Hertfordshire MPs question Secretary of State over decision to pause plans for local Government reorganisation

Currently, Hertfordshire operates with a county council, which delivers services such as education, social care, public health and waste disposal across the county.

The 10 district and borough councils are responsible for services including housing, parking, planning and waste collection within their boundaries.

As part of the Government’s ‘local government reorganisation’ (LGR) plans, all existing councils were set to be abolished in 2028 - and replaced with four unitary authorities.

Each of those four would then have delivered all council services within their geographical boundaries.

But on Monday September 7 Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner announced that reorganisation plans for Hertfordshire - and 13 other areas - would be reviewed.

Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat, Harpenden and Berkhamsted) was one of three Hertfordshire MPs to raise questions in the House of Commons immediately following the announcement.

After highlighting the impact on councillors and staff, she asked about the scheduled elections in May - and whether councils would be reimbursed for the money and time spent.

As part of the plans for LGR, the 2027 elections were expected to elect members to shadow unitary councils - 12 months before they would have formally taken over from existing councils.

But as part of the announcement, Ms Rayner said elections in May would just be for existing councils.

Addressing the Secretary of State in the House, Ms Collins said: “I absolutely share the shock and anger of councillors and council officers at the announcement.

“At the heart of this are councillors who are working so hard to deliver frontline services, whether that is education, housing or social care.

“It is they who are battling this change.

“I am still uncertain about what will happen in May, so will the Secretary of State please assure the people of Hertfordshire, and say what they will be voting for in May?

“Will councils be reimbursed for the money and time spent, so that the money can go to the services that are desperately needed?”

In response, the Secretary of State said it was important to make the “right decision” - and that they had committed to providing “transition funding”.

“I gently say to the honourable member that while I appreciate she uses language like ‘shock and anger’, it was important to me, as Secretary of State, to make the right decision.

“So I came to this House and spoke to honourable members to ensure that I do that.

“I still believe that local government reform will unlock potential for the honourable member’s area.

“I want to ensure that I am doing this with local people’s consent.

“I know that we cannot get everyone’s consent, but I absolutely believe that we can design services that will improve her area.

“We have committed to providing transition funding.

“Hopefully through local government reform we can transform some of the thorny issues that have been around for a long time, like adult social care, as the Prime Minister said, and build resilience at a local level.”

During the same debate, MP Andrew Lewin (Labour, Welwyn Hatfield) also highlighted the impact of the decision on council staff, pointing to the need for certainty and urging the Secretary of State to provide clarity on the next steps as soon as possible.

He said: “I have been an advocate of local Government reorganisation, but my thoughts today are with the local Government officers and councillors who have been working so hard for so long – including in some instances people who have been employed specifically to manage the transition.

“Will my Rt Hon friend give them some reassurance? What they need above all else is certainty.

“So, can she tell the House that for Hertfordshire, where she has promised a full review, she will come forward as soon as possible with clarity about the timeline and what comes next?”

In response, the Secretary of State acknowledged the work and financial commitments that had been made, suggesting that the work was “not wasted”.

She said: “I say to the House that this work is not wasted.

“We are reviewing at pace so that I can come to the House at the earliest opportunity, and the Government have committed to providing transitional funding.

“I urge my hon. friend and his local leaders to contact my department.”

Also raising concerns during the debate was MP Gagan Mohindra (Conservative, South West Hertfordshire), who highlighted the impact on the voluntary and community sector and the services they provide.

He said: “I am going to try a different tack, rather than commenting on the hokey-cokey of this process.

“The more serious point is that local Government reorganisation was always a significant risk to the voluntary and community sector.

“Many funders are reluctant to fund organisations with annual incomes exceeding £1 million, leaving those organisations reliant on commissioned contracts from local Government, NHS bodies and other public sector departments.

“The proposed transition to unitary authorities was already disrupting funding streams – today’s announcement creates further disruption.

“Can the Secretary of State reassure those important community organisations that they will have the funding, and give them certainty about the direction of travel, so that they have the confidence to start and continue providing services for my community?”

In response, Ms Rayner urged the MP and the local organisations to get in touch with Government officials.

She said: “Again, I want to reassure the hon. member that this is about getting the process right.

“I want him and those local organisations to get in contact with my officials, so that we can be sure that we are doing everything possible to support the process.

“I have said that unitary local Government can help with the smooth functioning of strategic authorities.

“I also recognise that the Government is committed to providing transition funding, so please go ahead and get in touch with my department.”

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