Hertfordshire council leader pleased by four-unitary decision withdrawal
The leader of Hertfordshire County Council, Steve Jarvis, has said he is “pleased” that the Government has withdrawn its decision to create four new unitary authorities for the county.
The Government announced yesterday (Thursday), that its previous decision will now be reconsidered, with a new decision made by “early next year”.
Hertfordshire had put forward three different proposals for the Government’s shake-up of councils, which will see the county council and all 10 district and borough councils, including Dacorum, abolished.
These would then be replaced by new unitary authorities that take over all responsibilities within a given area.
Hertfordshire’s submission to the Government included a two-unitary and a three-unitary model as well as the previously selected four-unitary option, and Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said “all options and proposals … will remain under consideration”.
Cllr Jarvis, who leads the Liberal Democrat-run county council, called on the Government to complete its decision-making process “as quickly as possible”.
He said: “Prolonged uncertainty benefits nobody and risks delaying the planning required to deliver the best outcomes for our communities.”
Cllr Jarvis, who has previously backed the two-unitary model, said that the four-unitary model “remains the most expensive, complex and disruptive option for Hertfordshire, with serious concerns about financial sustainability and the long-term impact on residents and services”.
He added: “Many important questions about the Government’s original decision-making process remain unanswered.
“We continue to believe that residents, businesses and councils deserve greater clarity and transparency about how decisions of this scale are reached and the evidence on which they are based.”
A spokesperson for Labour-run North Herts Council, which formally backed the four-unitary model, said they are “pleased to hear that the four unitary option will continue to be considered” and will ensure the council is “prepared for the next stage of the process once further clarity is provided”.
Elections to existing councils will go ahead in May next year, with the Government aiming to hold elections to shadow unitary authorities in May 2028 before they formally take power in 2029.