Shaping Hertfordshire's future
Local Government Reorganisation
Proposed options
Proposal documents
The final version of the Local Government Reorganisation Proposal has now been published and was submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on Friday 28th November.
The leaders of the 11 Hertfordshire councils have made a joint statement about the submission.
All 11 councils in Hertfordshire are dedicated to reshaping local government to deliver simple, accountable, and sustainable services for our 1.2 million residents.
Proposal for two Unitary Authorities (PDF 5.9MB)
Proposal for three Unitary Authorities (PDF 9.5MB)
Proposal for four Unitary Authorities (PDF 7.6MB)
Proposal Appendix C - Equalities Impact Assessment (PDF 823KB)
If you’d like these documents in another format, email: Communications@broxbourne.gov.uk
Why Hertfordshire has ruled out a single County Unitary option
Following the county council elections in May 2025, the Leaders of all eleven Hertfordshire councils jointly ruled out the option of a single unitary authority covering the entire county. The shared rationale is that a single authority governing approximately 1.2 million residents would be too remote from communities across Hertfordshire’s diverse and distinctive areas and that it would lack the local responsiveness and democratic accountability necessary to maintain high standards of local service and community engagement.
Options we are considering
After considering a wide range of options for different numbers of new councils, we selected three options for further detailed analysis and development. Having engaged with residents and stakeholders on these options, they are now going through the democratic process at each of the 11 councils across Hertfordshire.
West
Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford
EAST
Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield
2 unitaries
West
Dacorum, Three Rivers, Watford
PLUS Bushey North & Bushey South County Electoral Divisions
Central
Hertsmere, St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield
MINUS Bushey North & Bushey South County Electoral Divisions
EAST
Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage
3 unitaries
The shaded area on the map shows a potential boundary change between Watford and Hertsmere. We are considering this as part of the LGR process, as it could improve services where the current boundary splits communities.
West
Dacorum, St Albans
South-West
Hertsmere, Three Rivers, Watford
Central
North Herts, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield
MINUS Royston Heath, Royston Palace, Royston Meridian, Ermine, Weston & Sandon, Arbury wards from North Herts District Council AND Northaw & Cuffley Ward from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
EAST
Broxbourne, East Herts
PLUS Royston Heath, Royston Palace, Royston Meridian, Ermine, Weston & Sandon, Arbury wards from North Herts District Council AND Northaw & Cuffley Ward from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
4 unitaries
The shaded areas on the map show potential boundary changes. We are considering these as part of the LGR process, as they could better reflect existing communities and economies.