Concerns city will lose identity if councils merge

Some councillors are concerned merging the city with other areas would result in a loss of Peterborough's identity

Options for a new-look council system have been discussed as part of local government re-organisation plans.

All seven authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been working together to identify viable options, which could see Peterborough merge with neighbouring councils.

Some councillors are arguing for a "Greater Peterborough" option, which would see Peterborough merge with part of northern Huntingdonshire only, to help it preserve the city's identity.

The discussions follow a national government requirement to replace district, county and city councils with a simpler unitary, single-council system.

How the alternative three-council system could look on a map

Original plans put forward by the county's councils suggested there should be two new unitary authorities covering the whole county, with different options being considered.

However, North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling and Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes - both Labour - expressed concerns that including Peterborough as part of a "mega council" would make it harder for local areas to focus on their own needs and priorities.

They proposed there should be three councils across Cambridgeshire, with one based on Greater Cambridge, one based on Greater Peterborough and one focusing on rural Mid Cambridgeshire, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

This would see Peterborough merge with part of northern Huntingdonshire.

MPs Andrew Pakes (left) and Sam Carling previously said they had concerns about the merger plans

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, the options were discussed and while a number of members supported the Greater Peterborough option, Conservative group leader Wayne Fitzgerald labelled it "opportunistic" and "last-minute".

He said: "In Fenland, they'll have a completely different view to us. In Huntingdon, they don't want anything to do with us whatsoever, the liberals would rather go south. So, I suspect what will happen is this will be imposed upon us."

A final proposal is set to be submitted at the end of November and the government will then decide how the councils should be structured.

New councils are expected to be in place from April 2028.