Latest update – 29 October 2026
In September 2026, the Government announced that a review of the Local Government Reorganisation process in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, as well as other areas in the country, has been launched.
This review follows legal advice and is intended to ensure the process is robust and aligns with the new government’s priorities.
On 29 October, the Government announced it has not yet made a decision on the future structure of local government for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. All proposals and options submitted for our area remain under consideration, with a decision expected by early next year at the latest.
The Government has said it will approach its decision with an open mind. At this stage, the key point is that no decision has yet been made about the future structure of local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Elsewhere, the Government has indicated that it is minded to progress proposals in five areas: East Sussex and Brighton, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
The Government has confirmed that scheduled local elections in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will go ahead in May 2027. Looking further ahead, the Government is targeting May 2028 for elections to shadow unitary councils and April 2029 for new councils to come into existence. The precise timetable for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will, however, depend on the Government’s decision on the future structure of local government in our area being made by early next year as expected.
The Government has also referred to funding to support the next stages of local government reorganisation and have said Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will receive £500,000. The Government had previously said all areas would receive £900,000 of transitional funding for each new Unitary council so further clarification is needed on the detail so we understand how the £500,000 announced will apply to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough against the previous commitments.
In the meantime, Huntingdonshire District Council will continue to work closely with partners across the region to understand the implications of the announcement and prepare for the next phase of the programme.
There are no immediate changes to council services, which will continue to be delivered as normal while councils await further details from Government.
The government’s public consultation on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ran for 7 weeks from Thursday 5 February 2026 to Thursday 26 March.
The government will make the final decision on which option is selected. It is currently unclear when this decision will be made.
Read Huntingdonshire District Council’s response to the consultation.
A unitary council for Huntingdonshire – Option E
Huntingdonshire District Council has led on the development of Option E [PDF, 5MB]. The Option E proposal looks to create three new unitary councils to replace the current two-tier system, with:
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Huntingdonshire becoming one standalone authority
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Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire forming a second unitary council and
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Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire forming a third unitary council.
Alternative options for LGR can be found in the FAQs below.
Read the Option E business case [PDF, 5MB]
This detailed proposal is supported by several appendices:
Appendix 1: Newton People Services Report
Appendix 2: Pixel Fair Funding Review
Appendix 3: Local Partnerships Financial Option Appraisal
Appendix 4: Local Partnerships LGR Economic Analysis
Appendix 5: Huntingdonshire District Council Equality Impact Assessment
Some of the headlines of Option E:
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Sensible geographies – Option E proposes a three-unitary model that reflects recognised travel-to-work areas, economic links and long-standing community identities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the capability to unlock growth.
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Delivery of outcomes – the Option E proposal outlines how it maintains the continued delivery of growth at pace by aligning to regional and national priorities, such as house-building targets, the growth of the defence cluster and building on delivery expertise in the region.
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Financial sustainability – analysis shows that Option E creates three sustainable councils, with the ability to deliver savings through transition and transformation.
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Sustainable public services – Option E proposes unitary authorities with a balance of scale to suit optimum service delivery in each geographic area, making new councils that are close to communities with the scale to deliver efficient services.
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Local views – residents outlined how increased transparency, simplified access to services and councillors embedded in their local area. Option E proposes authorities that bring all local government services into single councils to simplify decision-making, improve accountability and support long-term planning with a scale that prioritises strengthened democratic representation.
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Devolution – Option E proposes unitary authorities that align with the CPCA’s growth vision, ensuring that the structure of local government is well optimised to deliver growth.
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Community engagement – Option E outlines how strong community engagement provision in the region can be strengthened by providing the correct scales for councils to stay close to communities whilst prioritising engagement around regional objectives.
What could the government’s review mean for LGR?
Government announced a review of the proposals for LGR in September 2026 and reiterated that plan in October 2026.The review follows legal advice and is intended to ensure the process is robust and aligns with the new government’s priorities, such as Rewiring the State. The Government has reiterated its commitment to reform and reorganisation but has stated it wants time to reflect and pause before implementing final decisions. We do not yet know the outcome of the review or what this could mean for LGR in our area. We will keep you updated as soon as more information becomes available.
How will this impact residents of Huntingdonshire?
For now, nothing has changed. Services will continue to be delivered as normal, and our priority remains delivering these services to the highest standard possible. It is currently unclear when new authorities will take over service delivery, but the council will ensure that there is no disruption to residents throughout the transition process.
When will local government reorganisation happen?
Detailed proposals were submitted to the government in November 2025.
A decision was expected from the government on which option they have chosen by summer 2026 which was initially deferred to autumn 2026. Following the announcement of a review of the local government reorganisation process by government, the current timeline for the implementation of new authorities remains unclear.
What is Local Government Reorganisation?
In late 2024, the government outlined plans for Local Government Reorganisation for all two-tier areas (areas where services are delivered by two tiers of local government – a county council and city/borough/district councils - which includes Cambridgeshire) and for those unitary councils that are smaller or where there is evidence of failure.
Councils are now expected to develop proposals for the introduction of unitary (single tier) authorities across England, which will see the end to all existing two-tier arrangements.
What options are being considered?
The options submitted by councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are as follows.
Option A – Submitted by Cambridgeshire County Council
Option B – Submitted by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council
Option D [PDF, 22MB] – Submitted by Peterborough City Council and Fenland District Council
Option E [PDF, 5MB] – Submitted by Huntingdonshire District Council.
Does this mean that HDC will no longer exist in future?
Yes. Under the government’s plans, ‘two-tier’ council areas like Cambridgeshire will see city/district and county councils replaced by unitary authorities.
How will this impact residents of Huntingdonshire?
For now, nothing has changed. Services will continue to be delivered as normal and our priority remains delivering these services to the highest standard possible. Government has yet to confirm when the unitary authorities will take over.
When will Local Government Reorganisation happen?
Detailed proposals were submitted to the government in November 2025.
This has now been deferred to January 2027. At that point, we will be able to share when shadow authority elections will take place and the expected ‘go live’ date for the new unitary authority. Government has committed to an update on LGR for Cambs and Peterborough by January 2027.
Will Huntingdonshire residents get a say?
The government’s statutory consultation ran for 7 weeks from Thursday 5 February 2026 to Thursday 26 March at 23:59.
Residents, businesses and other stakeholders across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were asked for their views on the future of local government in a survey that ran from Thursday 19 June to Sunday 20 July 2025.
You can read the following survey reports:
Final Focus Group Report [PDF, 0.4MB]
How will this impact parish and town councils?
Town and parish councils are not currently part of the local government reorganisation. No direct impact is anticipated at this stage and there has been no suggestion that town and parish councils will be expected to assume any additional functions or services.
What will this mean for Council Tax charges?
Huntingdonshire District Council has set its budget for the 2025/26 financial year. It is too early to indicate what might happen with regards to Council Tax levels in future years, or for when any new unitary authority is in place.
Do other councils in Cambridgeshire not want to partner with Huntingdonshire?
The options have been developed with a wide range of factors in mind, including historic community identities, the interests of residents, economic geographies, local demographic representation and financial viability.
It is not a case that council A does not want to partner with council B. Instead, council preferences are based on a wide range of factors, their analysis of the available evidence and their specific local priorities.
How can I find out more?
We will regularly update this page as more information becomes available. The Local Government Association have also created a devolution hub which contains more detail.