The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) should be disbanded as everything it now does is “tainted” by the congestion charge proposals, a councillor has argued.

Councillor Steve Count (Conservative), leader of the opposition at Cambridgeshire County Council, said the failed congestion charge plans had left a “stain” on the GCP.

He claimed the organisation’s funding and responsibilities should now be passed over to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

However, others at the county council argued the GCP was still the best body to deliver the transport improvements needed in Cambridge and the surrounding areas.

Cllr Count put forward a motion at the county council full council meeting on March 19 calling for others to support the disbanding of the GCP.

A petition signed by 258 people calling for the organisation to be disbanded was also presented to the meeting.

Cllr Count said the Combined Authority had similar aims to the GCP, and should therefore take on its responsibilities and funding.

He said the failed congestion charge proposals had left a “stain” on the GCP, which he said “tainted” anything the body now tried to do.

He said: “It is hamstrung delivering anything effective. I am no fan of the Combined Authority under the current mayoral leadership, but it has actually similar aims, so it makes sense to remove duplicity and get rid of the GCP.

Councillor Bill Hunt (Conservative) argued the GCP was too Cambridge-centric.

However, others at the county council opposed the motion, voicing support for the GCP to continue its work.

Councillor Alex Beckett (Liberal Democrat) said the GCP had “faced its share of challenges”, but said this was because it was a body “dealing with complex issues”.

He said it was important for councillors not to forget what the GCP had managed to achieve, and said he believed the “best is yet to come”.

Councillor Dr Susan van de Ven (Liberal Democrat) said the GCP provided the “only available forum” to deliver the transport improvements needed to meet the “extraordinary growth” in the area, and argued it would be “absurd” to disband the organisation.

Councillor Elisa Meschini (Labour), deputy leader of the county council and chair of the GCP board, said the GCP had “saved” the Chisholm Trail, which she said was now used by thousands of people.

She also highlighted the additional £7.2million of funding the government was providing to support the continuation of the second phase of the Cambridge South East Transport project, which had been put on pause.

Councillor Lorna Dupré (Liberal Democrat) said she had “grave reservations” as to whether the government would allow them to disband the GCP, but allow the area to keep the money allocated to the organisation.

The motion failed to get enough support from councillors at the county council, with 18 councillors voting in support and 31 against.