Peterborough City Council facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peterborough City Council
Type
Type	Unitary authority
Leadership
Mayor	Marco Cereste, Conservative Since 20 May 2024
Leader	Dennis Jones, Labour Since 20 May 2024
Chief Executive	Matthew Gladstone Since January 2022
Structure
Seats	60 councillors
Political groups	Labour (19)      Peterborough First (14)      Conservative (11)      Liberal Democrats (8)      Greens (4)      Independent (4)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post (elected in thirds)
Last election	2 May 2024
Next election	7 May 2026
Meeting place
Town Hall, Bridge Street, Peterborough, PE1 1HF

Peterborough City Council is the local government for Peterborough, a city in Cambridgeshire, England. A local authority is a group of elected people who make decisions and provide services for a specific area. Peterborough has had a council since 1874. It has changed over time. Since 1998, it has been a "unitary authority." This means it handles all local services, like a district council and a county council combined. Since 2017, the council has also been part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The council has been under "no overall control" since 2019. This means no single political party has enough members to make decisions on its own. After the 2024 election, a group led by the Labour party formed to run the council. The council holds its meetings at Peterborough Town Hall. Its main offices are at Sand Martin House.

How Peterborough's Council Started

Peterborough has been a settlement for a long time. It became a city in 1541. This happened when the old St Peter's Abbey became Peterborough Cathedral. At that time, it didn't have a council to manage the city itself.

In 1790, a group called "improvement commissioners" was set up. They helped provide public services in the city. These services included things like street lighting and cleaning.

Becoming a Formal Council

Guildhall: The council met here from 1874 to 1933.

In 1873, people discussed whether Peterborough should have a formal council. This council would take over the jobs of the commissioners. On 17 March 1874, Peterborough officially became a "municipal borough." This meant it had its own council. The council was made up of a mayor, six aldermen, and 18 councillors.

The new council had to create a police force. This was required by law. Later, in 1947, the local police forces joined together. They eventually became part of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1974. The council also had to manage a fire brigade. This responsibility later moved to county councils.

Changes to County Areas

In 1889, elected county councils were created. Peterborough was part of a special area called the "Soke of Peterborough." This area had its own county council. The city and county councils worked closely together. They even built a shared building, Peterborough Town Hall, which opened in 1933.

In 1965, the Soke of Peterborough joined with Huntingdonshire. They formed a new county called Huntingdon and Peterborough.

Growing the City

In 1929, the city's boundaries grew. More areas like Gunthorpe and Werrington became part of Peterborough. The council's official name also changed to "mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Peterborough." It became known as the city council.

A special carving by Arthur Ayres at Bridge House, later used by the city council.

In 1967, Peterborough was named a "new town." This meant there were big plans to expand the city. A separate group, the "development corporation," was set up. They helped manage this growth.

The Modern Council (After 1974)

The current local government area of Peterborough was created in 1974. It brought together several smaller areas. The new area was named 'Peterborough' after its main settlement.

The new Peterborough district was given "borough status." This allowed the head of the council to be called the mayor. Peterborough also kept its "city status." This is why the council is called Peterborough City Council.

After 1974, Peterborough City Council was a "lower-tier" authority. This meant Cambridgeshire County Council provided bigger services for the whole county.

Becoming a Unitary Authority

In 1998, Peterborough City Council took on more responsibilities. It became a "unitary authority." This means it now handles both local and county-level services. So, it's like two councils in one! Even though it's a unitary authority, Peterborough is still part of the wider ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire.

Police services in the city are still handled by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. Firefighting is done by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. There is also a special group called the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. It was set up in 2017 and is led by an elected mayor.

How the Council Works

Peterborough City Council provides many services. These include things like waste collection, housing, planning, and education. Some parts of the district, especially rural areas, have their own smaller local councils called "civil parishes." These parishes handle very local matters. Much of the main Peterborough urban area does not have these smaller parish councils.

Council Leadership

The Mayor of Peterborough has a role that is mostly about ceremonies. The person who really leads the council is called the leader of the council. Here are the leaders since 1998:

Council Members and Parties

After the 2024 election, the council looks like this:

The next election for the council will be in May 2026.

Council Elections

The council has 60 councillors. These councillors represent 22 different areas called "wards." Each ward elects one, two, or three councillors. Elections happen three years out of every four. About a third of the council members are elected each time. They serve for four years. The wards are:

Where the Council Works

Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough: The council's main offices since 2018.

Before the city council was formed, the improvement commissioners met in a room on Westgate. When the council started in 1874, it met at the city's Guildhall. This building was built in 1671. The council's offices were in many different places around the city.

The current Town Hall was opened in 1933. It was built to be a shared space for both the city council and the Soke of Peterborough County Council.

In 2018, most of the council staff moved to Sand Martin House. This is a modern building at Fletton Quays. However, council meetings are still held at the historic Town Hall.

The Role of the Mayor

The official symbol of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of Peterborough, used from 1874 to 1960.

The city council chooses a mayor each year. The mayor serves for one year. The mayor is a very important person in the city. They lead council meetings. The mayor is expected to be fair and not take sides in politics. If there's a tie vote, the mayor gets an extra vote to decide. Here are the mayors since the council became a unitary authority:

Council Symbols

Arms of Peterborough City Council

Notes Granted 6 September 1960 Coronet A mural crown of six towers Gold. Escutcheon Azure two keys in saltire Or enfiled by a mural crown Argent. Supporters On either side a lion Ermine winged Argent charged on the wing with three estoiles Sable the interior paw resting on a tree trunk fesswise Proper. Motto Upon this rock