South Cambridgeshire District Council plans to discuss its innovative experiment with ministers after being told to halt it prematurely.

South Cambridgeshire District Council is requesting a meeting with ministers after being instructed to end its four-day working week trial, a move that has sparked debate over the effectiveness and value of such schemes in local government.

Initially, the council had announced plans to extend the trial through next April, but local government minister Lee Rowley intervened, ordering the council to end the experiment immediately. Rowley raised concerns about the scheme’s potential lack of value for money, stating that paying employees for an extra day without work was unlikely to justify taxpayer expenditure.

In her response, Liberal Democrat council leader Bridget Smith expressed surprise at the minister’s directive and requested a meeting to discuss the matter further. She defended the trial, stating that it had helped reduce reliance on expensive agency workers and even led to cost savings. The trial had also shown positive results, including filling previously hard-to-fill positions, which had saved the council £300,000 annually.

Campaigners for the four-day week, including Joe Ryle from the 4-Day Week campaign group, have criticized the government’s stance, arguing that the trial has delivered clear benefits, including improved recruitment and reduced costs. The controversy continues as councils like Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire explore similar models for their services.