South Cambridgeshire


South Cambridgeshire is a mostly rural local government district of Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 148,755 at the 2011 census. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambridgeshire Rural District. It completely surrounds the city of Cambridge, which is administered separately from the district by Cambridge City Council.
Southern Cambridgeshire, including both the district of South Cambridgeshire and the city of Cambridge, has a population of over 281,000 and an area of 1,017.28 km square.
On the abolition of South Herefordshire and Hereford districts to form the unitary Herefordshire in 1998, South Cambridgeshire became the only English district to completely encircle another.
The district's coat of arms contains a tangential reference to the coat of arms of the University of Cambridge
by way of the coat of arms of Cambridge suburb Chesterton.
The motto, Niet Zonder Arbyt, means "Not Without Work" in old 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 district council's headquarters moved from Cambridge to Cambourne in 2004.
South Cambridgeshire has scored highly on the best places to live, according to Channel 4, which ranked South Cambridgeshire as the fifth-best place to live in 2006. A Halifax survey rated South Cambridgeshire the best place to live in rural Britain, and sixth best overall in 2017.

List of settlements

– 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

Local government

South Cambridgeshire District Council's headquarters are located in South Cambridgeshire Hall in the Cambourne Business Park in Cambourne. The council consists of 45 councillors, representing 26 electoral wards. The Liberal Democrats now have a strong majority on the council, having gained control in the 2018 local elections which saw a major shift in voting, the Conservatives having had control since 2007. Prior to that, no party had overall control of the council.
PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrat30
Conservative11
Independent2
Labour2

Transportation

is located in South Cambridgeshire.
The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway passes through South Cambridgeshire.

Economy

has its head office on the grounds of Cambridge Airport in South Cambridgeshire.