Introduction
The English Devolution White Paper: Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth sets out the Government's agenda to increase and expand devolution across all parts of England. In addition, it also sets out proposals to take forward Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in areas where there are two-tier local authorities, like Cambridgeshire.
On 16 December 2024, we received a letter from Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution. The letter sent to all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitary authorities sets out clear process and milestones.
What is Devolution?
In England, devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to local people, communities and businesses. Cambridgeshire benefits from an existing devolution deal through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). Through the white paper the Government aims to establish devolution deals for all areas in England.
What is LGR?
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), is the process in which the structure and responsibilities of local authorities are reconfigured. The Government has set out plans to move away from the current two-tier system of district and county councils in England. This is relevant to Cambridgeshire County Council and the five district councils in the county (Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council).
Local services in Cambridgeshire will be delivered by one or many unitary authorities. A single tier of local government.
Timeline
This is an outline of the timeline provided by the Government in the white paper. It includes proposed and confirmed dates. Dates become confirmed as we receive updates. Actions are relevant to Cambridgeshire County Council as a two-tier council.
| Type | Day/Month/Year | Action |
| Confirmed | 5 February 2025 | Statutory invitation received from Government to submit unitary proposals |
| Confirmed | 21 March 2025 | Submit interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal |
| Confirmed | 1 May 2025 | Cambridgeshire County Council Elections |
| Confirmed | 28 November 2025 | Submit full Local Government Reorganisation proposal |
| Proposed | April/May 2027 | Elections (Shadow authorities) |
| Proposed | April 2028 | Vesting day for new unitary councils |
Key updates
Formal invite received to submit initial Local Government Reorganisation proposal
On Wednesday 5 February we received our formal invitation to submit Local Government Reorganisation proposals. These proposals will bring together lower and upper tier local government services in new unitary councils. The letter sent from Jim McMahon OBE, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution sets out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed and further guidance on what information the proposals should include.
It also confirms when we have to submit our proposals back to Government by. Interim proposals due, on, or before 21 March 2025 and full proposals by 28 November 2025. These are stated in the timeline above.
Councillors debate future of Local Government at Full Council meeting
At our Full County Council meeting on Tuesday 18 March, Councillors debated the future structure of local government in Cambridgeshire, focusing on how best to deliver efficient, high-quality services for residents.
Councillors received a progress report from our Chief Executive, Stephen Moir. This report provides an overview of the progress made to date. View the LGR report on pages 28-53 in the agenda pack (opens as pdf).
Interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal response submitted
On Friday 21 March Council leaders across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sent a letter to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, setting out progress on plans to move towards a new system of local government. Click to view a copy of our response letter (opens as pdf).
What is the council doing now?
The county council is continuing to work closely with council leaders from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, meeting regularly to develop a shared evidence base that can inform proposals. We took this approach to submit our interim proposal response letter (opens as pdf) and will continue as outlined in this joint statement.
Throughout the LGR process our focus will remain on delivering essential services across the whole of Cambridgeshire.
FAQ, news, and resources
Our LGR FAQ, news, and resources webpage aims to provide answers to frequently asked questions, links to our related news articles, documents and additional resources in one place.
