Huntingdonshire District Council

Last updated

Huntingdonshire District Council
Huntingdonshire District Council logo.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Michael Burke,
Independent
since 18 May 2022
Sarah Conboy,
Liberal Democrat
since 18 May 2022
Oliver Morley [lower-alpha 1]
since 1 March 2023 [1]
Structure
Seats52 councillors
Political groups
Administration (31)
  Liberal Democrats (11)
  Independents (11)
  Labour (4)
  St Neots Independent Group (4)
  Green (1)

Opposition (21)

  Conservatives (21)
Elections
Plurality-at-large and first-past-the-post
Last election
 5 May 2022
Next election
2026
Meeting place
Pathfinder House, Huntingdon.jpg
Pathfinder House, St Mary's Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3TN
Website
huntingdonshire.gov.uk
Ward map of Huntingdon District Council Huntingdonshire District Ward Map 2018.svg
Ward map of Huntingdon District Council

Huntingdonshire District Council is the local authority for the district of Huntingdonshire in Cambridgeshire, England. The council is based in the town of Huntingdon. The district also includes the towns of Godmanchester, Ramsey, St Ives and St Neots and surrounding rural areas. The district covers almost the same area as the historic county of Huntingdonshire, which had been abolished for administrative purposes in 1965, with some differences to the northern boundary with Peterborough.

Contents

Since 2017 the district has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly-elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. [2]

The neighbouring districts are Peterborough, Fenland, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, and North Northamptonshire.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of eight former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: [3]

These eight districts had constituted the county of Huntingdonshire until 1965 when it had merged with the neighbouring Soke of Peterborough to form the short-lived county of Huntingdon and Peterborough. As part of the 1974 reforms the area became part of an enlarged Cambridgeshire. The new district was initially named Huntingdon after the former county town. [4] The council changed the district's name from Huntingdon to Huntingdonshire in 1984. [5]

Governance

Huntingdonshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. [6]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2022 election, being led by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens and independent councillors.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [7] [8]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–2022
No overall control 2022–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Derek Holley [9] Conservative 20017 Dec 2005
Ian Bates [10] Conservative 7 Dec 2005May 2011
Jason Ablewhite [11] Conservative 18 May 2011May 2016
Robin Howe [12] Conservative 18 May 201626 Jul 2017
Graham Bull [13] Conservative 26 Jul 20174 Dec 2019
Ryan Fuller [14] Conservative 4 Dec 20198 May 2022
Sarah Conboy [15] Liberal Democrats 18 May 2022

Composition

The council consists of 52 councillors, representing 26 electoral wards. There is currently no party with a majority on the council. Since the elections of 2022 the council has been governed by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Independents, Labour, and Greens. [16]

Following the 2022 election, the council's composition was: [17]

PartyCouncillorsChange
(from 2018 election)
Conservative 22−8
Liberal Democrats 10+3
Independent 11+6
Labour 4n/c
St Neots Independent Group4−2
Green 1+1
Total52

The next election is due in 2026.

Cabinet

OfficePartyName
Leader, Place Liberal Democrats Sarah Conboy
Deputy Leader, Planning Independent Tom Sanderson
Regeneration and Growth, Economy and Jobs Labour Sam Wakeford
Climate and Environment Green Lara Davenport-Ray
Corporate and Shared Services Liberal Democrats Martin Hassall
Customer and Transactional Services Independent Stephen Ferguson
Leisure, Waste and Street SceneSt Neots Independent GroupSimone Taylor
Finance and Resources Liberal Democrats Brett Mickelburgh
Health and Community Independent Ben Pitt

[18]

Premises

The council is based at Pathfinder House on St Mary's Street in the centre of Huntingdon. The current building was completed in 2010, replacing the council's former headquarters of the same name on the site. [19]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2018 the council has comprised 52 councillors elected from 26 wards. The whole council is elected together every four years. [20]

Parishes

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Ramsey, St Ives and St Neots take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridgeshire</span> County of England

Cambridgeshire is a ceremonial, historic and non-metropolitan county in the East of England government statistical region, and popularly known as one of the three counties of East Anglia. The largest city is Peterborough, followed by the county town of Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntingdonshire</span> Historic county and now a district of Cambridgeshire, England

Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include Godmanchester, Ramsey, St Ives and St Neots. The population was 180,800 at the 2021 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Neots</span> Human settlement in England

St Neots is a town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about 50 miles (80 km) north of London and about 18 miles (29 km) west of Cambridge. The districts of Eynesbury, Eaton Ford and Eaton Socon were formerly independent but nowadays are considered merged into St Neots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntingdon</span> Former county town of Huntingdonshire

Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there in 1599 and became one of its Members of Parliament (MP) in 1628. The former Conservative Prime Minister (1990–1997) John Major served as its MP from 1979 until his retirement in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godmanchester</span> Human settlement in England

Godmanchester is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman road network, the town has a long history. It has a waterside location, surrounded by open countryside of high value for its biodiversity but it remains highly accessible, with a railway line to London, the A1 road and M11/A14 which run nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eynesbury, Cambridgeshire</span> Human settlement in England

Eynesbury is an urban area forming part of St Neots, in the civil parish of St Neots, in the Huntingdonshire district, in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It mainly consists of housing, although there is an area of light industry, and a large supermarket. Eynesbury is home to Ernulf Academy and a fitness centre called One Leisure. In addition there is a large area of open grassland and a caravan park. In earlier times Eynesbury was a distinct area, but nowadays it is considered to be a subdivision of St Neots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey, Cambridgeshire</span> Human settlement in England

Ramsey is a market town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town is about 9 miles (14 km) north of Huntingdon. Ramsey parish includes the settlements of Ramsey Forty Foot, Ramsey Heights, Ramsey Mereside, Ramsey Hollow and Ramsey St Mary's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Cambridgeshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

East Cambridgeshire is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in the city of Ely. The district also contains the towns of Littleport and Soham and surrounding rural areas, including parts of the Fens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenland District</span> Non-metropolitan district in Cambridgeshire, England

Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. It was historically part of the Isle of Ely. The district covers around 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) of mostly agricultural land in the extremely flat Fens. The council is based in March. Other towns include Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire</span>

A civil parish is a country subdivision, forming the lowest unit of local government in England. There are 264 civil parishes in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, most of the county being parished; Cambridge is completely unparished; Fenland, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire are entirely parished. At the 2001 census, there were 497,820 people living in the parishes, accounting for 70.2 per cent of the county's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1801-1918 & 1983 onwards

Huntingdon is a constituency west of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire and including its namesake town of Huntingdon. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Jonathan Djanogly of the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenstanton</span> Human settlement in England

Fenstanton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) south of St Ives in Huntingdonshire, a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and historic county. Fenstanton lies on the south side of the River Ouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetworth</span> Human settlement in England

Tetworth is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth, in Cambridgeshire, England. Tetworth lies approximately 12 miles (19 km)south of Huntingdon, near Waresley south of St Neots. Tetworth is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as being a historic county of United Kingdom. In 2001 the parish had a population of 45.

Huntingdonshire was a Parliamentary constituency covering the county of Huntingdonshire in England. It was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then in the House of Commons the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridgeshire County Council</span> The elected administrative body governing Cambridgeshire, England

Cambridgeshire County Council is the county council of Cambridgeshire, England. The council consists of 61 councillors, representing 59 electoral divisions. The council is based at New Shire Hall at 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Cambridgeshire County Council election</span>

An election to Cambridgeshire County Council took place on 2 May 2013 as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections. 69 councillors were elected from 60 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous election in 2009. No elections were held in Peterborough, which is a unitary authority outside the area covered by the County Council. The election saw the Conservative Party lose overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Huntingdonshire District Council election</span>

The 2012 Huntingdonshire District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Huntingdonshire District Council in Cambridgeshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

The 2018 Huntingdonshire District Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Huntingdonshire District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.

References

  1. ↑ Interim Managing Director
  1. ↑ "District Council appoints interim Managing Director". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2017/251, retrieved 13 June 2023
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  5. ↑ "Historical information from 1973 onwards". Boundary-Line support. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  7. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Huntingdonshire". BBC News Online . Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Leader to step down". Town Crier. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Council minutes, 7 December 2005". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Council minutes, 18 May 2011". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Council minutes, 18 May 2016". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Council minutes, 26 July 2017". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Council minutes, 4 December 2019". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Brown, Hannah (19 May 2022). "New Huntingdonshire leader discusses aims after historic power change and is 'under no illusion scale of task ahead'". Cambridge News. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  16. ↑ Davies, Debbie (18 May 2022). "White roses and political history in Huntingdonshire". Hunts Post. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "Statement on Huntingdonshire District Council Election Results 2022". Huntingdonshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "District Council Confirms New Leader and Cabinet Roles". Huntingdonshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "Final phase of £16 million Pathfinder House scheme almost complete". Hunts Post. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  20. ↑ "The Huntingdonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2017/480, retrieved 23 May 2023
  21. ↑ "Parish councils contact details". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
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