Councils in Hertfordshire given deadline to submit devolution plans ahead of Government changes

And that timescale – says leader of Hertfordshire County Council Councillor Richard Roberts – will present “a significant demand” on councils across the county.

Hertfordshire currently operates a ‘two-tier’ local government structure – with 10 district and borough councils and one county council.

But the government has signalled its intention for all two tier areas to be reorganised into single-tier unitary authorities.

And last week council leaders across Hertfordshire were formally invited to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation in the county.

According to a letter sent by local government and English devolution minister Jim McMahon, the proposals could be for one or more new unitary authorities.

And, he says, they are asking for interim plans to be submitted to government by March 21 – with an expectation that a full proposal would be submitted by 28 November.

In a statement issued by the Hertfordshire County Council, Conservative council leader Councillor Roberts pointed to the “significant work” required to prepare the proposals.

And he says the time-scales set by government “present a significant demand on all councils in Hertfordshire”.

Acknowledging there are different views on the future model of local government in the county, Councillor Roberts says he is committed to working with the county’s district and borough councils to protect services and support businesses.

And he points to the need to balance the work to prepare proposals with the continuing delivery of council services.

“The government’s plans represent the biggest transformation of local government and public services for half a century,” says Cllr Roberts.

“The impact will be felt for generations to come and the time-scales they have set present a significant demand on all councils in Hertfordshire.

“With financial and staffing pressures on every council in the county I am concerned about the need to now balance the ongoing provision of high-quality services with the significant work required to prepare proposals for new council structures.

“I also recognise there are currently differing views on the future model for local government in Hertfordshire.

“I am committed to working together with district and borough councils to find the best way to protect and enhance services to our residents, support our businesses to grow, and provide value for money.”

Councillor Roberts stresses that work within Hertfordshire is already ongoing – bringing together district and borough councils, the county council and the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

But he describes that work as being “at an early stage”.

“All 11 councils in Hertfordshire, with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, are already collaborating to develop a shared evidence base to inform the options available to our county,” says Councillor Roberts.

“We will now carefully consider the government’s request and jointly develop our response.

“This work is at an early stage and the views of residents, businesses, local government partners, our colleagues, and other stakeholders across the public and private sectors will be essential as it develops. We are also committed to providing updates at every step.

“I have not been actively seeking changes to the structure of local government in Hertfordshire, but the government is now clear that keeping the status quo is not an option.”

Earlier in the statement Councillor Roberts says he is determined to make sure Hertfordshire continues to be a “great place to live, work and invest”.

And he says his priority is to ensure that any changes benefit Hertfordshire’s residents and businesses, maintain “our excellent local government services”, and enable strong democratic accountability.