Question 1

Which council do I actually deal with?

Accepted Answer

Two councils split the job. Cambridge City Council handles bins and recycling, council tax bills, the city car parks, planning and environmental health: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire County Council handles roads and potholes, schools, adult and children's social care, libraries, flooding, and on-street resident parking permits: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk

The elected mayor of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority handles strategic transport across the wider area. Note: the government plans to merge these into new 'unitary' councils around 2027–2028, so this may change.

Question 2

When are my bins collected, and which bin is which?

Accepted Answer

Blue is recycling, black is general waste, and green is garden waste — black and blue are collected on alternating weeks, green seasonally. Put bins out by 6am; if one is missed you can report it from 3:30pm that day.

Collections are set per address, not per street, so the two ends of one road can differ. Look yours up here: /cambridge-england-gb/bin-days — or on the council's own page: https://www.greatercambridgewaste.org/find-your-bin-collection-day

Your first green bin is free; extra ones are a paid yearly subscription. Weekly food-waste caddies started rolling out in January 2026 and have already reached many Cambridge rounds, with the rest due by the end of the year — you get an indoor caddy and a lockable outdoor one, emptied every week on your normal bin day. The council writes to you before your round starts; until then, food goes in the green bin.

Question 3

How do I register with a GP?

Accepted Answer

You can register with a local GP surgery for free, and you do not need proof of address, ID, or immigration status to do it — if you have no fixed address you can use a temporary address or the surgery's own. If a surgery refuses to register you it has to tell you why in writing within 14 days.

Start here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery/

The main hospital for the area is Addenbrooke's (Cambridge University Hospitals), on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus south of the city.

Question 4

Can I get an NHS dentist?

Accepted Answer

Honestly, it's hard right now: most dental practices across Cambridgeshire are not taking on new adult NHS patients, and many people end up paying privately or travelling. It's worth ringing round anyway, as practices open their books from time to time.

Find practices and check who's accepting NHS patients: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

Residents also swap current tips here: /cambridge-england-gb/cambridge-picks — a practice that opened its books last month is worth knowing about.

For urgent dental problems (pain, swelling, bleeding) call NHS 111 — they can arrange emergency treatment even if you're not registered.

Question 5

What's my council tax, and who do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Cambridge City Council sends the bill, but it's shared between six bodies — the county, the city, the police, the fire service, an adult-social-care charge and the mayor. For 2026/27 a Band D home pays about £2,467 for the year.

Our council tax tool breaks it down by band and shows where each pound goes: /cambridge-england-gb/council-tax

Not sure of your band? Check it on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands

Question 6

Do I need a resident parking permit?

Accepted Answer

If you park on-street in one of the city's residents' parking zones, yes. These are run by Cambridgeshire County Council (not the city council), and permits are now virtual — you apply and pay online through the MiPermit system, with proof that you live there and that the car is insured.

Check whether your street is in a zone and apply here: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/parking-services/resident-parking-schemes/cambridge-resident-parking-schemes

The price depends on the zone, so check the current figure on that page rather than relying on an old amount.

Question 7

The city runs on bikes — what should I know?

Accepted Answer

Cambridge has one of the highest rates of cycling in the country, and a matching rate of bike theft — though the city council reported in March 2026 that thefts are down about 70% since 2019. Lock up properly anyway: two locks, frame and wheel to a fixed stand, somewhere overlooked.

Where thefts are actually being reported, and where the covered cycle parks are: /cambridge-england-gb/bike-theft

Register your bike for free with the police-backed national database — it makes a stolen bike much easier to return: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/cycle-security

Report a stolen bike to Cambridgeshire police online or by calling 101: https://www.cambs.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

There's a large covered cycle park (CyclePoint) at the railway station, but treat it as convenient rather than theft-proof — a good lock still matters.

Question 8

How does Park & Ride work?

Accepted Answer

Five sites ring the city — Trumpington, Babraham Road, Madingley Road, Newmarket Road and Milton — each with a car park and a frequent electric bus into the centre run by Stagecoach. Parking is free for up to 18 hours and you pay for the bus (an adult return is £4.50, a short hop £3.80, and up to four children aged 5–15 travel for £1 each with a paying adult). A ticket is only valid at the site you bought it at.

See where the buses are right now: /cambridge-england-gb/park-and-ride

First and last bus times differ by site — on a weekday the last bus off Trumpington is around 20:20 — so check before you rely on a late one: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/public-transport-park-and-ride-and-guided-busway

Question 9

Is there really a hosepipe ban?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is still on. Cambridge Water's hosepipe ban (a 'Temporary Use Ban') has been in force since 1am on 17 July 2026 — the first here in about 30 years, because the chalk aquifer the city depends on is under real strain. No end date has been announced; it runs until the company lifts it.

While it's on, you can't use a hosepipe to water the garden, wash the car, or fill a pool or hot tub — but a watering can, a bucket, and water from a water butt are all still fine. If you have a medical need or are on the Priority Services Register you can apply for an exemption. Ignoring it can mean a court fine of up to £1,000.

Full details and exemptions: https://www.cambridge-water.co.uk/household/temporary-hosepipe-ban

How dry it actually is, measured on the Cam: /cambridge-england-gb/river-cam-drought

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