No-confidence vote prompted by car parks row

A council leader has survived a no-confidence motion following a row over plans to build on car parks.

Sarah Conboy's leadership of Huntingdonshire District Council was put to a vote at an emergency meeting in Huntingdon on Tuesday evening.

During a fiery debate, councillors opposing the motion called it a "naked and naive attempt" to gain political power, while those in favour said the administration was "terrified of taking responsibility".

Liberal Democrat Conboy, who became leader in 2022 and was re-elected in May, said she was "deeply uncomfortable" during the debate, adding: "It would be easier to resign, but I haven't."

During an impassioned speech almost two hours into the debate, Conboy said a vote of no confidence was a "very serious thing".

"I have said publicly and will say this tonight, we got this wrong," she said.

Ross Martin, the leader of the Conservative opposition, put forward the motion over the council's handling of proposals to build on a bus station and town car parks.

He told councillors: "Somehow we're in this scenario where a consultation goes out, nobody owns it, there's a lot of bucks being passed to other people."

Conboy said she had "deep regret" for the concern the plans had caused among locals.

Developers appointed by the council had proposed building new homes and community spaces on Huntingdon bus station and Princes Street car park, with similar plans for car parks in St Ives and St Neots.

Controversy over these plans has already led to the collapse of the council's Lib Dem-led coalition, after two green councillors quit the administration.

Currently no single party holds an overall majority of the 27 seats required for outright control of the council.

The Lib Dems are the largest party on the council, with 21 out of 52 seats, and are in a coalition with four Independents.

The second biggest party is the Conservatives, with 15 seats. Reform UK has nine members, the Greens two, and Labour one.

The Lib Dems initially formed a coalition with the Greens and Independents after May's local election.

But in August, Lara Davenport-Ray and Stephen Ferguson quit the coalition, citing the plans to build on council car parks.

Conboy, a charity CEO and former primary teacher, is a district councillor for Godmanchester, Hemingford Abbots and the Offords.

In 2025, developers Capital and Centric partnered with the council to come up with ideas to regenerate parts of St Ives, Huntingdon and St Neots.

In August, they began public events where they discussed ideas, including building on a number of council car parks.

The plans shared included Tebbutts Road car park in St Neots being replaced with 83 homes and green space, and in St Ives, 120 homes, gym and restaurants built on the former cattle market square and gatehouse.

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

This proved controversial among local residents, with thousands of comments on social media and hundreds of people turning up to public meetings.

Tim Heatley, Capital and Centric's founder, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire they were listening to feedback and looking at different options.

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