The Leaders of Hertfordshire's 11 councils have agreed to rule out the option of a single unitary authority for the county as part of ongoing discussions on local government reform proposals.

In response to the Government's invitation to councils in all two-tier areas to submit an interim plan for moving to a single tier of unitary councils providing all services, Hertfordshire's interim submission outlined a number of options for further consideration ranging from one to four unitary councils.

Following the election of a new County Council administration in May, there will be no further work to develop the business case for one unitary council covering the whole of Hertfordshire. This reflects a shared view that a single unitary council covering Hertfordshire's 1.2m residents would be too remote from the county's diverse communities.

Leaders' shared priorities remain ensuring any changes benefit residents and businesses, that excellent local government services are maintained, residents are kept safe, and strong democratic accountability is available to communities across the county. They will continue to explore the evidence and refine the options to be considered ahead of submitting final proposals to the Government by 28 November for Ministers to consider.

A team of officers drawn from the County Council and all 10 District & Borough Councils has been established to develop the options and make recommendations for Leaders to consider. Key considerations will include ensuring value for money in any new structures; understanding the impact of any changes to key services like social care and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND); how proposals support future devolution; and making sure communities continue to have a strong say in local decisions. The Government will provide £378,077 funding to support this project.

Councils will also continue to prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to people and communities during this period of transformation.

The views of residents, businesses, local government partners, colleagues, and other stakeholders across the public and private sectors will be essential as proposals develop and significant engagement will take place over the coming months.

Cllr Daniel Allen, Leader of North Herts Council said: "I am extremely pleased that the decision has been made not to take the business case forward for one unitary council for Hertfordshire.

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"Our priority in North Herts remains ensuring that any changes genuinely benefit our residents and businesses, and we stand by our view that local government needs to be close to the communities it supports for unitary government to be truly effective.

"We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with our Hertfordshire colleagues on the development of the final 28 November proposals and remain committed to involving our residents, stakeholders and staff in this process."