Local Government Reorganisation

Last year, the government outlined plans for local government reorganisation for all two-tier areas (areas where services are delivered by two tiers of local government – a county council and city/borough/district councils - which includes Cambridgeshire) and for those unitary councils that are smaller or where there is evidence of failure.

Councils are now expected to develop proposals for the introduction of unitary (single tier) authorities across England, which will see the end to all existing two-tier arrangements.

On 11 June, council leaders announced they have identified three preferred proposals for creating new unitary authorities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

Peterborough City Council has also announced it is looking at a fourth option, which would see the creation of a Greater Peterborough unitary council.

On 25 September, it was announced that political agreement from all Group Leaders at HDC will see the development of a business case for Option E, which would put forward a standalone Huntingdonshire unitary authority.

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.

Option D

This option would split Huntingdonshire into what has been described as ‘East Huntingdonshire’ and ‘West Huntingdonshire’.

• Unitary 1: Greater Peterborough - Peterborough, West Huntingdonshire

• Unitary 2: Mid-Cambridgeshire - Fenland, East Huntingdonshire, East Cambridgeshire

• Unitary 3: Greater Cambridge - South Cambridgeshire, Cambridge City.

Option E

Under this proposal, three new councils would be created:

• Unitary 1: Huntingdonshire as a single unitary

• Unitary 2: Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire as one unitary

• Unitary 3: Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire as one unitary.

Why is Huntingdonshire considering Option E?

Huntingdonshire has a proud identity and an increasingly important role in the future of our region.

With significant housing and job growth taking place in Huntingdon, St Ives, St Neots and Ramsey, the emerging defence and innovation cluster around RAF Wyton outlined in the Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, and our central position in the Ox–Cam Growth corridor, HDC Group Leaders feel it is appropriate that government consider a full range of options.

The proposal would see Huntingdonshire become a unitary council in its own right, while Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire would form a second council, and Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire a third. All county council services would be transferred into these new authorities.

As well as maintaining existing district boundaries, the proposal will look to reinforce the understood economic geographies of Peterborough, Cambridge and the Fens. It would also look to preserve existing NHS and other public sector boundaries.

Yes. Under the government’s plans, ‘two-tier’ council areas like Cambridgeshire will see city/district and county councils replaced by unitary authorities.

For now, nothing has changed. Services will continue to be delivered as normal and our priority remains delivering these services to the highest standard possible. It is expected that the new unitary authorities will take over from April 2028.

In a joint letter, signed by the Leaders of Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, an initial response was submitted to the government on 21 March 2025.

View the news article on the letter and a joint statement from the council leaders.

For Cambridgeshire, more detailed proposals are due to be submitted by 28 November 2025. The government has expressed an intention to deliver new unitary authorities by April 2028.

For Cambridgeshire, detailed proposals are due to be submitted to the government by 28 November 2025. We are working closely with other affected councils in Cambridgeshire to develop and submit a collective proposal.

The government has indicated that the new unitary authorities should have a population of around 500,000. To ensure we develop a sustainable and effective proposal, we are scrutinising the available evidence and data, taking into consideration key factors like historic community identities, the interests of residents, economic geographies, and local demographic representation.

Residents, businesses and other stakeholders across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were asked for their views on the future of local government in a survey that ran from Thursday 19 June to Sunday 20 July 2025.

You can read the following survey reports:

Final Focus Group Report [PDF, 0.4MB] 

Stakeholder Survey [PDF, 0.4MB] 

Final Public Survey Report [PDF, 7.5MB]

Town and parish councils are not currently part of the local government reorganisation. No direct impact is anticipated at this stage and there has been no suggestion that town and parish councils will be expected to assume any additional functions or services.

Huntingdonshire District Council has set its budget for the 2025/26 financial year. It is too early to indicate what might happen with regards to Council Tax levels in future years, or for when any new unitary authority is in place.

The impact on the elections in Huntingdonshire in 2026 is yet to be determined. The government has, however, confirmed that once a proposal has been accepted and the necessary legislation is in place, they will work with councils to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible.

In June and July, HDC, alongside all the other councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, ran a survey of residents and other stakeholders to gather public feedback before LGR proposals are developed and submitted to the government in November.

The results are currently being analysed and will feed into the business cases being prepared. Cambridgeshire County Council is now also conducting its own survey of residents in addition to this earlier survey.

While we value resident feedback, decisions on local government structures will ultimately be made by central government. We are focusing on building robust data to support a sustainable and fair solution for all communities.

The final decision, which will be taken by government, will be based on the evidence of what will deliver the best and most financially viable option for the area. The government’s decision will not be influenced by local campaigning or the preferences of specific councils.

The options have been developed with a wide range of factors in mind, including historic community identities, the interests of residents, economic geographies, local demographic representation and financial viability.

It is not a case that council A does not want to partner with council B. Instead, council preferences are based on a wide range of factors, their analysis of the available evidence and their specific local priorities.

We will regularly update this page as more information becomes available. The Local Government Association have also created a devolution hub which contains more detail.