Former Cambridge City Council leader Lewis Herbert steps down as councillor

Cambridge City Council’s former leader Lewis Herbert has stepped down from his role as councillor.

Cllr Herbert (Lab, Coleridge) has served in local government as both a councillor and council worker for the past four decades.

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Councillor Awards last year, after serving 25 years as an elected member.

Before arriving in Cambridge, Cllr Herbert served on the Greater London Council where he became the youngest ever GLC councillor when he was elected in 1980. Having introduced some of the first British recycling centres, he went on to work in New Zealand for four years on reorganising local government.

He became Cambridgeshire County Council’s first recycling officer in 1990, expanding recycling in partnership with district councils until 2003, from near zero to close to 50 per cent.

Cllr Herbert became a Cambridge city councillor in 2004 and led the Labour group on the city council for 15 years until the end of 2021.

He was the longest-serving leader of Cambridge City Council, having led for seven and a half years.

Cllr Herbert said: “It’s been the greatest of privileges to be a Cambridge City councillor for 19 years, representing Coleridge residents in my favourite part of the city. I’m so proud of our city and county councillor team for continually delivering so much for Cambridge, and just as proud and thankful to our under-recognised hard-working staff who do the real work, including for delivering so much support to local people in the greatest need, for making tough decisions needed to improve Cambridge infrastructure, and for building and starting now nearly 700 council homes - the achievement that makes me smile the most.

“My new work for Allia Future Homes continues that last theme, delivering more modular home communities with local partners for people previously homeless or rough sleeping in other cities and communities across the country, learning plenty from the four managed so caringly here by Jimmy’s Cambridge, and now being expanded further by ‘It Takes A City’.”

Cllr Herbert will be remembered for his work addressing poverty and inequality, tackling the climate emergency and his focus on creating ‘One Cambridge Fair For All’, with the building of more council housing and the housing first scheme for rough sleepers among two causes close to his heart.

Council leader Cllr Anna Smith led tributes to Cllr Herbert: “I want to congratulate Lewis on his lifetime of public service, which has been unparalleled in Cambridge, leading to Cambridge Labour's biggest ever electoral successes year on year.

“During his time as leader, Lewis completely transformed the focus of the council, to one which seeks to support those most vulnerable, through our equality programmes, our focus on addressing the climate emergency and the council homes building programme, of which we are all so proud.

“But more than this, Lewis will be remembered for his skills as a brilliant leader and communicator, who supported colleagues and nurtured relationships across the city.

“On behalf of myself and all our city council colleagues, past and present, I’d like to add my thanks and congratulations to him for so many years of service and wish him the very best of luck as he continues with his future endeavours addressing homelessness.”