Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire

Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire 

In December 2024, the government published the English Devolution White Paper which sets out proposals for major changes to the way local government is structured and run.

In February 2025, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution issued a statutory invitation to all Borough, District and County Councils in Hertfordshire to develop unitary proposals which will bring together lower and upper tier local government services into new unitary councils.

Hertfordshire County Council and the 10 Borough and District Councils submitted final proposals to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on Friday 28 November 2025. View the proposed options submitted

Central government recently ran a consultation on the differing Unitary model proposals. All Parish, Town and Community Councils were invited to submit responses. HAPTC submitted its response to the LGR consultation on the 24th March 2026. View the HAPTC submission

The Government consultation on Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire closed on Thursday 26 March 2026.

We now await the Government’s decision on which of the three proposals will be taken forward in Hertfordshire. This decision is expected in Summer 2026.

Currently Hertfordshire is working to the following government timescales

• May 2027 – elections for shadow authorities. Shadow authorities are the new unitary council(s) before they formally take on all responsibilities.
• April 2028 – when each new authority formally takes on all responsibilities (this is sometimes called “vesting day”)