Editing Huntingdon and Peterborough (section)

==Formation==
The [[Local Government Act 1888]] created four small neighbouring administrative counties in the east of England: Cambridgeshire, [[Isle of Ely]], [[Huntingdonshire]], and the [[Soke of Peterborough]]. Following the [[Second World War]], a [[Local Government Boundary Commission (1945–1949)|Local Government Boundary Commission]] was formed to review county-level administration in England and Wales. The commission was of the opinion that counties needed to have a population of between 200,000 and one million in order to provide effective services. Accordingly, they recommended the amalgamation of all four counties into a single entity.<ref>[[Local Government Boundary Commission (1945–1949)]], ''Report for the Year 1946'', 3 April 1947 and ''Report for the Year 1947'', 11 March 1948</ref><ref>Gilbert, E. W. ''The Boundaries of Local Government Areas'' in ''The Geographical Journal'' vol. 111 nos.4–6 (pp.172–198) April–June 1948</ref> The commission's recommendations were not carried out, however.

The reform of local government was returned to in 1958, with the appointment of a [[Local Government Commission for England (1958–1967)|Local Government Commission for England]]. The four counties were included in the East Midlands General Review Area, and the LGCE made its draft proposals in 1960. The commission identified particular problems in the administration of the Soke of Peterborough, where 80% of the population of the county lay within the City of Peterborough, which was itself seeking [[county borough]] status. The LGCE concluded that the Soke was too small to continue as a separate county, and needed to become part of a larger authority. Accordingly, the draft proposals were to combine the Isle of Ely, Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough with Cambridgeshire (less the City of Cambridge).<ref name="hansard">{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1964/mar/09/local-government-east-midlands |title=Local Government (East Midlands) HC Deb 09 March 1964 vol 691 cc170–211 |access-date=2008-06-05 |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |date=1964-03-09 }}</ref>

There was considerable opposition to the draft proposals, and the LGCE instead opted in its final report in 1961 to create two counties: Huntingdon and Peterborough, and [[Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely]]. The Huntingdon and Peterborough Order was made on 14 February 1964, and placed before the [[United Kingdom House of Commons|House of Commons]] on 9 March 1964. The amalgamation was welcomed by [[David Renton]], the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|member of parliament]] (MP) for [[Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Huntingdonshire]], who felt that "The new county will have very good communications and a great community of interest. It will be a compact and convenient local government unit." The order was approved by 143 votes to 83.<ref name="hansard"/>

The new county was formed on 1 April 1965 from the areas of the administrative counties of Huntingdonshire and Soke of Peterborough (with minor boundary changes) and [[Thorney Rural District]] from the [[Isle of Ely]]. As well as becoming an administrative county, Huntingdon and Peterborough also became a county for other statutory purposes. Accordingly, the [[Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire]] became [[Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdon and Peterborough]], with Peterborough ceasing to be part of the geographical county of Northamptonshire. A [[high sheriff]] was also appointed to the new county, and a single commission of peace and court of quarter sessions established.<ref name="hansard"/><ref>The Huntingdon and Peterborough Order 1964 (SI 1964/367), see [[Local Government Commission for England (1958–1967)]], ''Report and Proposals for the East Midlands General Review Area'' (Report No.3), 31 July 1961 and ''Report and Proposals for the Lincolnshire and East Anglia General Review Area'' (Report No.9), 7 May 1965</ref>

The county's population, as recorded at the ten-yearly census, was 202,622 in 1971.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10107374 A vision of Huntingdon and Peterborough] ''A vision of Britain through time'' Great Britain Historical GIS Project, University of Portsmouth, Department of Geography (retrieved 8 May 2007)</ref>

===Emergency services===
On the creation of the county, an order under the [[Police Act 1964]] came into force creating the [[Mid-Anglia Constabulary]] by merging the Cambridge City Police, Cambridgeshire County Constabulary, Isle of Ely Constabulary, Huntingdonshire Constabulary, and the [[Peterborough Combined Police]] Force (created in 1947 from the [[Liberty of Peterborough Constabulary]] and the [[Peterborough City Police]]). On further local government reform in 1974, the present [[Cambridgeshire Constabulary]] was formed with the same boundaries.<ref>[http://www.theera.free-online.co.uk/index.htm Cambridgeshire Constabulary History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106131901/http://www.theera.free-online.co.uk/index.htm |date=6 November 2007 }} The Badgers Lair (retrieved 11 December 2005)</ref>

The Huntingdon and Peterborough Fire Brigade was formed on the same date by the merger of Huntingdonshire Fire Brigade and the Soke of Peterborough Fire Brigade. Since 1974 this has formed part of [[Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service]].