Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire County Council was first formed in 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888 as one of two county councils covering Cambridgeshire; the other was the Isle of Ely County Council. In 1965, the two councils were merged to form Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely County Council.

This arrangement lasted until 1974, when, following the Local Government Act 1972, Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely were merged with Huntingdon and Peterborough to form a new non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire under the control of a newly constituted Cambridgeshire County Council. The first elections to the new authority were in April 1973, and the council took office on 1 April 1974.

From its re-creation in 1974 until 1998, the county council administered the entire county of Cambridgeshire. In 1998, Peterborough City Council became a unitary authority, thus outside the area of the county council. For ceremonial, geographic, and certain administrative purposes, however, Peterborough continues to be associated with and work in collaboration with Cambridgeshire County Council.[2] Since 2017, the council has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly-elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.[3]

The council is responsible for public services such as education, transport, highways, heritage, social care, libraries, trading standards, and waste management.[4]

The county council is the upper-tier of local government, below which are five councils with responsibility for local services such as housing, planning applications, licensing, council tax collection and rubbish collection. The districts of Cambridgeshire are:

• Cambridge City Council
• East Cambridgeshire District Council
• Fenland District Council
• Huntingdonshire District Council
• South Cambridgeshire District Council

Following the 2021 Cambridgeshire County Council election a joint administration formed comprising the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and independent councillors.[5]

Political control of the county council since the reforms of the Local Government Act 1972 took effect on 1 April 1974 has been as follows:[6]

Shire Hall, Castle Hill, Cambridge: Council's headquarters 1932–2021.

Until 2021, the county council had its offices and meeting place in Cambridge, being based at different times at the Guildhall, County Hall, and Shire Hall.[15]

In 2021 the council vacated Shire Hall and left Cambridge, moving to New Shire Hall at Alconbury Weald in the parish of The Stukeleys, north-west of Huntingdon.[16] The first committee meeting to be held at New Shire Hall was in September 2021.[17] An official opening ceremony for New Shire Hall was held on 8 July 2022.[18]

Since the last boundary changes in 2017, the council has comprised 61 councillors representing 59 electoral divisions, with most divisions electing one councillor but two divisions (March North & Waldersley and Sawston & Shelford) elect two councillors each. Elections are held every four years.[19]

Coat of arms of Cambridgeshire County Council

Notes Granted on 1 November 1976. Escutcheon Or three Palets wavy alternating with two Palets Azure a Bordure Gules flory on the inner edge Or; the Shield ensigned by a Mural Crown Or. Supporters On either side a Great Bustard proper the exterior leg resting on a closed Book Gules garnished Or pendent from the neck of the dexter by a Cord Argent two keys in saltire wards uppermost uppermost and outwards Gules and from the neck of the sinister by a like Cord a Hunting Horn mouth to the dexter Or. Motto Corde uno sapientes simus (With one heart let us be men and women of understanding.) Badge Within an Annulet ensigned by a Coronet a Bar Or between two Bars wavy Azure.

The council was granted a coat of arms on 1 November 1976. The three wavy blue lines represent the county's three main rivers of the Cam, Great Ouse and Nene, and the two straight lines represent the many drainage ditches in the Fens. Other parts of the design represent different parts of the county and the council's predecessors: the supporters are great bustards, birds which were formerly common in the Fens, the crossed keys are a symbol of Saint Peter, representing Peterborough, and the hunting horn is a symbol of the former county of Huntingdonshire. The birds stand on books representing the University of Cambridge.[21]

• Cambridgeshire County Council elections
• UK Independence Party § Conduct of past and present councillors

• Cambridgeshire County Council