Long serving Cambridge Labour Councillor and former leader of Cambridge City Council, Lewis Herbert was last week awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Councillor Awards in Bath organised by the Local Government Information Unit.

For over four decades, Lewis Herbert has either been a councillor for 24 years, or working for local authorities for the other 16 plus years.

He said:

“It all started for me 42 years ago at the Greater London Council in 1980 as the youngest ever GLC councillor. Where I led for 5 years on recycling and tackling pollution, including of London’s air and the Thames.”

He introduced some of the first British recycling centres opened across all parts of London. He led a recycling partnership with the London boroughs and paid charities a bonus for every extra tonne London residents recycled. Starting the shift away from landfill and burning waste.

Then in New Zealand from 1986 for four years, he was part of a team that reorganised their local government and wrote the cabinet paper that introduced ward elections into the country. “That was a real democratic step,” he said. “It also meant I understood how government works.”

He has been a Cambridge city councillor since 2004 and led the Labour group on the city council for 15 years until the end of 2021, including the longest serving Leader of Cambridge city council for seven and a half years.

He said of his time as leader,

“Labour on the city council continues to champion “One Cambridge, Fair for All” in tackling how unequal our city is, building a huge range of partnerships on food poverty and support for residents on low incomes.  Needed more than ever with this winter’s energy and Cost of Living crises.

In addition, the city council has made major progress from 2014 on tackling climate change and reducing its emissions, and particularly on new council housing and “housing first” for homeless people.”

These are two causes close to Lewis’s heart. After negotiations with Treasury, Cllr Herbert and colleagues secured £70 million to build 500 new council homes for the city, now all near completion or built, with a further 200 also on the way including some net zero and Passivhaus homes. New modular housing also provides 22 new homes for former homeless Cambridge residents, with more planned and Lewis is now working on a new project to expand this to other towns and cities.

“Creating partnerships has been a massive part of all I’ve done along with the biggest partnership being between Councillors and our hugely skilled and dedicated council staff,” said Cllr Herbert.

“I’ve never been a quiet councillor – it’s always been change,” he said “and tackling disadvantage, particularly vital now at a time when it’s the most important issue for councillors to lead and support their communities across Britain.”

On winning the award, Cllr Herbert said,

“I’m really chuffed to receive this award after four decades rewarding work for Cambridge and other councils. Thanks to my wonderful colleagues on the city council for their nomination and a special thanks to the many council staff and people locally I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Our and my work to make Cambridge an even better place continues, particularly for those who need help or housing in the challenging winter ahead.”

Congratulations were also added by current Leader of Cambridge City Council, Cllr Anna Smith who said of his win,

“I want to congratulate Lewis on receiving this award, which is testament to a lifetime of public service. I’ve seen his passion, committment and wisdom first hand here at the city council. On behalf of myself and all our city council colleagues, past and present, I’d like to add my thanks and congratulations to Lewis for so many years of service.”