Cambridgeshire County Council is the county council for non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire, England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the City of Peterborough. The county council consists of 61 councillors, representing 59 electoral divisions. The council is based at New Shire Hall in Alconbury Weald, near Huntingdon. It is part of the East of England Local Government Association and a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Since May 2025, it has been run by a majority administration of Liberal Democrats.
History 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. 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.
The council is responsible for public services such as education, transport, highways, heritage, social care, libraries, trading standards, and waste management.
District councils 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. This arrangement will be replaced with unitary authorities after Local Government Reorganisation in 2027-28. The districts of Cambridgeshire are:
Cambridge City Council East Cambridgeshire District Council Fenland District Council Huntingdonshire District Council South Cambridgeshire District Council
Political control Following the 2025 Cambridgeshire County Council election the Liberal Democrats won a majority of the council's seats. They sit in a majority political group with an Independent councillor.
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: (Put "Cambridgeshire" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1974–1977 1977–1985 1985–1989 1989–1993 1993–1997 1997–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 2021–2025 2025-present
Leadership The leaders of the council since 1997 have been:
Councillor Party From To Keith Walters 13 May 1997 15 May 2007 Shona Johnstone 15 May 2007 12 Nov 2007 Keith Walters 23 Nov 2007 May 2008 Jill Tuck 13 May 2008 May 2011 Nick Clarke 17 May 2011 May 2013 Martin Curtis 21 May 2013 13 May 2014 Steve Count 13 May 2014 May 2021 Lucy Nethsingha 18 May 2021
Composition Following the 2025 election, and subsequent changes up to June 2026, the composition of the council is:
The Liberal Democrats and one Independent sit together as the majority Liberal Democrat and Independent Group.
In October 2025, Councillor Des Watt left Reform UK to sit as an independent. This left the Conservatives as the Main Opposition on the Council. In January 2026, Watt would briefly join Advance UK, before again becoming an independent in March. Later that August, Watt joined the Conservative Party.
In February 2026, Independent Councillor Tom Sanderson joined the Liberal Democrats.
In April 2026, Reform UK Councillor Andy Osborn was disqualified from office under the Representation of the People Act, after publishing a false statement about a Conservative candidate during the election campaign. The resulting by-election was narrowly held by Reform UK with a majority of 26 to the Conservative candidate.
In May 2026, the Reform UK Councillor for Ramsey and Bury, James Sidlow, resigned after 1 year. A by-election will be held on 16 July.
The next scheduled election is due on 3 May 2029. Expected local government reorganisation would mean that County Council will cease to exist on 1 April 2028.
Premises
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.
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. The first committee meeting to be held at New Shire Hall was in September 2021. An official opening ceremony for New Shire Hall was held on 8 July 2022.
Elections
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.
Councillors and electoral divisions
Electoral Division Parishes Councillor Party Abbey Abbey Elliot Tong Green Alconbury and Kimbolton Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Barham & Woolley, Brington & Molesworth, Buckworth, Bythorn & Keyston, Catworth, Covington, Easton, Ellington, Great Gidding, Great Staughton, Hail Weston, Hamerton & Steeple Gidding, Kimbolton, Leighton, Little Gidding, Old Weston, Perry, Spaldwick, Stow Longa, Tilbrook, Upton & Coppingford and Winwick Ian Gardener Conservative Arbury Arbury Mike Black Labour Bar Hill Bar Hill, Boxworth, Dry Drayton, Girton, Lolworth Edna Murphy Liberal Democrats Brampton and Buckden Brampton, Buckden, Diddington, Grafham, Offord Cluny & Offord D’Arcy and Southoe & Midloe Liam Beckett Liberal Democrats Burwell Burwell, Reach, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior Yannifer Malinowski Liberal Democrats Cambourne Bourn, Cambourne, Caxton, Little Gransden and Longstowe Lucy Nethsingha Liberal Democrats Castle Castle Rory Clark Liberal Democrats Chatteris Chatteris Daniel Divine Reform Cherry Hinton Cherry Hinton Bryony Goodliffe Labour Chesterton Chesterton Ian Manning Liberal Democrats Cottenham and Willingham Cottenham, Rampton and Willingham Yasmin Deter Liberal Democrats Duxford Babraham, Duxford, Fowlmere, Great Abington,Hinxton, Ickleton, Little Abington, Pampisford,Thriplow, Whittlesford Peter McDonald Liberal Democrats Ely North Ely Alison Whelan Liberal Democrats Ely South Ely, Stuntney Christine Whelan Liberal Democrats Fulbourn Fen Ditton, Fulbourn, Great Wilbraham,Horningsea, Little Wilbraham, Stow cum Quy,Teversham Matthew Morgan Liberal Democrats Gamlingay Arrington, Barrington, Croydon, Gamlingay,Guilden Morden, Steeple Morden, Tadlow, Hatley,Shingay-cum-Wendy, Abington Pigotts, LitlingtonOrwell, Wimpole James Stuart Liberal DemocratsGodmanchester and Huntingdon South Graham Wilson Liberal Democrats Hardwick Barton, Caldecote, Childerley, Comberton,Coton, Grantchester, Hardwick, Kingston,Madingley, Toft Christopher Morris Liberal DemocratsHiston and Impington Ros Hathorn Liberal DemocratsHuntingdon North and Hartford Leedo George ConservativeHuntingdon West Tom Sanderson Liberal Democrats King's Hedges King's Hedges Elisa Meschini Labour Linton Balsham, Bartlow, Carlton, Castle Camps,Hildersham, Horseheath, Linton,Shudy Camps, West Wickham, West Wratting,Weston Colville Henry Batchelor Liberal Democrats Littleport Littleport John Wells ReformLongstanton, Northstowe and Over Luis Navarro Liberal Democrats March North and Waldersey March Stefan Fisher Reform Colin GalbraithReform March South and Rural Benwick, March Christopher Thornhill Reform Market Market Alex Beckett Liberal Democrats Melbourn & Bassingbourn Foxton, Great and Little Chishill, Heydon,Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth Adam Bostanci Liberal Democrats Newnham Newnham Peter Rees Green Papworth and Swavesey Conington (S), Croxton, Elsworth, Eltisley,Fen Drayton, Graveley, Knapwell,Papworth Everard, Papworth St Agnes, Swavesey Chris Poulton Liberal Democrats Petersfield Petersfield Richard Howitt Labour Queen Edith's Queen Edith's Karen Young Liberal Democrats Ramsey and Bury Ramsey James Sidlow Reform Roman Bank and Peckover Gorefield, Leverington, Newton (F),Tydd St Giles, Wisbech Vacant Romsey Romsey Darren Green Green Sawston and Shelford Great Shelford, Harston, Hauxton,Little Shelford, Newton (S), Sawston, Stapleford Laurence Damary-Homan Liberal Democrats Peter Fane Liberal Democrats Sawtry and Stilton Barham and Woolley, Brington and Molesworth,Buckworth, Bythorn and Keyston, Catworth,Conington (H), Easton, Ellington, Glatton,Great Gidding, Hamerton, Leighton, Little Gidding,Old Weston, Sawtry, Spaldwick, Steeple Gidding,Stow Longa, Upton and Coppingford, Winwick Simon Bywater ConservativeSoham North and IslehamChippenham, Fordham, Isleham,Kennett, Snailwell, Soham, WickenMark Goldsack ConservativeSoham South and Haddenham Tom Hawker-Dawson Liberal Democrats Somersham and Earith Bluntisham, Broughton, Colne, Earith, Old Hurst,Pidley cum Fenton, Somersham, Woodhurst Charlotte Lowe Conservative St Ives North and Wyton Holywell-cum-Needingworth, St Ives Julie Kerr IndependentSt Ives South and Needingworth Alex Bulat Labour St Neots East and Gransden St Neots Sarah Caine Liberal DemocratsSt Neots Eynesbury Ricky IoannidesReformSt Neots Priory Park and Little Paxton Robin WyattLiberal DemocratsSt Neots The Eatons Geoffrey SeeffLiberal Democrats Sutton Coveney, Downham, Mepal, Sutton, Wentworth, Witcham, Witchford Lorna Dupré Liberal Democrats The Hemingfords & Fenstanton Fenstanton, Hemingford Abbots,Hemingford Grey, Hilton, Houghton and Wyton David Keane Conservative Trumpington David Levien Liberal Democrats Warboys & the Stukeleys Abbots Ripton, Bury, Houghton and Wyton,Kings Ripton, Upwood and the Raveleys,Warboys, Wistow, Wood Walton Ross Martin Conservative Waterbeach Landbeach, Milton, Waterbeach Anna Bradnam Liberal Democrats Whittlesey North Whittlesey Chris Boden Conservative Whittlesey South Whittlesey Michael Fisher Reform Wisbech East Wisbech Samantha Hoy Conservative Wisbech West Wisbech Steve Tierney Conservative Woodditton Ashley, Bottisham, Brinkley, Burrough Green,Cheveley, Dullingham, Kirtling, Lode,Stetchworth, Westley Waterless, Woodditton Jonny Edge Liberal DemocratsYaxley and FarcetYaxley Des Watt Conservative
Coat of arms
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.
See also Cambridgeshire County Council elections
References
External links