Huntingdonshire Council left without majority as Greens withdraw
Green councillors "lose confidence" in LibDem-led administration
Huntingdonshire District Council’s two Green Party councillors have left the administration over their handling of plans to build on car parks.
Councillors Lara Davenport-Ray and Stephen Ferguson said they have lost confidence in the Liberal Democrat-led joint administration, which has been left without a majority following the move.
One reason they gave for their decision was the council’s handling of proposals to build on car parks in St Neots, Huntingdon, and St Ives.
They said the cabinet had agreed in July 2025 to explore different options to regenerate Huntingdonshire’s market towns, but none of these council-owned sites had been identified in the cabinet report.
The plans shared by Capital & Centric could see Tebbutts Road car park in St Neots replaced with 83 homes and green space.
In St Ives, a further 120 homes, gym and restaurants could be built on the former cattle market square and gatehouse.
Huntingdon bus station and Princes Street car park would also be replaced with 78 homes if the plans were to be approved.
Cllr Ferguson said: “What Capital & Centric is sharing with the public, and which naturally has caused a public outcry, bears little resemblance to what Cabinet agreed.
“In July 2025, Cabinet authorised exploratory work to produce a genuine range of options for regenerating our town centres.
“This work is urgently needed but must be done with sensitivity — not three set schemes built around developing public car parks!
“I want to be clear: Cabinet never approved building on Tebbutts Road car park, or the similar sites in St Ives and Huntingdon.”
Cllr Davenport-Ray said: “In May we joined a new partnership with clear principles: keeping people out of crisis, caring for future generations, being open and accountable with the public, and supporting safe and inclusive communities.
“We have raised our concerns openly and honestly with our coalition partners and tried to resolve them collaboratively and constructively.
“We are no longer confident that the Liberal Democrat-led administration prioritises the values on which our partnership was founded.”
Cllr Stephen Ferguson added: “Lara and I no longer have confidence in the Liberal Democrat-led administration or believe that it reflects the values our residents elected us to uphold.
“We cannot in good conscience continue to support it.”
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: “The Liberal Democrats are thankful to the work that Green colleagues have done over the past four years as part of the HDC Joint Administration.
“Liberal Democrat councillors look forward to continuing this work to build a fairer, greener, and better Huntingdonshire for future generations.”
Huntingdonshire District Council has been approached for comment.