Cambridge City Council
District council in the county of Cambridgeshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cambridge City Council is the local authority for Cambridge, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Cambridgeshire, England. The council has been under no overall control since 2026; from 2014–2026 it was under the control of a Labour majority. It meets at Cambridge Guildhall. The council is a member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
since April 2021[2]
Cambridge City Council | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Robert Pollock since April 2021[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 42 councillors[3] |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
Cambridge was an ancient borough. Its date of being established as a borough is unknown, with its earliest known charter dating from 1102.[4] A subsequent charter issued by King John in 1207 granted the borough the right to appoint a mayor. The earliest recorded mayor was Harvey FitzEustace, who served in 1213.[5]
The borough of Cambridge was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how boroughs operated across the country. It was then governed by a body formally called the 'Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Cambridge', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.[6] Cambridge was granted city status on 21 March 1951 in recognition of its history, administrative importance, and economic success, allowing the council to call itself Cambridge City Council.[7]
The Local Government Act 1972 reconstituted Cambridge as a non-metropolitan district with effect from 1 April 1974; it kept the same boundaries and its city status, but there were changes to the council's responsibilities.[8]
The city of Cambridge is completely encircled by the neighbouring district of South Cambridgeshire. The two authorities work together on some projects, such as the Greater Cambridge Local Plan.[9] Since 2017 the city has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly-elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.[10]
Governance
Cambridge City Council provides district-level services, including parks and open spaces, waste collection, council housing and town planning. The Council also organises numerous events throughout the year, including the Cambridge Folk Festival and a programme of free summer entertainment entitled Summer in the City. Cambridgeshire County Council provides County-level services.[11] Cambridge has no civil parishes and is entirely an unparished area.[12]
Political control
The council was under Labour majority control from 2014 to 2026, when it fell into no overall control.[13]
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[14]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1979 | |
| No overall control | 1979–1986 | |
| Labour | 1986–1987 | |
| No overall control | 1987–1988 | |
| Labour | 1988–1992 | |
| No overall control | 1992–1996 | |
| Labour | 1996–1998 | |
| No overall control | 1998–2000 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2000–2012 | |
| No overall control | 2012–2014 | |
| Labour | 2014–2026 | |
| No overall control | 2026–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Cambridge. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since the 1974 reforms have been:[15]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Wright | Labour | Apr 1974 | May 1976 | |
| John Powley | Conservative | May 1976 | May 1979 | |
| Chris Gough-Goodman | Conservative | May 1979 | May 1980 | |
| Peter Wright | Labour | May 1980 | May 1982 | |
| Chris Howard | Labour | May 1982 | May 1987 | |
| Mark Todd | Labour | May 1987 | May 1990 | |
| Simon Sedgwick-Jell | Labour | May 1990 | Oct 1994 | |
| Kevin Southernwood | Labour | Oct 1994 | Feb 1999 | |
| Ruth Bagnall | Labour | Feb 1999 | May 2000 | |
| David Howarth[16] | Liberal Democrats | May 2000 | 17 Jul 2003 | |
| Ian Nimmo-Smith[16] | Liberal Democrats | 17 Jul 2003 | 27 May 2010 | |
| Sian Reid[17] | Liberal Democrats | 27 May 2010 | 24 May 2012 | |
| Tim Bick[18] | Liberal Democrats | 24 May 2012 | 12 Jun 2014 | |
| Lewis Herbert[19][20] | Labour | 12 Jun 2014 | 30 Nov 2021 | |
| Anna Smith[21][22] | Labour | 30 Nov 2021 | 25 May 2023 | |
| Mike Davey[23][24] | Labour | 25 May 2023 | 22 May 2025 | |
| Cameron Holloway[25][26] | Labour | 22 May 2025 | May 2026 | |
| Katie Thornburrow[27] | Labour | 1 Jun 2026 | Present | |
Composition
Following the 2026 elections and a defection from Your Party to the Greens in September 2026,[28] the composition of the council is:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 17 | |
| Green | 13 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 11 | |
| Conservative | 1 | |
| Total | 42 | |
Elections
Since the last boundary changes came into effect in 2021, the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 14 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. Cambridgeshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no city council elections. The wards are:[29][30]
- Abbey
- Arbury
- Castle
- Cherry Hinton
- Coleridge
- East Chesterton
- King's Hedges
- Market
- Newnham
- Petersfield
- Queen Edith's
- Romsey
- Trumpington
- West Chesterton
Premises
The council meets at the Guildhall, on the south side of Market Square in the centre of Cambridge. The building was purpose-built for the old borough council and completed in 1939.[31] The council also has offices at Mandela House at 4 Regent Street.[32]
