About the Council

• Council Services
• The Council's Vision and Objectives
• Political Arrangements
• Council Structure

Council Services

The Council’s turnover is c.£140million each year. The range of services provided is very varied and complex. Increasing levels of partnership working, an ongoing drive for greater efficiency and more focus on good customer service mean that we are starting to develop new models for service delivery that will drive change and different ways of working.

In addition to the traditional district council services the City Council provides a comprehensive range of leisure and arts and community development activities. This includes swimming pools and sports facilities; the Corn Exchange (a regional entertainment venue); an internationally renowned Folk Festival; and a number of free open air events in our parks and open spaces. The Council allocates discretionary grants each year to enable the voluntary and not-for-profit sector in the City to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well being of City residents. The Council takes its role as community leader seriously and is committed to listening and responding to the concerns of local people expressed through a range of initiatives designed to consult and involve them in what the Council does.

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The Council’s Vision and Objectives

Our Vision

…is of a compact, dynamic, sustainable City with a thriving historic core surrounded by attractive neighbourhoods and green spaces, and where the community as a whole and every person in it matters. A City with strong leadership on environmental issues, where diverse local communities enjoy a high quality of life in safe, accessible neighbourhoods supported by affordable housing, integrated transport, and good access to leisure and community facilities. Cambridge will continue to foster a strong local economy together with its development as a centre of excellence and a world leader in the fields of higher education and research.

Our Medium Term objectives are to:

• Promote Cambridge as a sustainable city, in particular by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of waste going into landfill in the City and sub-region
• Ensure that residents and other service users have an entirely positive experience of dealing with the Council
• Maintain a healthy, safe and enjoyable city for all, with thriving and viable neighbourhoods
• Lead the growth of Cambridge to achieve attractive, sustainable new neighbourhoods, including affordable housing, close to a good range of facilities, and supported by transport networks so that people can opt not to use the car

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Political Arrangements

The Council is made up of 42 elected Councillors serving 14 wards in the City. Its current political balance is 28 Liberal Democrat, 11 Labour, 1 Conservative, 1 Green and 1 Independent.

The local political situation is complex and this adds an additional dimension to partnership working. The County Council is Conservative controlled. The City is completely surrounded by South Cambridgeshire District Council, which is also Conservative controlled.

The Leader of the City Council is Ian Nimmo-Smith, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group. The Executive consists of the Leader and 6 other Executive Councillors, each with their own area of responsibility. The portfolios are:

There are 5 Scrutiny Committees, comprising of non-executive Councillors, who advise the Executive Councillors and review their decisions. The Housing Management Board also involves tenants in the scrutiny of our housing management functions. The Council’s constitution places a strong emphasis on pre–scrutiny as a means of keeping all Councillors fully engaged in the work of the Council.

Four Area Committees were established in 2004 to improve further the way in which decisions are taken, to encourage the participation of local people and to improve the responsiveness of Council services.

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Council Structure

The Chief Executive leads a Corporate Management Team (CMT), which currently comprises five Directors, each responsible for a department and the Head of Human Resources. The Head of Customer Service reports to the Director of Customer & Democratic Services.

CMT has commissioning, prioritisation and decision-making roles designed to provide effective strategic leadership for the Council. Regular joint meetings with the Leader and Executive Councillors ensure that overall direction and decision-making are as effective as possible.

The Directors work through Departmental Management Teams made up of the Heads of Service, who have responsibility for the day-to-day management of services. The Head of Human Resources also supports the Chief Executive in his role. The Council employs just over 1,200 people.

View Departmental Structure

City Services - includes  Fleet & Waste Management, Building Services, Street Scene, Parking Services, Facilities Management and CCTV.

Community Services -  includes City Homes North & South, Temporary Housing, Independent Living Services, Community Development, Active Communities, Technical Services, Community Services, Housing Strategy and Arts & Entertainment.

Environment and Planning -  includes Policy & Projects, Development Services, Environmental Services, Tourism & City Centre Management and Customer & Support Services.

Customer & Democratic Services - includes Customer Services, Strategy & Partnerships, Legal and Democratic Services, Reception & Office Services, Corporate Marketing & Communications.

Finance - includes  Accountancy, Audit Services, Revenue Services, ICT Client, Procurement, Property and Estates and Management.

Human Resources - leads on people and organisational development strategies and policies and operational support and advice for line managers.

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