About Cambridge City Council
The city of Cambridge is in the east of England, 50 miles north of London. A beautiful place to live and work, Cambridge is an historic University city and market town with high quality architecture and attractive open spaces. It is also a city of national importance, being a world leader in higher education and many 21st century industries including information technology, telecommunications and commercial research, particularly in the biotechnology sector.
Cambridge is at the heart of a buoyant sub-region which is an area designated for major growth in employment and housing. The population of Cambridge is over 131,799. This is forecast to increase to 151,800 in 2031 as a result of new developments. The Council is working in partnership with other local councils and partner organisations to manage the planning for 47,500 new homes in the county. This has major implications for the way that the City Council delivers its services in the future.
The Council is committed to supporting sustainable growth of the city in housing, jobs and community infrastructure. We have a clear vision to lead a united city, ‘One Cambridge, Fair for All’, in which economic dynamism and prosperity are combined with social justice and equality. It is a vision we will share and develop, working with our citizens and partner organisations.
The City Council employs around 850 staff directly as well as delivering services through others who are based in our shared services and arm’s length partnership arrangements. As an Investors In People employer, we are committed to developing and supporting our staff through effective leadership and continuous improvement that supports the Council’s vision.
The Council’s turnover is c. £155 million each year. Increasing levels of partnership working, an ongoing drive for greater efficiency and a clear focus on good customer service mean that we have developed new models for service delivery, driving change and different ways of working. We are part of the only two tier devolution deal in the country- the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority oversees a devolution deal worth at least £770m. The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was first elected in May 2017. One of the Council’s key priorities is to deliver at least 500 new council houses using a grant of £70m we negotiated as part of the devolution deal to meet affordable housing need in the city.
This devolution deal is in addition to the existing City Deal partnership for Greater Cambridge (the geography of Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire). This agreement with Central Government promises up to £500 million worth of funding over the next 15 years.
Political Management
Cambridge City Council is composed of 14 wards, with three councillors elected in each ward making 42 city councillors in total. The current makeup of the City Council is:
- 26 Labour councillors
- 13 Liberal Democrat councillors
- 2 Independent councillors
- 1 Green councillors
The next local elections are in May 2019 when a third of the seats are up for election.
Council Structures and Services
In addition to the traditional district council services, the City Council provides or commissions a comprehensive range of leisure and arts and community development activities. These include: swimming pools and sports facilities, an internationally renowned Folk Festival, a number of free open air events in our parks and open spaces and a range of community centres.
The Council has a number of shared services with other councils and we aim to build on these and develop new shared services in future.
The following services are delivered in two or three way partnerships.
With South Cambridgeshire District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council:
- 3C Building Control
- 3C ICT
- 3C Legal
- Home Improvement Agency
With South Cambridgeshire District Council
- Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service
- Greater Cambridge Shared Internal Audit
- Greater Cambridge Planning Partnership
- Payroll with Huntingdonshire District Council
- CCTV
The Council has a clear vision to lead a united city, ‘One Cambridge – Fair for All’, in which economic dynamism and prosperity are combined with social justice and equality.
Further Information
Budget Setting Reports and Budget Books
Medium Term Financial Strategies
Statements of Accounts and Annual Audit Letter
Annual statement - Cambridge City Council
