East Cambridgeshire District | |
|---|---|
 | |
 East Cambridgeshire shown within Cambridgeshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | East of England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Cambridgeshire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Ely |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | East Cambridgeshire District Council |
| • Leadership | Alternative – Sec. 31 (Conservative) |
| • MP | Charlotte Cane |
| Area | |
• Total | 251 sq mi (651 km2) |
| • Rank | 53rd(of 296) |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total | 92,906 |
| • Rank | 261st(of 296) |
| • Density | 370/sq mi (143/km2) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 12UC (ONS) E07000009 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | TL535799 |
East Cambridgeshire (locally known asEast Cambs) is alocal government district inCambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in the cathedral city ofEly. The district also contains the towns ofLittleport andSoham and surrounding rural areas, including parts ofthe Fens.
Since 2017 the district has been a constituent member of theCambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly electedMayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.[4]
The neighbouring districts areSouth Cambridgeshire,Huntingdonshire,Fenland,King's Lynn and West Norfolk andWest Suffolk.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[5]
The new district was named East Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.[6]
East Cambridgeshire District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Vice Chair | |
Deputy Leader | |
Emma Grima since 2026 | |
| Structure | |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 (subject to LGR) |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE | |
| Website | |
| www | |
East Cambridgeshire District Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byCambridgeshire County Council. The whole district is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]
TheConservatives had been elected with a majority of the seats at the2023 election. The council went underno overall control following a change in allegiance in August 2024, which left the Conservatives with exactly half the council's seats.[9] The Conservatives continue to form the council's administration by virtue of holding the chair's casting vote.
The Liberal Democrats and the Independent councillor have sat together as the Liberal Democrat and Independent Group since November 2024.
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:[10][11]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1974–1999 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 1999–2003 | |
| No overall control | 2003–2007 | |
| Conservative | 2007–2024 | |
| No overall control | 2024–present | |
Theleaders of the council since 2011 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Brown[12] | Conservative | May 2011 | ||
| Peter Moakes[13] | Conservative | May 2011 | May 2013 | |
| James Palmer[14] | Conservative | May 2013 | May 2017 | |
| Charles Roberts[15] | Conservative | May 2017 | May 2019 | |
| Anna Bailey[16] | Conservative | 30 May 2019 | ||
Following the2023 election, a by-election in April 2024, a change of allegiance in August 2024 and a by-election in May 2025, the composition of the council is:[17][18][19]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 14 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 13 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 28 | |
The next election is due in 2027, subject to Local Government Reorganisation.[20]
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2019 the council has comprised 28councillors, representing 14wards. Elections are held every four years.[21]
The council is based at The Grange on Nutholt Lane in Ely. The building was originally a large Victorian house and it served as a maternity hospital from the 1940s until the 1970s. The building was acquired around the time East Cambridgeshire was created in 1974 and converted to offices. Several large extensions have since been added.[22]
TheFenland Survey ofarchaeological finds carried out in the 1980s mentions an enumeration of findings made between 1884 and 1994 in the region to the north ofDevil's Dyke andCambridge, from theStone Age, theBronze Age and theIron Age (the region south of Devil's Dyke is not yet included in the survey). By far the greatest quantities of bronze objects found in England were discovered in East Cambridgeshire.
The most important Bronze Age finds were discovered inIsleham (more than 6500 pieces),Stuntney,Soham,Wicken,Chippenham,Coveney,Mepal andWilburton. These findings includeswords,spear-heads,arrows,axes,palstaves,knives,daggers,rapiers,armour, decorative equipment (in particular for horses) and many fragments ofsheetbronze. The greater part of these objects have been entrusted to the Moyse's Hall Museum inBury St Edmunds while other items are in theUniversity of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology inCambridge. Other finds include traces ofcremations andbarrows, goldentorques, an extensive ditch system and a wooden track-way between Fordey Farm (Barway) andLittle Thetford.[23] Bronzerazors have also been found and it is well known thatCelts shaved their cheeks.[24]
The whole district is divided intocivil parishes. The parish of Ely holdscity status, and the parish councils for Soham and Littleport take the style "town council".[25]
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| National | |
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