Four options for new councils are on the table

The government has confirmed it is considering four options for reorganising councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The government said unitary authorities – which would provide all local services currently provided by county, city and district councils – must be created to replace the current two-tier system in the region.

A consultation has been launched so people can give their views on the proposals. It will close on 25 March.

The four options in the public consultation are the ones backed by the existing councils.

When the government announced it wanted to reorganise local government, it said it could save £2bn and would streamline services, making it easier for people to understand who was in charge of which services.

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, seven councils currently deliver services.

The county council is responsible for things such as social care, education and highways. District councils and Cambridge City Council are in charge of services such as bin collections and planning applications.

Peterborough already has a unitary council, but the government said all new unitary authorities should serve populations of about 500,000 people, and Peterborough's population is just over 220,000.

Once the government has made a final decision on how councils will be reorganised, "shadow elections" to the new authorities are due to take place in 2027, and the new councils will take over from the current ones in 2028.

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