Greens quit coalition as council loses majority

A council has been left without a majority after two Green councillors quit a Liberal Democrat-led coalition.

Lara Davenport-Ray and Stephen Ferguson said they had lost confidence in the joint administration at Huntingdonshire District Council.

Both said one of the reasons for the decision was the council's handling of proposals to build on car parks in St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "The Liberal Democrats are thankful to the work that Green colleagues have done over the past four years as part of the HDC joint administration."

Davenport-Ray and Ferguson said the cabinet had agreed in July 2025 to explore different options to regenerate Huntingdonshire's market towns, but none of these council-owned sites had been identified in the cabinet report.

The plans shared by developers Capital & Centric included Tebbutts Road car park in St Neots being replaced with 83 homes and green space.

In St Ives, a further 120 homes, gym and restaurants built on the former cattle market square and gatehouse were proposed.

Huntingdon Bus Station and Princes Street car park would also be replaced with 78 homes if the plans were approved.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ferguson said: "What Capital & Centric is sharing with the public, and which naturally has caused a public outcry, bears little resemblance to what cabinet agreed.

"In July 2025, cabinet authorised exploratory work to produce a genuine range of options for regenerating our town centres.

"This work is urgently needed but must be done with sensitivity - not three set schemes built around developing public car parks.

"I want to be clear, cabinet never approved building on Tebbutts Road car park, or the similar sites in St Ives and Huntingdon."

Davenport-Ray added: "We have raised our concerns openly and honestly with our coalition partners and tried to resolve them collaboratively and constructively.

"We are no longer confident that the Liberal Democrat-led administration prioritises the values on which our partnership was founded."

Huntingdonshire District Council has been approached for comment.

Do you have a story suggestion for Cambridgeshire? Contact us below.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.