Communities across Huntingdonshire are set to benefit from a permanent increase in council funding, following today’s announcement of a new multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement and the delivery of the long-awaited Fair Funding Review.
The reforms, introduced by the Labour government, will replace outdated funding formulas with a fairer system that better reflects deprivation, population pressures and the real cost of delivering services – issues that have been felt acutely in growing towns and villages across Huntingdonshire.
For years, local services in these communities have been stretched by rising demand without the funding keeping pace, leaving councils with less flexibility to invest in prevention, early support and the facilities residents rely on day to day.
The new settlement will provide greater certainty and increased funding for Cambridgeshire, helping councils plan for the long term and strengthen frontline services. It sits alongside a significant and permanent funding uplift for Peterborough, reflecting the shared challenges faced across North West Cambridgeshire.
For Cambridgeshire County Council, funding is now set to be £166.2m higher every single year by 2028 than it was in 2025 – an increase of 29%. This compares to a shocking increase of just 6% (£20.5m) under the Conservatives from 2015/16 to 2019/20.
In neighbouring Peterborough, funding will rise by £94.9m over the same period – a 42% increase – compared to a rise of just £3.5m, or 3%, from 2015/16 to 2019/20.
The money which will be spent on better maintenance of local roads, more effective support for people in poverty, social care and other services to support older residents, and much more.
The announcement follows sustained campaigning by North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling, working alongside Huntingdonshire councillors including Sam Wakeford, calling for fairer funding for areas that were hardest hit by years of austerity.
Sam Carling MP, Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire, said:
“In Ramsey, Yaxley, Stilton, and across Huntingdonshire, people know that services have been under pressure for a long time – not because councils haven’t worked hard, but because the funding system hasn’t been fair.
This settlement is a real step forward. It gives local authorities more certainty and a fairer share of funding, so they can plan ahead and invest in the services people depend on, from children’s services to support for older residents.
It also shows the difference a Labour government makes when MPs work closely with councils to make sure communities like ours are properly heard.”
Cllr Sam Wakeford, Leader of the Labour Group on Huntingdonshire District Council, said:
“For communities in Huntingdonshire, fair funding really matters.
After years of councils being stretched to breaking point and forced into difficult decisions, these reforms are a positive step towards fairer funding that reflects the real pressures local areas face.
Greater certainty and a fairer settlement will help councils plan for the long term, in whatever recognised form. This will protect vital frontline services and let us invest in prevention – giving our communities the support they deserve.”
The new multi-year settlement – the first in over a decade – is designed to give councils greater financial stability, simplify funding streams and ensure money is directed to where it is most needed.