Agenda

Councillor B Mickelburgh to open the meeting with a ‘Thought for the Day’.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 21st May 2026.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary, other registerable and non-registerable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below.

To note the Chair’s engagements since the last Council meeting.

Time Allocation: 5 Minutes.

(a)  Motion from Councillor D N Keane

Infrastructure Readiness and Evidence-Based Growth Planning

This Council notes that:

Huntingdonshire District Council is preparing a new Local Plan to guide development across the district to 2046.

Since work commenced on the Local Plan, national planning policy and housing targets have changed, with significant implications for future housing requirements across Huntingdonshire.

While no local authority has formally launched a judicial review, multiple councils, led by different political parties, have strongly pushed back on the revised housing targets. Some councils are seeking longer timescales, additional infrastructure funding, and adjustments to the local plan process.

To date, Huntingdonshire District Council has not publicly set out what flexibility, infrastructure support, transitional arrangements, or timetable adjustments it may seek in response to the revised national housing targets.

The emerging Local Plan must be supported by relevant, proportionate, and up-to-date evidence, including evidence on infrastructure, transport, viability, flood risk, water management, health, education, utilities, and community facilities.

Work remains underway to assess the transport implications of future growth, including through the A141 and St Ives Improvements Study, the Strategic Transport Assessment, and related transport evidence.

The Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan, Infrastructure Delivery Study, and associated infrastructure schedules identify substantial requirements for highways, public transport, active travel, education, health services, utilities, flood mitigation, water management, community facilities, green infrastructure, and environmental infrastructure.

The Independent Review into bus franchising was published by the CPCA in June 2026, confirming a phased approach to bus franchising from 2027–2030.

The Local Plan relies on the assumption of expanding sustainable transport; therefore, this revised timeframe and scope of delivery should be accounted for.

Residents across Huntingdonshire consistently raise concerns regarding the cumulative impact of development on roads, schools, healthcare provision, drainage, flood risk, public transport, and local services.

Council believes that:

a.  Sustainable development requires housing growth, employment growth, and infrastructure delivery to be planned together.

b.  Public confidence in the Local Plan process depends upon decisions being informed by the most complete, current, and transparent evidence available.

c.  The cumulative impact of development across Huntingdonshire should be properly understood before strategic decisions are taken on the scale and distribution of future growth.

d.  Infrastructure capacity, funding, timing, and deliverability are central to whether proposed growth can be considered sustainable.

e.  A Local Plan that is not supported by clear evidence on infrastructure delivery risks being less effective, less credible, and less capable of commanding public confidence.

f.  Effective infrastructure planning requires close engagement with infrastructure providers, neighbouring authorities, the Combined Authority, and relevant government agencies.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Request Cabinet to bring forward a consolidated infrastructure readiness report, drawing on existing and emerging evidence relevant to the Local Plan, including transport, education, health, utilities, flood risk, water management, community infrastructure, green infrastructure, and environmental infrastructure.

2. Request that this report identifies, so far as the evidence allows, infrastructure requirements, delivery assumptions, funding sources, delivery responsibilities, key risks, material gaps, funding constraints, phasing issues, and delivery dependencies which may affect the preparation, soundness,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

To receive and respond to questions submitted by members of the public in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 10.1.

The Executive Leader Councillor S J Conboy to address the Council on behalf of the Joint Administration on the State of the District.

The Chair will invite the Leaders of the Opposition to respond to the address.

Time Allocation: 20 minutes

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, all questions –

·  Must be relevant to an item which the Council has powers or duties;

·  Must not relate to an item which is included elsewhere on the Agenda;

·  Should be limited to obtaining information or pressing for action; and

·  Should not exceed two minutes in duration.

Questions should not divulge or require to be divulged, confidential or exempt information.

The Executive Councillor for Governance and Democratic Services, Councillor L Dewey-Beckett to present a report on the Variation to Part 3 of the Constitution – Responsibility for Functions: Adoption of National Scheme of Delegation of Decisions on Planning Applications for approval by the Council.

To consider a report by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager on the representation of political groups on Committees and Panels in accordance with Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the District Council’s Constitution.

To approve additional meetings of the Cabinet and Council on 9 September 2026 and to approve the change to the meeting of the Employment Committee from 9th September 2026 to 23rd September 2026

The Executive Councillor for Resident Services and Corporate Performance, Councillor N J Hunt to present the refreshed Corporate Plan for approval by the Council. 

(The Plan was considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny (Performance and Growth) Panel on 1st July 2026 and Cabinet on 14th July 2026 and the Executive Leader will provide an update on the Cabinet’s deliberations).

Councillor P Hodgson-Jones, Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee to present the Annual Report of the Corporate Governance Committee for 2025/26.

Executive Councillor N J Hunt, former Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny (Environment, Communities and Partnerships) Panel to present the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report.

This item provides an opportunity for District Council Members to ask questions on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority issues.

If Members wish to raise questions or issues requiring a detailed response, it would be helpful if they can provide prior notice so that the necessary information can be obtained in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules require the Executive Leader to report on Executive Decisions taken under Special Urgency provisions annually to the Council. A report by the Executive Leader is attached.

An opportunity for Members to raise any issues or ask questions arising from recent meetings of the Council’s Committees and Panels.

A list of meetings held since the last Council meeting is attached for information and Members are requested to address their questions to Committee and Panel Chairs.

Group Leaders to report on variations to the Membership of Committees and Panels if necessary.