Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority no longer under best value notice

The government will not reissue a best value notice for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority after it lapsed over the summer.

The notice was issued by the government in January last year after “significant concerns” were highlighted by external auditors the year before.

The government issued a revised best value notice in January this year, again raising formal concerns about the authority, but recognising that steps had been taken to “address the serious issues at the authority”.

In a letter to mayor Dr Nik Johnson on Monday (9 September), local government minister Jim McMahon said his department recognised the progress made by the Combined Authority and its commitment to continuous improvement.

“We expect CPCA to sustain its improvement journey, further embedding change and continuing to strive for strong partnership working across all levels of the combined authority and its constituent authorities,” Mr McMahon said.

The Combined Authority has worked with its Independent Improvement Board to tackle matters raised in the notice. These include changing the culture of the organisation, better partnership working, better processes and governance and embedding continuous improvement.

The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government also wrote to the Combined Authority in August to say it recognised the efforts which had been put into addressing the concerns, its evidence of progress, and how it had been delivering on commitments to improve. In the letter, it agreed to lift £3.85m of funding previously withheld, which is due to be paid to the Combined Authority this month.

Responding, Dr Johnson said: “The expiry of the best value notice is a fantastic endorsement of all the hard work of everyone who has contributed to the transformation of the Combined Authority.

“With the new government committed to the role mayors and devolution will play in powering growth, this Combined Authority is now even better placed to work in partnership with them and our local partners to deliver the investment our region needs for a better future.”

Chief executive Rob Bridge added: “I want to first thank our staff for their incredible dedication and hard work, our board, committee and business board members for their support, our Independent Improvement Board for their valuable guidance, and the support of our constituent councils and our partners in transforming the Combined Authority.

“Since arriving at the Combined Authority in June last year I have been so impressed by everyone’s determination to ensure we can succeed together for our residents and businesses and the lifting of the notice is testament to everyone.

“While work to deliver for the region has never stopped, we are now in much better shape to work collaboratively and effectively to bring sustainable growth and opportunity to the region.”

The Combined Authority set up an Independent Improvement Board in autumn 2022 to guide its transformation. The board has been in regular contact with the government.