Hertfordshire could be split in two

A review of local government in the county could see the district and county councils replaced with two unitary authorities.

The new Labour government has published a White Paper on English devolution that aims to replace two-tier councils - where an area is covered by both a county and district council - with a single authority. The government aims for new unitary councils to be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks. For most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area.

The population of Hertfordshire is 1.2m.

The Government has also said that it expects all councils in an area to work together to develop unitary proposals that are in the best interests of the whole area, rather than developing competing proposals.

The idea of replacing the county’s existing councils with two unitary authorities was an option identified in a report for Hertfordshire County Council by Price Waterhouse Cooper in 2020. The report suggested one authority for North East Hertfordshire - replacing East Herts, North Herts, Broxbourne, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield Councils; and another for the South West, replacing Dacorum, Hertmere, St.Albans, Three Rivers and Watford councils.

An alternative option would be to abolish the district councils, with Hertfordshire County Council becoming a unitary authority. However, this is opposed by the leaders of the ten district councils, who have issued a joint statement outlining their views:

"Following the publication of the Devolution White Paper, and subsequent statements by the leader of Hertfordshire County Council, we would like to make it clear that we do not support the creation of one unitary council for Hertfordshire. 

"Our county is diverse and made up of over 1.2 million residents across urban, suburban, and rural areas. Any reform of local government in Hertfordshire should follow a period of proper consultation with residents, businesses, elected representatives and stakeholders. Looking at the evidence, we should decide collectively what is best for our area. A single unitary council for the county risks diminishing local representation, with decision-making that is remote from the communities we serve.

"We do not support postponing the county council elections scheduled for May 2025. The government has indicated that this will only happen in priority areas who have clear and agreed plans. This is not the case in Hertfordshire, so we cannot be in the first phase of these reforms. 

"We recognise that the government’s white paper sets a clear direction of travel. As Hertfordshire’s district and borough council leaders, we want to work collaboratively with others to agree how we respond to this. Any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring that residents and businesses are fully engaged in shaping the future governance of Hertfordshire.

"Our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses. That cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve."