All 11 councils in Hertfordshire and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have agreed on a joint interim proposal outlining initial unitary structure options...
Read the Interim Submission
This follows the publication of the White Paper on English Devolution, and the subsequent letter from Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, which invited two-tier councils to submit initial proposals for a single tier of local government by 21 March.
Hertfordshire’s councils and the OPCC’s shared priority remains ensuring that any changes benefit residents and businesses, maintains our excellent services, and enables strong democratic accountability to our communities.
The submission received input from all Councils and the OPCC, setting out a range of options for further consideration. These range from one to four unitary councils. Each options considers how it supports devolution, improves services, delivers value for money, and ensures strong links with local communities.
While a joint submission has been agreed, councils have differing views on which option to pursue and no final decision has been made at this stage. Councils and the OPCC will continue working together to analyse each option in detail.
Councils will receive feedback on their initial proposal to help finalise plans. Final proposals must then be submitted by 28 November, after which Ministers will decide which option to pursue.
The views of residents, businesses, staff, and other stakeholders across sectors remain essential for these proposals. We will continue to work with our local communities and provide updates throughout this process.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “Whilst there is currently no single preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation, this submission represents a positive first step. The proposals consider Hertfordshire’s diversity and its thriving local economies. We have worked closely with partners across Watford and Hertfordshire to develop the submission.
“Any proposal pursued must ensure we have the best possible local services. I believe that a single county unitary council for the whole of Hertfordshire would simply be too big, with decision making that is far too remote from local residents.
“Watford has a strong identity and a deep sense of place that we all care about. We are proud of the high-quality services we provide, offering good value for money to our residents. This was recently recognised with Watford Council being named the 2025 Council of the Year.
“Any future structure must preserve what makes our town so special, safeguard the services residents rely on, and enable us to continue delivering for our community.”
