Cambridge City Council, said it was “very disappointing” and residents aren’t being given “any reassurance” about the city’s future. He said: “This entire plan doesn’t seem to have any confidence behind it so how can residents have any confidence in it?”

Cllr Mike Davey, speaking at a Cambridge City Council meeting on Thursday (July 16), said the delay was “hugely disappointing”. The Labour councillor said the delay causes “great uncertainty” for council staff and he would be meeting with other council leaders and chief executives to “understand our next steps”.

Cllr Tim Bick, leader of the Lib Dem group, told the council the delay was “unhelpful and destabilising” for “anyone we do business with on behalf of the public”.

He said: “The government has rightly spoken of the importance of Cambridge to the country and there are enormous ambitions for us – but today’s failure to make a decision really doesn’t sound like it. My concern is this whole process has been destabilised by antics in the north of the county.

“What I hear is that a process for existing councils to participate in was hijacked by Peterborough’s Labour MPs, who submitted little more than an idea of a footprint to pursue something which sounds very party-politically driven. Trying to solve Peterborough’s existing unsustainability as a unitary council but risking the creation of a new unsustainable unitary in the middle of Cambridgeshire.”

The council were asked to vote on noting the report updating them on the delay, but many councillors said they would not vote in favour of this. Cllr Davey said: “You have noted it by reading it – I can’t work out what this means.”

Cllr Bick said: “It ought to be taken as a vote if members ask for that and members can read into it what significance they want. Cllr Davey would obviously say it’s pointless but it’s all we have as a way of demonstrating our incredible frustration and dissatisfaction with where we now are.”

The council voted against noting the report with 12 votes for, 16 against, and eight abstentions.