Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the Government’s programme to change how councils are organised in England. In areas like Cambridgeshire, with separate county and district or city councils, it would bring their services together under new unitary councils.

Each new council would provide both county-level services, such as education and adult social care, and district-level services, such as bin collections and planning, for its area.

As outlined in our report for our Full Council meeting on Wednesday 19 March 2025, the benefits of local government re-organisation are intended to include the opportunities to help transformation in the longer term by bringing services together which can support improvements. This could include more support for preventative and holistic services focused on the needs of local people and communities, while making it simpler for residents to understand who is responsible for the services they receive. 

The Government has also been very clear that financial savings are expected through the process of reducing the number of councils.

Overall, the Government White Paper on Devolution says “If we are going to build an economy that works for everyone, we need nothing less than a completely new way of governing – a generational project of determined devolution.”

Cambridgeshire is an area which currently has a ‘two-tier’ authority system.

This means Cambridgeshire County Council provide services that cover the whole county such as education, roads maintenance and adult social care.

District councils such as South Cambridgeshire are smaller and provide local services including rubbish collection, planning, homelessness support and environmental health.

Parish and town councils – which we also have in South Cambridgeshire - are smaller once again and have differing local responsibilities. Government is asking County and District councils to reorganise into unitary councils. Town and parish councils are not currently being asked to change.

Peterborough City Council is already a Unitary Authority.

We have backed the creation of a new unitary Council for Greater Cambridge and another for North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We've sent a detailed proposal [PDF, 23MB] to Government.

In total, four proposals were submitted to Government by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils.

The Government has consulted on those different options - with their consultation closing on Thursday 26 March 2026. We responded to that consultation and you can read our response. [PDF, 0.2MB]

The Government will make the final decision on which option is selected. The decision has been paused whilst the Government's review of Local Government Reorganisation is carried out.

The Government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing council boundaries. This is when shadow elections for the new unitary authority were initially expected to have taken place. There will be no elections for South Cambridgeshire District Council in May 2027 as these were held in May 2026. 

So, the final decisions on which new local government structures are put into place in Cambridgeshire will ultimately be made by central Government.

A unitary council, also called a unitary authority, provides the services that would otherwise be split between county and district or city councils. Peterborough City Council already works in this way.

The aim is to make it clearer which council to contact and help services work better together. Bringing services together could also help councils support people earlier and prevent problems. The Government also expects financial savings from reducing the number of councils. These are aims and expectations, not guaranteed outcomes.

Yes. Local Government Reorganisation is not new. In 2023, new unitary councils were established in North Yorkshire and Somerset, while Cumbria was reorganised into two new councils: Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness. Other reorganisations have taken place in Dorset (2019) and Northamptonshire (2021).

The difference now is the scale of the Government’s programme. The Government expects, as a minimum, all areas in England that currently have a two-tier system of county and district councils to be reorganised.

Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough submitted four proposals to the Government: They were known locally as Options A, B, D and E. The seven councils involved are Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Peterborough City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The proposals differ in how many new councils they would create and which areas each council would cover. Each new council would provide both county-level and district-level services for its area. Different councils support different options, as shown below.

The preferred choice of South Cambridgeshire District Council is Option B, which it believes best meets the needs of South Cambridgeshire and the county as a whole.

• Option A — two new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland and Huntingdonshire; the other covering Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Cambridgeshire County Council.
• Option B — two new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire; the other covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.
• Option D — three new councils: one covering Peterborough and nine Huntingdonshire wards; one covering Fenland, East Cambridgeshire and 17 Huntingdonshire wards; and one covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. A ward is a local area used to elect councillors. Supported by: Peterborough City Council and Fenland District Council.
• Option E — three new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire; one covering Huntingdonshire; and one covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Huntingdonshire District Council.

No proposal has been chosen, and the Government could change a proposal or decide not to implement any of them. Option C was considered earlier but was not submitted.

That has not yet been confirmed. We have backed the creation of a new unitary Council for Greater Cambridge and another for North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We've sent a detailed proposal [PDF, 23MB] to Government.

In total, four proposals have been submitted to Government by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils.

The Government has consulted on those different options - with that consultation closing on Thursday 26 March 2026. We responded to that consultation and you can read our response. [PDF, 0.2MB]

The Government will make the final decision on which option is selected. It was initially expected that Government would announce the outcome in the summer of 2026. 

The decision has been paused whilst the Government's review of Local Government Reorganisation is carried out.

We expect to receive a decision from Government by early 2027.

No. The Government does not have to accept any of the four options as submitted by Cambridgeshire's councils. It can decide not to implement any of them, or make changes to a submitted proposal before taking it forward. 

Residents, businesses and community organisations shared their views through joint council surveys and focus groups in June and July 2025. The Government then consulted on all four submitted proposals from 5 February to 26 March 2026. That consultation has now closed.

We will update these pages with details of any further opportunities to have your say, including how and when to take part. In the meantime, you can contact your council through your usual contact routes with questions or concerns.

The proposals cover these seven councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:

•  Cambridge City Council
• Cambridgeshire County Council
• East Cambridgeshire District Council
• Fenland District Council
• Huntingdonshire District Council
• Peterborough City Council
• South Cambridgeshire District Council

Cambridgeshire County Council provides county-wide services in Cambridgeshire, excluding Peterborough. These include:

• Social care
• Education
• Highways
• Libraries
• Household Recycling Centres
• Trading Standards
• Registrations, such as births, deaths and marriages
• Public health

Cambridgeshire’s district and Cambridge city councils provide many of the local services residents and businesses use every day. These include:

• Waste and recycling: household bin collections and local waste collection services.
• Planning and building control: planning applications, Local Plans and building control services.
• Housing: homelessness support, housing advice and services relating to council housing.
• Environmental health: dealing with issues such as noise, nuisance and pollution.
• Licensing: licences for taxis, alcohol sales and other regulated activities.
• Council Tax, business rates and benefits: collecting local taxes and administering support such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.

Some services are delivered through partnerships or shared arrangements, and responsibilities vary between councils. 

For now, council services and trading companies continue to operate as usual. Existing councils remain responsible for day-to-day services until the new councils take over. No services will transfer early as part of LGR.

Each new unitary council would bring together county-level and district-level services for its area. Changes to how services are organised are likely to happen gradually. Our aim is to maintain service levels and keep disruption to a minimum for residents, businesses and communities.

Staff may be temporarily assigned to help a shadow council prepare the new organisation. This preparation work would take place alongside existing services, with the aim of keeping day-to-day services running as normal.

Councils continue to carry out their usual work alongside preparations for LGR. Any changes to individual projects will be explained by the council responsible. Arrangements may differ between councils.

There is always a possibility that Council Tax could change – it is a key source of funding for Council services. Until existing councils are abolished and a new unitary council set up, South Cambridgeshire District Council will continue to issue bills on behalf of all precepting authorities in the same way as it does now.

It is too early to indicate what might happen with regards to Council Tax levels in future years, and for when any new unitary authority is in place.

We understand that council changes may be concerning. If you receive care or assistance, your day-to-day support remains in place. Your current council will continue to provide services as usual.

If any changes to services are proposed in the future, they will be:

• Clearly explained in advance.
• Communicated in accessible formats.
• Shared with plenty of time for you and your carers, family members or support networks to understand what is happening.

We are committed to making sure that no one is left uncertain or unsupported during this process. Our priority is your wellbeing. We will continue to work closely with residents, communities and partners to ensure that services remain safe, reliable and centred around your needs.

If you have any immediate concerns, please get in touch with us through your usual council contact routes.

Our aim is for council services to continue smoothly both while the new councils are prepared and after they take over. We want to keep disruption to businesses, organisations, volunteers and public sector partners to a minimum throughout the transition.

We will work with businesses and organisations as preparations progress. Continue to use your existing council contacts for questions or support.

It is too early to confirm individual job outcomes. Most employees are expected to transfer to a new council when it takes over. Employment protections are likely to apply, but the transfer arrangements have not yet been confirmed.

If you need help or have a concern, continue to contact your council through your usual contact routes.

Residents would elect councillors to temporary shadow unitary councils. These would prepare the new councils’ budgets, policies and leadership arrangements. Existing councils would continue to deliver services during this period.

Shadow council elections are currently targeted for May 2028, subject to the Government’s final decision. Any May 2027 elections will be for existing councils, not the new shadow councils.

However, South Cambridgeshire District Council will not have elections in May 2027 because we had them in May 2026.

Existing councils continue to make decisions and hold meetings as normal. Their councillors continue to represent local communities while those councils remain in place, subject to the usual elections and terms of office.

The new councils would take over on vesting day, currently targeted for April 2029, subject to the Government’s final decision.

This has not yet been confirmed. We will update these pages when details are available.

The Government is asking county and district councils to reorganise into unitary authorities. Town and parish councils are not currently being asked to change.

Yes. If the Government takes forward any of the four submitted proposals, South Cambridgeshire District Council would cease to exist and its responsibilities would transfer to the new unitary council or councils serving its area. All four proposals would replace the seven existing councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with new organisations, rather than one existing council taking over another.

No final decision has been made. Your council continues to operate and provide services as usual. If reorganisation goes ahead, the existing councils would close when the new councils take over, on a date known as vesting day. This is currently targeted for April 2029, subject to the Government’s final decision. Council services would transfer to the new councils; they would not end because the existing councils close.

No. The proposals would replace all seven existing councils with entirely new unitary councils, each governed by its own elected councillors. This is not one council taking over another.

A decision was originally expected in summer 2026, but was paused following the Government’s announcement of a review on 7 September 2026. Its update on 29 October confirmed that all four submitted proposals remain under consideration.

The number of new councils and the areas they would cover are not yet confirmed. Further details of the review process and the timetable for implementing any changes are also still being confirmed.

You can read the Government’s review announcement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We will update these pages as more information becomes available.

Here are the main steps so far and the current plans for what happens next.

• December 2024: The Government published its plans to reorganise local government.
• 5 February 2025: Councils were formally invited to submit proposals.
• 21 March 2025: Council leaders sent an update on their early plans to the Government.
•  June and July 2025: Options were developed and residents, businesses and community organisations shared their views. The joint survey ran from 19 June to 20 July.
• October and November 2025: Councils considered the options before submission.
• 28 November 2025: Four proposals were submitted: Known locally as options A, B, D and E. Option C was not submitted.
• 5 February to 26 March 2026: The Government held a formal public consultation on the four proposals.
• 16 July 2026: The Government said more time was needed to consider which proposal, if any, to implement in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. At that stage, it aimed to make a decision by October at the latest.
• 7 September 2026: The Government announced a review and paused its decision.
• 29 October 2026: The Government confirmed that all proposals remain under consideration.
• By early 2027 at the latest: The Government’s decision is expected.
• May 2027: Local elections will go ahead on existing council boundaries, but South Cambridgeshire District Council will not have any elections as we had them in May 2026.
• May 2028 — provisional: Elections to shadow councils are currently targeted for this date.
• April 2029 — provisional: The new councils are currently expected to take over services.

The May 2028 and April 2029 dates are provisional. The timetable for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will depend on the Government’s final decision. No date has been confirmed for the legal order that would put the changes in place.

After a decision, the Government would put the changes into law through a Structural Change Order. This would set out which councils are being replaced and how services and responsibilities would transfer.

The date the new councils take over is called vesting day. This is currently expected to be April 2029, subject to the Government’s final decision. On that date, the existing councils would close and the new councils would take responsibility for their services.

All seven councils are working together to prepare while they await the Government’s decision. We will update these pages when more information is available.