Big changes are coming to councils in Cambridgeshire.
The Government wants to reduce the number of councils and simplify the way you access and receive local government services. New unitary councils will provide all council services in the areas they serve, replacing the seven existing county, city and district councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This process of change is known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the Government has set a number of key criteria or tests for LGR, against which we have developed our proposal.
Option A proposes the formation of two new unitary councils for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – one covering the northwest area of the existing footprint (Fenland, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough), and one covering the southeast area (Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, and South Cambridgeshire).
Both of these new councils would be anchored by one of our two major cities, Peterborough and Cambridge. They would both serve rural communities, towns, and villages. This option would also ensure that our third city, Ely, was aligned closely with Cambridge, recognising the strong heritage and historical connections between the two.
At its heart, the Option A proposal is about fairness and reform. Option A ensures no place is left behind and instead creates opportunity for all, through a more equal distribution of resources and economic growth potential, more empowered residents with greater influence over the decisions that affect their lives, and more effective local services that will be integrated with healthcare and delivered closer to communities.
More equal, more empowered, more effective
More equal
Option A creates balanced councils, with nearly equal population, landmass, and split of existing local government resources. With sufficient scale, size, and mass the two councils proposed under Option A will be better able to manage financial shocks and deliver efficiencies through economies of scale in service delivery and commissioning. Option A provides economic equity with similar employment and unemployment rates. It also distributes housing needs evenly, avoiding unsustainable concentrations of growth in Greater Cambridge, whilst easing development strain in the north, by combining Peterborough and Huntingdonshire in the same council. By reflecting functional economic areas and the distinctive, yet interconnected economies of our area, Option A creates a solid foundation for supporting inclusive growth and the objectives of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
More empowered
Option A builds councils around historical boundaries and reflects the patterns of residents’ everyday lives, embedding elements of local identity into the foundation the new councils. Residents in proposed new councils in Option A show strong ties to their anchor cities (Cambridge or Peterborough) and Option A has the highest percentage of residents both living and working in the same council area when compared to other options proposed. A new blueprint for local services and the introduction of Neighbourhood Area Committees will embed the delivery of services closer to communities, foster meaningful local engagement, and empower residents to become more involved in local decision-making.
More effective
Option A merges district and county functions, allowing greater service integration and improved collaboration between related services such as health and social care. It is the only option that aligns with existing healthcare footprints, limiting disruption for residents supported by high cost and complex services, and protecting established structures and relationships that can drive forward radical public service reform. For example, the boundaries of the unitary councils proposed under Option A reflect the NHS Integrated Care System (ICS) Care Partnership boundaries, which will facilitate easy place-based working at neighbourhood level. It is the only option that reflects the patient flows of the area’s main hospitals, which is important for providing coordinated care for people being discharged. This will allow the councils in Option A to build holistic and streamlined services, improving outcomes for our residents.
Option A has not been developed in isolation but has been informed by insight gathered through two rounds of local engagement. Option A has received letters of support from a range of important stakeholders including NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Anglian Ruskin University (ARU), and the Middle Level Commissioners.
Option A proposal copy
Read our LGR proposal, Option A, submitted on 28 November 2025 (opens as PDF)
Options appraisal
The different options for LGR in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were assessed against the Government’s criteria. To find out more visit our page, options appraisal summary.
Find out more
Have your say
Thank you for your feedback to help shape your future councils. We will update this page with details of the Government’s consultation once it is launched.
LGR options
Find out more about the other LGR options for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that have been submitted to Government.