Final ceremony held at Hertfordshire county hall building as councillors depart after 86 years

The distinctive curved chamber – adorned with stained glass panels – has been at the heart of decision-making and political debate since 1939.

On Wednesday, county councillors filed into the Hertford venue for the last time – with all future meetings to be held at a purpose-built facility at the council’s Stevenage headquarters.

At the two-hour meeting, the 19 former county councillors – 15 Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats and two Labour – were appointed as Honorary Aldermen for Hertfordshire.

Among them was former Conservative county councillor David Lloyd, who went on to serve as the county’s first Police and Crime Commissioner.

They included former Labour county councillor Baroness Sharon Taylor, who was also leader of Stevenage Borough Council and who now sits in the House of Lords.

And they included Liberal Democrat Chris White, who, having served as a member of the county council for 32 years, holds the record for continuous long service.

The others to be recognised as Honorary Aldermen were former county councillors David Andrews, Phil Bibby, Stephen Boulton, Annie Brewster, Bob Deering, Terry Douris, Lesley Greensmyth, Teresa Heritage, Fiona Hill, Nicholas Hollinghurst, Terry Hone, Jeff Jones, Asif Khan, Paul Mason, Mark Mills-Bishop and Richard Thake.

As well as serving on the county council, many of those receiving the honour have also served – or continue to serve – on district or borough councils across the county.

At the meeting, the chairman of the county council, Cllr Laurence Brass, acknowledged that the 19 nominees put forward were “a record number”.

While being an Honorary Alderman does not have any privileges, he said it was a “reward” for service as a councillor.

At the end of the meeting, Cllr Brass also acknowledged the historic moment at County Hall – ending the council’s 86-year history in the council chamber.

He told councillors how Queen Elizabeth – later known as the Queen Mother – had had to cancel a visit to open it following the declaration of war.

And he said: “This chamber has been used for 86 years solidly.

“And it is a bittersweet moment that I suspect my words now will be the last words to be heard in this wonderful building.”

Following his address – with the Lord Lieutenant present – he invited those in the chamber to sing the National Anthem to end the meeting.

The County Hall site, on Pegs Lane, was formerly the bustling headquarters for the county council.

But since 2023, the vast majority of staff have moved from County Hall to the authority’s Stevenage campus.

In July, the council took the decision that the entire County Hall site should be sold off, with democratic meetings moving to a purpose-built council chamber on the Stevenage campus.

And, last month, bids for the site were invited through an ‘informal tender’ process – with an advertised deadline of December 4.

Commenting on the move from County Hall to Stevenage, executive member for resources and performance, Cllr Chris Lucas, said: “County Hall has a proud history at the heart of Hertfordshire’s democracy, having served generations of residents and councillors for more than eight decades.

“As we now look to the future and embrace change, we will build on that legacy by making the best use of our assets, particularly those that are underutilised, so we can save money, invest in vital services, and deliver on our vision for a thriving Hertfordshire.”