Calls for Hertfordshire County Council to keep hold of headquarters until after local Government reorganisation decision
A Conservative member of Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has raised questions about plans to sell off its former headquarters amid speculation that local government reorganisation (LGR) could result in four unitary authorities for the county.
The council has received offers for the 25.58-acre (10.35-hectare) County Hall site in Hertford, following a December deadline for bids, having last year agreed to sell the site, valued at £50 million, for alternative uses after two years of marketing it as an employment location failed to attract a buyer.
The council, which moved to new offices in Stevenage in 2023, found that continuing to own County Hall would cost it around £2.4m a year in running costs. Retaining the building’s frontage would alone cost around £10m.
On Wednesday April 15, at a meeting of HCC’s resources and performance cabinet panel, Cllr Alexander Curtis (Conservative, Hoddesdon North) questioned whether at least part of the Pegs Lane site should be retained.
That’s because although Hertfordshire currently operates with a county council and 10 district and borough councils, there are plans to replace them with two, three or four unitary authorities in 2028 under LGR. The Government has already consulted on proposals and a decision is expected later this year.
Cllr Curtis said that, based on recent LGR announcements in other areas of the country, they should be prepared for the four unitary authority option to be a “likely possibility” in Hertfordshire.
With that in mind, he suggested there was a shortage of spaces - particularly on the eastern side of the county - big enough for these new councils to meet, and questioned whether at least part of County Hall, which includes a council chamber and committee rooms, should be retained for council use.
“Nothing is certain, but if I had to guess which one of the three [unitary options] they’re going to pick, at the minute I’d say it would be four,” said Cllr Curtis.
“There aren’t many meeting spaces in Hertfordshire, council chambers, that can fit the 70 to 80 councillors that are allocated for those four authorities, so there needs to be somewhere for meetings to take place.
“It’s going to cost a lot of money to build a new place or buy a new place and convert it. The front of County Hall therefore possibly does need to be retained in some form for public use.”
In response, the council’s executive member for resources and performance, Cllr Chris Lucas (Lib Dem, Hitchin South), acknowledged the uncertainty over the future of local government in Hertfordshire.
“With regards to suitable spaces to hold council meetings, I think there’s provision that can be made,” he said. “Maybe not ideal, but it’s certainly something that is not beyond the wit of man or woman to work out, as and when.”
Until 2023, the County Hall site - which includes modern office blocks and a multi-storey car park - was used daily by thousands of county council staff, who then moved to the council’s Stevenage campus.
The council had initially intended to retain the front part of the County Hall building - which includes the council chamber - for democratic purposes. But last year meetings were also moved to Stevenage and the entire Hertford site was made available for sale.
A brochure showcasing the site was published last October and potential purchasers were given until December 4 to submit a bid.
Cllr Curtis made his remarks about County Hall as the resources and performance cabinet panel was considering the council’s ‘Strategic Assets Management Plan’ (SAMP) 2025-29.
HCC manages a property portfolio of around 2,000 assets, with an estimated combined value of more than £3 billion. The council expects to raise £169m from the disposal of land and buildings by March 2030.
The cabinet panel recommended that the SAMP be approved. A final decision will be taken by the council’s cabinet at a meeting on Wednesday, April 22.
A spokesperson for HCC told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have received a number of offers for County Hall and we are in the process of analysing these bids and, where necessary, seeking clarifications from the bidders.
“We hope to be able to make a recommendation for councillors to consider in the summer, before our cabinet make a decision on how to proceed.”