Proposed options
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.
West
Dacorum
Hertsmere
St Albans
Three Rivers
Watford
EAST
Broxbourne
East Herts
North Herts
Stevenage
Welwyn Hatfield
2 unitaries
Options we are considering
After considering a wide range of options for different numbers of new councils, we have selected three options for further detailed analysis and development, and are seeking the views of residents and stakeholders on these options:
West
Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford
EAST
Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield
2 unitaries
Options we are considering
After considering a wide range of options for different numbers of new councils, we have selected three options for further detailed analysis and development, and are seeking the views of residents and stakeholders on these options:
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.
Strategic principles for engagement
This programme is guided by four strategic principles:
Transparency
Open sharing of process, timelines, and constraints
Consistency
Unified messaging across all councils and channels
Inclusion
Hearing from all groups, especially underrepresented voices
Accessibility
Using plain language and multiple formats to maximise reach
Contact us
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