Hayley Neal, Chief Executive writes:

“The consultation on proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is now underway. As Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire ACRE, I will shortly be submitting our organisational response.”

“Before doing so, I have been reflecting on a few key questions:

• How will rural communities be represented in any new structure?
• How will services that rely on local relationships and place-based knowledge continue to function effectively?
• What will happen to neighbourhood-level engagement in more geographically dispersed areas?
• Will the new arrangements strengthen prevention and early intervention, or risk increasing distance between decision makers and residents?
• And crucially, how will rural proofing be embedded so that villages are not an afterthought in system redesign?”

“Local government reorganisation is complex. There are strong arguments across the different proposals and significant implications whichever route is chosen. Our role is not to advocate for a particular option, but to ensure that rural communities are fully considered in whichever structure emerges. If you or your organisation are submitting a response, I would be very interested to understand the themes you are raising, particularly where they relate to rural service delivery, representation or community voice.”

“You can read our earlier article on LGR, which outlines the consultation and some of the issues rural communities may wish to consider here. The consultation closes on 26 March 2026.”