South Cambridgeshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 162,119 at the 2021 census. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambridgeshire Rural District. It completely surrounds the city of Cambridge, which is administered separately from the district by Cambridge City Council. On the abolition of South Herefordshire and Hereford districts to form the unitary Herefordshire in 1998, South Cambridgeshire became the only English district to completely encircle another. South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council work together on some projects, such as the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. 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. South Cambridgeshire has scored highly on the best places to live, according to Channel 4, which ranked South Cambridgeshire as the fifth-best place to live in 2006. A Halifax survey rated South Cambridgeshire the best place to live in rural Britain, and sixth best overall in 2017. In January 2023 the council started a three-month trial of a four day working week, with the intention of extending the trial until April 2024. Conservative local government minister, Lee Rowley, ordered the trial be halted, claiming it would breach the Local Government Act.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time: The new district was named South Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.

Governance

South Cambridgeshire 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.

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2018 election. 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:

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to June 2023, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2026.

Elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2018 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 26 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Key policies

Four day working week

In January 2023, the council began a controversial four day working week trial. This is not a compressed hours regime but rather staff work 80% of their hours for 100% of their pay and are expected to work more efficiently and therefore complete all their work in the reduced time. The Conservative minister at the time, Lee Rowley wrote to the council leader “ask that you end your experiment immediately” and said he had concerns about the “value for money” for local taxpayers. The scheme became particularly controversial when it emerged that the council's CEO was also writing a PHD thesis on flexible working, a fact that had not been earlier disclosed. After 18 months of running the trial the council claimed reduced staff turnover, financial savings and little impact on service levels.

Premises

South Cambridgeshire District Council's headquarters are located in South Cambridgeshire Hall in the Cambourne Business Park in Cambourne. The district council's headquarters moved from Cambridge to Cambourne in 2004.

Transportation

Cambridge Airport is located in South Cambridgeshire. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway passes through South Cambridgeshire.

Economy

ScotAirways has its head office on the grounds of Cambridge Airport in South Cambridgeshire.

Residents

Jenny Jefferies an author of several cook books and member of the Guild of Food Writers.

Parishes

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Cambourne and Northstowe take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.

List of settlements

Abington Piggotts – Arrington – Babraham – Balsham – Bar Hill – Barrington – Bartlow – Barton – Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth – Bourn – Boxworth – Caldecote – Cambourne – Carlton – Castle Camps – Caxton – Childerley – Chishills – Chittering – Comberton – Conington – Coton – Cottenham – Croxton – Croydon – Dry Drayton – Duxford – Elsworth – Eltisley – Fen Ditton – Fen Drayton – Fowlmere – Foxton – Fulbourn – Gamlingay – Girton – Grantchester – Graveley – Great Abington – Great Eversden – Great Shelford – Great Wilbraham – Guilden Morden – Hardwick – Harlton – Harston – Haslingfield – Hatley – Hauxton – Heydon – Hildersham – Hinxton – Histon – Horseheath – Horningsea – Ickleton – Impington – Kingston – Knapwell – Landbeach – Linton – Litlington – Little Abington – Little Eversden – Little Gransden – Little Shelford – Little Wilbraham – Lolworth – Longstanton – Longstowe – Madingley – Melbourn – Meldreth – Milton – Newton – Oakington – Orchard Park – Orwell – Over – Pampisford – Papworth Everard – Papworth St Agnes – Rampton – Sawston – Shepreth – Shingay cum Wendy – Shudy Camps – Six Mile Bottom – Stapleford – Steeple Morden – Stow-cum-Quy – Swavesey – Tadlow – Teversham – Thriplow & Heathfield – Toft – Waterbeach – West Wickham – West Wratting – Weston Colville – Westwick – Whaddon – Whittlesford – Willingham – Wimpole

Arms

The council's coat of arms contains a tangential reference to the coat of arms of the University of Cambridge by way of the coat of arms of Cambridge suburb Chesterton. The motto, Niet Zonder Arbyt, means "Nothing Without Work" (or effort) in pre-standard Dutch; the only Dutch motto in British civic heraldry. It was originally the motto of Cornelius Vermuyden, who drained the Fens in the 17th century. The council uses a monochrome depiction of its coat of arms as its logo.