Hertfordshire could be spit-up into as many as FOUR unitary authorities under proposals drafted by the council leaders.

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

But last month council leaders were invited by the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to develop proposals for a single-tier of local government for the county.

As part of those proposals Hertfordshire's 11 existing councils would be replaced by one or more 'unitary' authorities.

And council leaders across Hertfordshire have been asked to deliver an 'interim' plan to government by this Friday (March 21).

The latest draft of that joint submission to government is due to be considered by a meeting of the county council's cabinet today (March 17).

It shows that instead of agreeing on one single option, council leaders are set to include FIVE different options in the document.

The first option – backed by the county council – would see ONE single unitary authority covering the whole of Hertfordshire.

But, according to the document, the majority of district and borough councils do not support the single county unitary option for Hertfordshire.

The remaining four options would see the county split into TWO, THREE or FOUR unitary authorities – based around the boundaries of existing district or borough councils.

According to the document, none of the district or borough councils yet have a single preferred option.

Under the TWO unitary council scenario, the areas currently covered by Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield councils would form a council to the east.

And the areas currently covered by Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers and Watford would be joined together to the west.

Also included in the draft submission are two-separate scenarios being that would see THREE unitary councils established in Hertfordshire.

In the first of those scenarios, the areas currently covered by Dacorum, Three Rivers and Watford councils would form a unitary council to the west.

Those areas covered by Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts and Stevenage would form a unitary in the east.

And areas currently covered by Hertsmere, St Albans and Welwyn Hatfield councils would form a 'central' unitary council.

In the second of the three-unitary scenarios, the areas currently covered by Broxbourne, Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield council would form a 'south' unitary council.

Those areas currently covered by East Herts, North Herts and Stevenage would form a unitary council to the east.

And those in Dacorum, St Albans, Three Rivers and Watford would form a third unitary council in the west.

Meanwhile in the fifth scenario to be included in the submission, existing councils would be replaced by FOUR unitary authorities.

In this final scenario the areas currently covered by Broxbourne and East Herts councils would form a unitary council in the east.

The areas currently covered by Dacorum and St Albans councils would form a unitary council in the west.

A further unitary council would be formed in the south west by areas currently covered by Hertsmere, Three Rivers and Watford councils.

And a fourth 'central' unitary council would by formed from areas currently covered by North Herts, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield councils.

According to the document the cost of transition from the 11 existing councils to a unitary structure would be between £52m and £54m – regardless of the scenario selected.

And the number of councillors on each council would vary – depending on how many councils there were.

If there was one unitary, the submission suggests there would be between 109 and 200 councillors.

If there were four unitary authorities, for example, the number of councillors in each council is estimated to be in the range of 40 to 45.

Although the councils have not collectively agreed on a preferred option, the 26-page draft submission says they have established some clear and robust principles, built consensus and "significantly narrowed down the relevant options from all possible alternatives".

It says this is "an historic opportunity to reshape local government in Hertfordshire".

And, it says, it has led to "an even greater intensity of collaboration and engagement between leaders and chief executives than at any previous juncture".

In the next stage of the process, government officials will provide feedback on the councils' 'interim' plan – with any full proposal due for submission in November (2025).

According to the report to be considered by the county council's cabinet, the government's expectation is that new unitary authorities would be delivered by April 2028.