Single unitary authority for Herts ruled out

The proposed reorganisation of local government in Hertfordshire will not result in the countywide local authority.

The Leaders of Hertfordshire's 11 councils have agreed to rule out the option of a single unitary authority as part of ongoing discussions on local government reform proposals.

In response to the Government's invitation to councils in all two-tier areas to submit an interim plan for moving to a single tier of unitarity councils providing all services, Hertfordshire's interim submission outlined a number of options for further consideration ranging from one to four unitary councils.

Following the election of a new County Council administration in May, there will be no further work to develop the business case for one unitary council covering the whole of Hertfordshire. This reflects a shared view that a single unitary council covering Hertfordshire's 1.2m residents would be too remote from the county's diverse communities.

Leaders' shared priorities remain ensuring any changes benefit residents and businesses, excellent local government services are maintained, residents are kept safe, and strong democratic accountability is available to communities across the county.

A team of officers drawn from the County Council and all 10 District & Borough Councils has been established to develop options and make recommendations. Key considerations will include ensuring value for money in any new structures; the need to understand the impact of any changes to key services like social care and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND); how proposals support future devolution; and making sure communities continue to have a strong say in local decisions.  The Government will provide £378,077 funding to support this project.

The views of residents, businesses, local government partners, colleagues, and other stakeholders across the public and private sectors will be essential as proposals develop and significant engagement will take place over the coming months.

Cllr Steve Jarvis, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: "I have always felt that Hertfordshire is too big for a single council to provide all services to our 1.2 million residents and true local representation for our diverse communities. Without the support of the new county council administration this proposal is now off the table.

"Our focus is working together with District and Borough councils, our partners, residents and businesses to understand which of the remaining options will best serve our county in the future while also making improvements to services like Highways and SEND that really matter to people today."