The Government has delayed its decision on the future of Local Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The decision, which had been expected to determine how local government across the area would look in the future, has now been paused while the Government reviews the wider LGR process and considers new legal advice. No timescale has yet been given for when the review will be completed.
For Peterborough, the announcement also means a change to next year’s local elections.
The May 2027 local elections will go ahead under the existing council boundaries. However, rather than the planned all-out elections, only a third of seats will be contested.
This is different from what had originally been planned. The May 2027 elections were expected to elect members to a new shadow authority as part of the transition towards the proposed new unitary councils.
Instead, residents will now vote under the current arrangements while the Government reviews what happens next.
Councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have already spent months preparing for LGR, with four proposals submitted to Government and significant work undertaken in anticipation of the reorganisation.
For residents, the latest announcement means more uncertainty about the future shape of local government and how their area will ultimately be represented.
The Conservatives will continue to press the Government for clarity and to ensure that Peterborough’s interests are properly represented as the review takes place.
Residents deserve certainty about who represents them, how their council will operate and what the future of local government in Peterborough will look like.
