Councils will change

The leader of the city council and the elected mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority have moved quickly to answer concerns of veretan politician Charles Swift about the future of Peterborough’s local authority. They may be sure that the city council will remain despite the creation of the new combined authority but Mr Swift - a recently retired veteran of more than six decades on the council - has a point that many people are raising. If the combined authority is not simply going to be another layer of bureacracy and administration what structure will be created that allows greater efficiency in our local government? Peterborough’s voice must not be dimmed but few people expect the independent review into local goverenment structures in Cambridgeshire to suggest the status quo is the best option.