Cambridge City Council is the local authority for Cambridge, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Cambridgeshire, England. The council has been under no overall control since 2026; from 2014–2026 it was under the control of a Labour majority. It meets at Cambridge Guildhall. The council is a member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
History Cambridge was an ancient borough. Its date of being established as a borough is unknown, with its earliest known charter dating from 1102. A subsequent charter issued by King John in 1207 granted the borough the right to appoint a mayor. The earliest recorded mayor was Harvey FitzEustace, who served in 1213.
The borough of Cambridge was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how boroughs operated across the country. It was then governed by a body formally called the 'Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Cambridge', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. Cambridge was granted city status on 21 March 1951 in recognition of its history, administrative importance, and economic success, allowing the council to call itself Cambridge City Council.
The Local Government Act 1972 reconstituted Cambridge as a non-metropolitan district with effect from 1 April 1974; it kept the same boundaries and its city status, but there were changes to the council's responsibilities.
The city of Cambridge is completely encircled by the neighbouring district of South Cambridgeshire. The two authorities work together on some projects, such as the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. Since 2017 the city has been a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly-elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Governance Cambridge City Council provides district-level services, including parks and open spaces, waste collection, council housing and town planning. The Council also organises numerous events throughout the year, including the Cambridge Folk Festival and a programme of free summer entertainment entitled Summer in the City. Cambridgeshire County Council provides County-level services. Cambridge has no civil parishes and is entirely an unparished area.
Political control The council was under Labour majority control from 2014 to 2026, when it fell into no overall control.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows: (Put "Cambridge" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1974–1976 1976–1979 1979–1986 1986–1987 1987–1988 1988–1992 1992–1996 1996–1998 1998–2000 2000–2012 2012–2014 2014–20262026–present
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Cambridge. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since the 1974 reforms have been:
Councillor Party From To Peter Wright Apr 1974 May 1976 John Powley May 1976 May 1979 Chris Gough-Goodman May 1979 May 1980 Peter Wright May 1980 May 1982 Chris Howard May 1982 May 1987 Mark Todd May 1987 May 1990 Simon Sedgwick-Jell May 1990 Oct 1994 Kevin Southernwood Oct 1994 Feb 1999 Ruth Bagnall Feb 1999 May 2000 David Howarth May 2000 17 Jul 2003 Ian Nimmo-Smith 17 Jul 2003 27 May 2010 Sian Reid 27 May 2010 24 May 2012 Tim Bick 24 May 2012 12 Jun 2014 Lewis Herbert 12 Jun 2014 30 Nov 2021 Anna Smith 30 Nov 2021 25 May 2023 Mike Davey 25 May 2023 22 May 2025 Cameron Holloway 22 May 2025 May 2026 Katie Thornburrow 1 Jun 2026 Present
Composition Following the 2026 elections two subsequent defections, the composition of the council is:
Party Councillors 17 12 11 1Independent1Total42
Elections
Since the last boundary changes came into effect in 2021, the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 14 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. Cambridgeshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no city council elections. The wards are:
Abbey Arbury Castle Cherry Hinton Coleridge East Chesterton King's Hedges Market Newnham Petersfield Queen Edith's Romsey Trumpington West Chesterton
Premises The council meets at the Guildhall, on the south side of Market Square in the centre of Cambridge. The building was purpose-built for the old borough council and completed in 1939. The council also has offices at Mandela House at 4 Regent Street.
See also Cambridgeshire County Council List of mayors of Cambridge
Notes
References Cambridge City Council Cambridge Mayor's Office Cambridge City Election Results since 1945
External links Open data about Cambridge City Council on OpenlyLocal Cambridge City Council YouTube channel