South Cambridgeshire

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:^[9]

• Chesterton Rural District
• South Cambridgeshire Rural District

The new district was named South Cambridgeshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.^[10]

South Cambridgeshire District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Chair	Peter Fane, Liberal Democrat since 25 May 2023[11]
Leader	Bridget Smith, Liberal Democrat since 23 May 2018
Chief Executive	Liz Watts since 2019[12]
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	7 May 2026
Meeting place
South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA
Website
www.scambs.gov.uk

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.^[13]

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:^[14]

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:^[15]

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.

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]

South Cambridgeshire District Council's headquarters are located in South Cambridgeshire Hall in the Cambourne Business Park in Cambourne.^[17] The district council's headquarters moved from Cambridge to Cambourne in 2004.

Cambridge Airport is located in South Cambridgeshire.^[18]

The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway passes through South Cambridgeshire.

ScotAirways has its head office on the grounds of Cambridge Airport in South Cambridgeshire.^[18][19]

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

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Cambourne and Northstowe take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.^[20]

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

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.

• South Cambridgeshire
• List of settlements on South Cambridgeshire website
• Coat of arms

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Cambridgeshire.

52°07′55″N 0°06′18″E / 52.132°N 0.105°E / 52.132; 0.105