Peterborough City Council is setting out its priorities for local government reorganisation

The future of local government in Peterborough is being discussed today, with councillors making their views known on major changes for the city.

Thirty-three councillors and a dozen co-optees will attend a joint meeting of the scrutiny committees to share which option they back ahead of proposals being sent to the government next month.

They will be presented with a report containing a comprehensive overview of the five main options for LGR in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which will shape how the region’s councils look going forward.

We're often considered to be other cities poorer brother

Council Leader, Shabina Qayyum, said:

"A lot of counsellors are vouching for the Greater Peterborough option."

"Obviously, it's an option that looks at our unique identity compared to our neighbours geographically, in terms of our socioeconomic makeup, in terms of our needs from a deprivation perspective, and in terms of our health outcomes perspective."

"So all of those needs are being taken into account, and actually being in a larger authority may swamp that identity."

"We're often considered to be other cities poorer brother, and that narrative actually makes us feel overlooked with respect to culture and heritage in terms of funding when it comes to poverty and adult social care and public health."

"There are lots of people who don't want to see change in the way of boundaries and who wouldn't want to be swamped in a monster authority whereby their identity is lost? So that's the type of feedback that I've been given."

There are lots of people who wouldn't want to be swamped in a monster authority

From April 2028, the current seven councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including Peterborough City Council, will no longer exist and be replaced by larger unitary councils.

It is part of the government’s plans to transfer more powers and funding from national to local government and move away from the current two-tier system of district and county councils in England.

The five proposals to be considered by Peterborough councillors include three two-unitary authority options and two three-unitary authority options.

Members of the joint scrutiny commitee must recommend to full council and subsequently cabinet a preferred option, supported by a rationale.

Ultimately, the government will decide which proposal is implemented.

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