Since 1998, the County Council has been responsible for the provision of County functions throughout the Shire County of Cambridgeshire, excluding the Peterborough area (Peterborough City Council is a separate unitary council - see link on right).
Within the area covered by the County Council, there are 5 District/City Councils covering Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire responsible for the provision of District functions.
The functions of the County Council and of the 5 District/city councils are set out below:
County Council
- Education
- Libraries and Heritage
- Social Services
- Roads and Traffic
- Environment
- Strategic Planning
- Trading Standards
- Waste Disposal
- County Farms Estate
City and District Councils
- Housing
- Leisure and Recreation
- Waste Collection
- Local Planning
- Council Tax Collection
- Environmental Health
In addition, the Local Government Act 2000 placed a new duty on local authorities to prepare a Community Strategy for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development
Fire Authority
There is a combined fire authority (the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority), comprising representatives of both the County Council and Peterborough City Council, which oversees the service.
Police Authority
The Police service operates across the whole of the Shire County, including the Peterborough area. The Cambridgeshire Police Authority includes representatives of both the County Council and Peterborough City Council together with Magistrates and Independent members.