Sam Carling MP and Andrew Pakes MP have proposed an alternative to the two-council models put forward by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s current local government.

The Government has announced national plans to abolish the two-tier system of local government in areas which still use it, including Cambridgeshire.

Currently, Cambridgeshire County Council covers services such as education, adult social care, and road maintenance, while five district councils (Huntingdonshire, Fenland, Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire, and East Cambridgeshire) cover planning, housing, waste collection and other local services.

Instead, all regions will have unitary authorities that provide all these services. Peterborough City Council is already a unitary authority.

The region’s councils have put forward three “preferred options” for reorganisation, each of which involves just two future councils (instead of the current seven) created by merging existing council areas on their current boundaries.

However, Carling and Pakes have expressed concerns that including Peterborough as part of a mega council – with just two councils covering the entire region – would make it harder for local areas to focus on their own needs and priorities.

They are proposing that there should be three councils across Cambridgeshire: one based on Greater Cambridge, one based on Greater Peterborough, and one focussing on rural Mid Cambridgeshire. They have released an exemplar map of what this could look like – but stress the need to discuss the boundaries in more detail and hold effective consultation with residents.

Initial research by Peterborough City Council and others shows that this greater Peterborough model would be financially viable.

Peterborough City Council has agreed to include the MPs’ proposal for consideration and is carrying out research into the financial viability of it, alongside similar research into the original three options.

Sam Carling, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said:

“Done right, local government reorganisation in our area has the potential to improve our democracy: making it clearer who is responsible for local services and providing more cost-effective local government which can do more with the money it has.

“From my discussions with residents, I believe that a three-council model would better serve residents across the region. A Mid Cambridgeshire council would allow rural areas across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and parts of Huntingdonshire to form an authority that can deliver effectively on residents’ priorities, while a Greater Peterborough council encompassing the most high-growth areas of northern and western Cambridgeshire could better regulate and plan that growth, ensuring it is delivering for – rather than impacting upon – existing residents.”

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, said:

“It’s critical that we make good decisions as a region on what our local government should look like. Public consultation is key, but the councils’ consultation on their preferred options offers no way for residents to say they disagree and want to see an alternative. That can’t be right – we need to include all options.

“Putting Peterborough into a mega council would make it harder to attract investment and focus on the challenges we have as a city.

A more pragmatic approach would be a Greater Peterborough council that would allow a renewed focus on protecting what makes Peterborough great, while also ensuring a local lens on areas in western Huntingdonshire is not lost or swallowed up into a super-council covering a huge geographical area.