Hertfordshire County Council is looking at ways to "challenge" plans to replace existing councils in Hertfordshire with four unitary authorities.

The creation of four unitary authorities was one of three options submitted to the Government by leaders of Hertfordshire's existing 11 councils last year.

And it was the option formally selected by the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, on Thursday (July 16).

Hertfordshire County Council had strongly backed an option that would replace existing councils with just two unitary authorities.

And in doing so, they pointed to the impact smaller councils could have on the delivery of services such as social care.

Following the announcement on Thursday, the leader of the county council Cllr Steve Jarvis (Liberal Democrat, Royston West and Rural), said the Government had selected the "most disruptive" option.

And he indicated that the county council would now explore ways to "challenge" the Government's decision.

Elsewhere in the country, some councils have already committed to launching judicial review proceedings against local government reorganisation plans in their own areas.

But it is not yet known whether this is an option that would be considered by the county council in Hertfordshire.

In a statement issued after the announcement, Cllr Jarvis said that splitting Hertfordshire into four would increase the cost of delivering vital services such as social care and highways.

He said it was "disappointing" that the announcement had been "silent" on devolution for Hertfordshire, which he said would bring the "additional local powers and funding that are key to unlocking our county's full potential".

And he said the council would "explore ways in which we can challenge the Government's decision to create four unitary councils".

"When the Government began this process, it said it was focused on devolution – transferring money and power from Westminster and Whitehall to communities across Hertfordshire and the rest of England," he said.

"Unfortunately, they have since diverted most of their effort from devolution to a costly and disruptive reorganisation of councils.

"A reorganisation that nobody asked for and which will take many years to deliver any benefit for Hertfordshire's people.

"Now, to make matters worse, they have chosen the most disruptive way in which this reorganisation could be done from the options submitted to them by splitting Hertfordshire into four.

"This means splitting the teams that deliver care for elderly and disabled people, the teams who support children with SEND and the teams who fix our roads into four, making it more challenging and more expensive to deliver these vital services.

"This will do nothing to create more special school places or fix more potholes.

"It will cost the council taxpayers of Hertfordshire more, and projections show that one of the new councils will [be] running in deficit from the day it is created.

"It is enormously disappointing that the Government has decided to ignore this and select the worst option for Hertfordshire's residents and communities.

"It is also disappointing that this announcement was silent on devolution for Hertfordshire, which would bring the additional local powers and funding that are key to unlocking our county's full potential.

"We are committed to getting the best solution for people in Hertfordshire, so whilst we will continue to work with other Hertfordshire councils to prepare for reorganisation and to make our case for a mayor as strongly as possible, we will explore ways in which we can challenge the Government's decision to create four unitary councils."