The Government has today advised Cambridgeshire County Council that it has not yet been able to make a decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
This update follows a Ministerial decision on 7 September to pause and review the LGR programme for all two-tier areas of local government, other than in Surrey.
Last year, the Government set out clear criteria for reorganisation proposals, including improving service delivery, strengthening local accountability and ensuring long-term financial sustainability for future councils. We strongly believe that there were clear, locally developed options for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that met these criteria for this area, which would enable Government to make a decision.
By extending this period of delay, the Government has simply increased risk and uncertainty and further undermined trust and confidence in its decision making and the process it has been applying for LGR.
Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, said: “This is a bitter disappointment and once again shows we have a Government incapable of making decisions or following through on its own policies. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were already stuck in ‘LGR limbo’ and to simply extend that further beggars believe.
"Continued uncertainty simply creates increased risks, prevents us from making long-term plans and all at a time when the demand for and the costs of providing council services are rising.
"In particular, the anxiety and uncertainty that this creates for the hard-working staff in the 7 councils in this area is intolerable.
"We risk being unable to retain and recruit good people, we risk being unable to plan financially over the longer term and we risk being forced into making more short-term procurement and contract decisions, all because this Government can’t get its act together.
"Our residents and communities deserve better; our staff deserve better and the democratically elected councillors across this area deserve better.
"This Government may have changed Prime Minister, but it remains firmly mired in chaos. Yes, decisions have consequences, but indecision, dither and delay also has consequences, in this case for local public services, the people we employ and the people who rely on us.
"Despite this further indecision, we will remain our focussed upon delivering our services for residents and communities and doing the very best for Cambridgeshire, while once again waiting on the Government."
