Best Value Notice for South Cambridgeshire Council’s Four-Day Week Trial Concludes

A “Best Value Notice” that had been issued to a council regarding its four-day week trial has now expired. The notice, initially directed at South Cambridgeshire District Council in November 2023 by the Conservative government, was subsequently renewed in May. It required the council to demonstrate that its implementation of four-day weeks, where staff worked 80% of their previous hours for the same remuneration as a five-day week, provided value for taxpayers. The correspondence confirmed that the Liberal Democrat-run council would not receive a renewed notice, with the government stating its intention to cease “micromanaging local authorities”. In the previous notice issued in May, the letter from the Conservative government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities stated: “The removal of up to a fifth of the capacity of the authority means that it is unlikely, in aggregate, for it to be able to support continuous improvement.” Nevertheless, a report published in July indicated that the council had succeeded in maintaining its quality of service. The most recent letter from the newly renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated that ministers acknowledged the council’s “constructive engagement” throughout the notice period. It also referred to the deputy prime minister’s letter to local authorities in July, which conveyed that they viewed local authorities as “partners in power, with mutual respect underpinning our approach”. They further elaborated that this signified “an end to micromanaging local authorities”. Council leader Bridget Smith expressed approval of this development. She stated, “We have spent the last year having to submit around 200 pieces of raw data to government every single week”. Smith added, “Disappointingly, at no point were we given any feedback on the data. “As today’s letter clearly points out, there is now agreement that councils themselves are best placed to consider what works best for them when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best staff to deliver high-quality services.” The trial has generated controversy, with opposition Conservative councillors criticizing the fact that the full council had not formally voted on the initiative. Group leader Heather Williams additionally challenged the council’s assertions that staff liked the four-day week. She claimed that a culture existed where some individuals completed tasks for others, characterizing the situation as a “pressure cooker environment… inevitably tensions will rise between those working longer hours than others to prop up performance”. The four-day week arrangement remains technically in a trial phase, as the council indicated it could not discuss making it permanent until the resolution of the Best Value Notice was determined. In an official statement, the authority mentioned it was still anticipating clarity from the government concerning the financial settlement for 2025-26. Following receipt of this information, the Liberal Democrats stated their intention to conduct a consultation regarding the future of the four-day work structure.