Ministers warn Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral authority

The role of Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was created in 2017

Ministers have issued a fresh warning to a mayoral authority over how it is being run.

They have sent a second letter, called a best value notice, to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

It said it recognised the authority's progress and that making changes was "likely to take time and will require sustained effort".

Rob Bridge, the authority's chief executive, acknowledged it had more work to do.

Ministers said they were concerned about the "culture" and "effective partnership working" at the authority, which is responsible for public transport, adult skills, and economic growth and was established in March 2017 after a devolution deal.

The authority first received a 12-month best value notice in January 2023, after auditors found "significant weaknesses" in its governance arrangements.

The second is expected to be in place for six months.

Mayor Nik Johnson was asked to apologise after being found to have breached a code of conduct

Labour Mayor Nik Johnson, who chairs the authority's board, was also asked to apologise and undertake training after an investigation found he had breached its code of conduct.

A letter from Max Soule, deputy director for local government stewardship at the Department for Levelling Up, said the government recognised the steps taken to "address the serious issues at the authority".

These included making progress against an improvement plan, including permanent appointments to its senior leadership team.

But Mr Soule added that "embedding cultural change across the organisation and ensuring that it is having the desired, long-term impacts is likely to take time and will require sustained effort from both officers and, indeed, [elected] members".

He continued: "Further, the Department remains concerned that, despite efforts made, more work is needed to ensure effective partnership working between all levels of the Combined Authority and its constituent authorities, to enable the area to achieve its full potential."

The authority's board is made up of the mayor, local council leaders and a business representative.

Mr Soule's letter also said work done by authority staff "needs to be matched by the actions of the [Combined Authority] Board itself".

Mr Bridge, the authority's chief executive, said the notice acknowledged the progress that had been made, including changes to procurement and making permanent appointments to the senior leadership team.

"There is, of course, still more work for us to do and I look forward to working in partnership with our constituent councils and the Independent Improvement Board to continue to deliver for the businesses and communities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough," he said.

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