Will Peterborough be voting in the mayoral election?

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) mayoral election takes place on Thursday, May 1.

Five candidates are in the running, including Paul Bristow (Conservative), Ryan Coogan (Reform), Lorna Dupre (Liberal Democrats), Bob Ensch (Green Party) and Anna Smith (Labour).

A combined authority mayor makes important decisions for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and is responsible for a £20 million annual budget, as well as having devolved powers to spend up to £800 million on local housing, infrastructure and jobs.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked 20 Peterborough residents in the city centre if they were aware of the CPCA mayoral election and if they planned to vote on Thursday, May 1.

While an admittedly small sample size, just seven out of 20 people said they were aware of the mayoral election, with six of those confirming their intention to vote.

One of these residents, Stuart Killingray, highlighted the importance of voting in elections.

He said: “It’s always important to vote. If you are dissatisfied but you don’t vote, you can’t complain. One vote can make all the difference.”

One of the 13 people that were unaware of the mayoral election, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I had no idea. I know I probably should but I haven’t heard anything about it.”

She added: “I don’t know who the mayor is or who is wanting to become mayor.”

The CPCA was established in 2017 and is the transport authority for the area.

This means it puts together a ‘local transport plan’ which sets out the transport related infrastructure improvements it aims to make in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The combined authority itself says it is responsible for “delivering economic prosperity across the region, particularly in relation to housing, travel, employment skills and environmental improvements”.

The results of the mayoral election will be announced on Friday, May 2 from the Ross Peers Sports Centre in Soham by John Hill, the Combined Area Returning Officer for Cambridgeshire.

Mr Hill, who is also the chief executive of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “It’s incredibly important that voters understand what the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough does and why it is important for them to turn out to vote on May 1.

“To help provide more detail a dedicated Choose Your Mayor website has been set up. This includes more information about what the mayor does and how to vote.

“As part of our legal obligations, a leaflet about the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayoral election is being sent to everyone registered to vote across the county.

“As well as information about how to vote, the leaflet includes an address from each of the five candidates that have put themselves forward for election.

“It’s hoped that this information will help voters to feel more confident about the process, and to feel more informed when making their votes.”