Councillors to consider MPs’ proposal for ‘Greater Peterborough’ as part of council restructure plans

The government intends to implement a council restructure in all two-tier areas and in some adjoining unitary authority areas like Peterborough, replacing the current district, county and city councils with unitary councils.

It is believed these changes, which will come into effect from April 2028, will improve services, making them simpler and more efficient for residents and businesses as well as supporting economic growth and delivering much-needed housing.

All seven authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been working collaboratively to identify viable options for new unitary councils across the region, with three main options proposed:

Option A

Unitary 1 – Peterborough City Council, Huntingdonshire and Fenland District Councils along with County Council functions

Unitary 2 – Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire District Councils along with County Council functions

Option B

Unitary 1 – Peterborough City Council, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and Huntingdonshire District Councils along with County Council functions

Unitary 2 – Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District along with County Council functions

Option C

Unitary 1 – Peterborough City Council, East Cambridgeshire and Fenland District Councils along with County Council functions

Unitary 2 – Cambridge City Council, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire District Councils along with County Council functions

“Putting Peterborough into a mega council would make it harder to attract investment"

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling and Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes have expressed concerns that including Peterborough as part of a mega council – with just two councils covering the entire region – would make it harder for local areas to focus on their own needs and priorities.

They are proposing that there should be three councils across Cambridgeshire: one based on Greater Cambridge, one based on Greater Peterborough, and one focusing on rural Mid Cambridgeshire.

Peterborough City Council has agreed to include the MPs’ proposal for consideration and is carrying out research into the financial viability of it.

It will be discussed alongside the other three options at a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 23.

Mr Pakes said: “It’s critical that we make good decisions as a region on what our local government should look like.

“Public consultation is key, but the councils’ consultation on their preferred options offers no way for residents to say they disagree and want to see an alternative. That can’t be right – we need to include all options.

“Putting Peterborough into a mega council would make it harder to attract investment and focus on the challenges we have as a city.

“A more pragmatic approach would be a Greater Peterborough council that would allow a renewed focus on protecting what makes Peterborough great, while also ensuring a local lens on areas in western Huntingdonshire is not lost or swallowed up into a super-council covering a huge geographical area.”

Mr Carling said: “From my discussions with residents, I believe that a three-council model would better serve residents across the region.”

The government anticipates new unitary authorities will have populations of 500,000 to 1,000,000, but in exceptional cases is willing to consider a new unitary authority with population as low as 300,000 to 350,000.

One or more final proposal(s) on the council restructure are required to be submitted to government by November 28, 2025.

Initial findings from a county-wide public engagement survey into the shake-up of local government showed that 70 per cent of 2,000 people were concerned that some areas might be overlooked if councils are reorganised.

The consultation was launched on June 19 and runs until July 20.

Councillor Dennis Jones, leader of Peterborough City Council, has described it as the “biggest shake-up of local government in a generation”.

He said: “It is for this reason why I encourage everyone in the city to take part in the engagement exercise so that we can factor their thoughts and feelings into the proposals we submit to government later in the year.

“The responses so far show that it is important to residents that the ‘local’ remains in local government.

“This is important to me too, so that residents continue to be served by councils and councillors with the local knowledge to be able to ensure residents’ needs are met and that the nuances of local areas are not overlooked.”