Charlotte Cane MP Urges Residents to Have Their Say in Local Government Reorganisation

Charlotte Cane MP urges residents to have their say as she backs “Option A” for local government shake-up

MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire Charlotte Cane has urged residents to respond to the Government’s consultation on the future of local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, as she confirmed her support for “Option A”.

The consultation, which closes on 26 March, will determine how councils across the area are reorganised into new unitary authorities.

“The Government is currently consulting on options to reorganise local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This would do away with District Councils and the County Council, and replace them with single ‘unitary’ councils. Four different ways of dividing up Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are being consulted on, but the main issue facing East Cambridgeshire is whether we will be joined with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire, or with Peterborough and Fenland, and possibly Huntingdonshire. The decision will be made not by local residents, or even local councils, but by the Government.

As the representative in Parliament of the people of Ely and East Cambridgeshire, I am firmly supportive of Option A, proposed by Cambridgeshire County Council. This plan would divide Cambridgeshire and Peterborough into two unitary authorities, one comprising Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire, and East Cambridgeshire, and the other made up of Huntingdonshire, Fenland, and Peterborough. 

Local people need a council which understands their needs and people, about the places they visit and public services they use every day. For most of my constituents, Cambridge acts as their anchor city. Many of us work in and around Cambridge, send our children to Cambridge schools and colleges, spend shopping and leisure time in Cambridge, and go to Addenbrooke’s hospital when we are unwell. East Cambridgeshire residents deserve to be represented by a local council which reflects this, takes their views into account, and connects them to the people, services and amenities that matter most to them. 

Option A is supported by nine village parish councils, the City of Ely Council, two local NHS trusts, and the local Integrated Care Board. They agree that it is the best way of reflecting the pre-existing footprint of public services and community connection in Cambridgeshire. 

Whatever your viewpoint, I encourage you all to contribute to the Government’s consultation, which closes on Thursday 26 March. You can find the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough/proposals-for-local-government-reorganisation-in-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough”