Our preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) was submitted to Government in November 2025. We share those views with Cambridge City Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council. This is a new unitary Council for Greater Cambridge and another for North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – with local leaders saying they offer financial security, deliver £43 million savings a year and respect local identities.
- North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – serving around 612,000 people in East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough.
- Greater Cambridge – serving around 322,000 people in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
The four proposals at a glance
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough submitted a total of four proposals to the Government: known locally as options A, B, D and E. The seven councils involved are Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Peterborough City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The proposals differ in how many new councils they would create and which areas each council would cover. Each new council would provide both county-level and district-level services for its area. Different councils support different options, as shown below.
The preferred choice of South Cambridgeshire District Council is Option B, which it believes best meets the needs of South Cambridgeshire and the county as a whole.
- Option A — two new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland and Huntingdonshire; the other covering Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Cambridgeshire County Council.
- Option B — two new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire; the other covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.
- Option D — three new councils: one covering Peterborough and nine Huntingdonshire wards; one covering Fenland, East Cambridgeshire and 17 Huntingdonshire wards; and one covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. A ward is a local area used to elect councillors. Supported by: Peterborough City Council and Fenland District Council.
- Option E — three new councils: one covering Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire; one covering Huntingdonshire; and one covering Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Supported by: Huntingdonshire District Council.
No proposal has been chosen, and the Government could change a proposal or decide not to implement any of them. One further option - known locally as Option C - was considered earlier but was not submitted by any of the local councils.
Previous engagement
The Government will ultimately decide what new unitary councils to create but asked local councils to explore options and engage with local people as part of forming the proposals.
Joint engagement in summer 2025
The seven Cambridgeshire councils ran an initial joint survey in June and July 2025 asking residents for general feedback about local government and their future priorities. There are three reports that were produced following this survey, which outline details of what people said during the engagement.
A report into the public survey. [PDF, 7.5MB]
A report into the stakeholder survey. [PDF, 0.3MB]
A report into the focus groups that took place. [PDF, 0.3MB]
Joint survey with Cambridge City Council
During September and October 2025, we asked whether you support a new unitary council for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. Overall, the survey received 889 responses, with 69% of respondents expressing support for a future unitary that is created based on the current boundaries of Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. A full breakdown of results can be found on our engagement platform.
East Cambridgeshire District Council also ran a local survey.