Huntingdonshire 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.

Huntingdonshire District Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Steve McAdam,
Independent
since 22 May 2024[1]
Sarah Conboy,
Liberal Democrat
since 18 May 2022
Michelle Sacks
since 2023[2]
Structure
Seats52 councillors
Political groups
Administration (32)
  Independents (12)
  Liberal Democrats (11)
  Labour (4)
  St Neots Ind. (4)
  Green (1)

Opposition (20)

  Conservatives (20)
Elections
Plurality-at-large and first-past-the-post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Pathfinder House, St Mary's Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3TN
Website
huntingdonshire.gov.uk

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.[3]

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:[4]

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.[5] The council changed the district's name from Huntingdon to Huntingdonshire in 1984.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

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:[9][10]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–2022
No overall control2022–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Derek Holley[11]Conservative20017 Dec 2005
Ian Bates[12]Conservative7 Dec 2005May 2011
Jason Ablewhite[13]Conservative18 May 2011May 2016
Robin Howe[14]Conservative18 May 201626 Jul 2017
Graham Bull[15]Conservative26 Jul 20174 Dec 2019
Ryan Fuller[16]Conservative4 Dec 20198 May 2022
Sarah Conboy[17]Liberal Democrats18 May 2022

Composition

Following the 2022 election and a by-election and change of allegiance in May 2024, the council's composition was:[18][19]

Party Councillors
Conservative20
Independent12
Liberal Democrats11
Labour4
St Neots Independent Group4
Green1
Total 52

Local party the St Neots Independent Group sits with five of the independent councillors as the "HDC Independent Group". The other seven independent councillors form the "Cambs Independent Group". The council's administration comprises all parties and groups except the Conservatives.[20][21] The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
See also: Huntingdonshire District Council 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.[22]

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.[23]

References
  1. "Council meeting, 22 May 2024". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  2. "District Council appoints permanent Chief Executive". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. "The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2017/251, retrieved 13 June 2023
  4. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  5. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  6. "Historical information from 1973 onwards". Boundary-Line support. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  7. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. Davies, Debbie (18 May 2022). "White roses and political history in Huntingdonshire". Hunts Post. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  9. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  10. "Huntingdonshire". BBC News Online. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  11. "Leader to step down". Town Crier. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  12. "Council minutes, 7 December 2005". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  13. "Council minutes, 18 May 2011". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  14. "Council minutes, 18 May 2016". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  15. "Council minutes, 26 July 2017". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  16. "Council minutes, 4 December 2019". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  17. 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.
  18. "Statement on Huntingdonshire District Council Election Results 2022". Huntingdonshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  19. "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  20. "Council report, 22 May 2024" (PDF). Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  21. "Your councillors by party". Huntingdonshire District Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  22. "The Huntingdonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2017/480, retrieved 23 May 2023
  23. "Final phase of £16 million Pathfinder House scheme almost complete". Hunts Post. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
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