South Cambridgeshire District
Non-metropolitan district
Cambourne, a new town and the administrative centre of the district
South Cambridgeshire shown within Cambridgeshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	East of England
Non-metropolitan county	Cambridgeshire
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Cambourne
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	South Cambridgeshire District Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Liberal Democrat)
• MPs	Anthony Browne (C) Lucy Frazer (C)
Area
• Total	348.12 sq mi (901.63 km2)
• Rank	35th (of 296)
Population  (2021)
• Total	163,002
• Rank	124th (of 296)
• Density	470/sq mi (180/km2)
• Ethnicity	97.1% White
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	12UG (ONS) E07000012 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TL318598
Website	www.scambs.gov.uk

South Cambridgeshire District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Chair	Peter Fane, Liberal Democrat since 25 May 2023
Leader	Bridget Smith, Liberal Democrat since 23 May 2018
Chief Executive	Liz Watts since 2019[1]
Structure
Seats	45 councillors
Political groups	Administration (35)   Liberal Democrats (35) Other parties (10)   Conservatives (9)   Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	Plurality-at-large
Last election	5 May 2022
Next election	2026
Meeting place
South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA
Website
www.scambs.gov.uk

South Cambridgeshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 162,119 at the 2021 census.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.^[5] A Halifax survey rated South Cambridgeshire the best place to live in rural Britain, and sixth best overall in 2017.^[6]

In 2010 South Cambridgeshire had the highest median household income in the county of Cambridgeshire.^[7]

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.^[8][9]

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:^[10]

• Chesterton Rural District
• South Cambridgeshire Rural District

The new district was named South Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.^[11]

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.^[12]

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:^[13]

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:^[14]

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.

Premises

South Cambridgeshire District Council's headquarters are located in South Cambridgeshire Hall in the Cambourne Business Park in Cambourne.^[15] The district council's headquarters moved from Cambridge to Cambourne in 2004.

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.^[16]

Councillors and Wards

Transportation

Cambridge Airport is located in South Cambridgeshire.^[19]

The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway passes through South Cambridgeshire.

Economy

ScotAirways has its head office on the grounds of Cambridge Airport in South Cambridgeshire.^[19][20]

Residents

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

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^[22] by way of the coat of arms of Cambridge suburb Chesterton.^[23] 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.