Salary of mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, is confirmed - and deputy named
The new mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Paul Bristow, will be paid a salary of £93,000.
His deputy has also been named as Cllr Anna Bailey, the Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council.
Confirmation came at the first board meeting chaired by Mr Bristow on Wednesday (4 June).
The mayor’s salary, which is subject to future indexation, was recommended by an Independent Remuneration Panel, which also determined fellow members’ allowances.
A report from the panel noted that an MP’s salary was £91,346 in 2024-25, but deemed it no longer appropriate to utilise this as a reference point.
Instead, it decided that a more relevant reference point was the median average paid to all combined authority mayors - £93,000.
Mr Bristow, the former Conservative MP for Peterborough, was elected as the new mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in May, taking over from Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson, who was paid £91,699 last year.
The mayor is responsible for a £20million annual budget, has a strategic overview of the region’s transport and devolved powers to spend up to £800million on local housing, infrastructure and jobs.
He also chairs the Combined Authority board, which includes representatives of the region’s seven constituent councils, as well as a funding committee and staffing committee.
During the board meeting, members agreed to the recommendations of an Independent Remuneration Panel:
- Mayor – salary of £93,000 (up from £91,699 last year)
-Constituent council appointees to the overview and scrutiny committee – allowances of £2,176
- Chair of the overview and scrutiny committee – allowance of £5,900
- Vice chair of the overview and scrutiny committee – allowance of £2,950
- Chair of the overview and scrutiny working groups – no allowance
- Three rapporteurs appointed by the overview and scrutiny committee – allowances of £2,611
- Constituent council appointees to the audit and governance committee – allowances of £2,176
- Independent member appointed to the audit and governance committee – allowance of £3,068
- Independent chair of the audit and governance committee – allowance of £5,900
- Vice chair of the audit and governance committee – allowance of £2,950
Mr Bristow appointed his deputy mayor and committee chairs at Wednesday’s meeting.
The appointments were:
- Deputy mayor – Cllr Anna Bailey (Conservative), leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council
- Chair of the transport committee – Cllr Chris Boden (Conservative), leader of Fenland District Council
- Chair of the skills committee – Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (Liberal Democrat), leader of Cambridgeshire County Council
- Chair of the growth committee – Cllr Sarah Conboy (Liberal Democrat), leader of Huntingdonshire District Council
Mr Bristow said his appointments reflected a united focus on getting things done across the region.
He added: “When I was elected, I pledged to get Cambridgeshire and Peterborough moving and to do that, we need to pull together.
“I may chair the Combined Authority board, but we are all partners in delivery, and all passionate about delivering for our communities.
“The joint letter calling on the government to finally upgrade Ely Junction is a perfect example of speaking with one voice, which will be critical to getting things done.
“So, when we secure investment and when we get spades in the ground and deliver for our residents, it won’t just be a win for the mayor, it will be a win for all of us.”
Cllr Nethsingha said: “Strong partnership working is essential to our efforts to make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough a better place to live and work.
“I welcome the mayor’s commitment to collaboration, and I’m looking forward to working closely with colleagues across the region to drive real results.”
Other highlights from the meeting included board members agreeing to step in and save the number 33 bus route from March to Whittlesey, and discussions around the future of the Tiger bus pass.
