Government announces four unitary authorities in Hertfordshire
Today (16 July 2026) the Government announced its decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Hertfordshire, confirming it will create four new unitary councils, subject to parliamentary approval.
This means that from 1 April 2028 new authorities will take over responsibility for delivering the services currently provided by the county council and the district and borough councils in that area.
The new unitary authorities will be:
- West Hertfordshire - serving the communities of the existing Dacorum Borough Council and St Albans City & District Council
- South West Hertfordshire - serving the communities of the existing Hertsmere Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council
- Central Hertfordshire - serving the communities of the existing North Herts Council (minus five district council wards), Stevenage Borough Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (minus the Northaw & Cuffley borough council ward)
- Eastern Hertfordshire - serving the communities of the existing Broxbourne Borough Council and East Herts District Council, plus the Northaw & Cuffley borough council ward from the existing Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council area and Royston Heath, Royston Palace, Royston Meridian, Ermine, Weston and Sandon district council wards from North Herts Council.
Outlining the reasons behind its decision, the Government said that the four unitary council model reflects Hertfordshire’s distinct economic areas, the connection to local communities, a tailored approach to services and provides a strong foundation for devolution in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire is seeking the establishment of a Strategic Mayoral Authority with a directly elected Mayor for Hertfordshire as soon as possible to help unlock the county’s full potential. Local Government Reorganisation is an important step towards this.
The devolution of powers, funding and decision-making away from central government to a locally elected Mayor will enable better decision making about key economic drivers specifically designed around what works best for Hertfordshire.
Cllr Paul de Kort, Leader of St Albans City and District Council said: "By choosing to create four unitary councils in Hertfordshire rather than two, the government has chosen to ignore its own guidance surrounding population size and boundary consistency. This presents great risk for residents, both for the provision of the wide range of essential services that local government around here tirelessly delivers and also for future increases in the council tax burden. I am particularly concerned about the ability of residents to continue to enjoy the high quality, discretionary provision, such as leisure and culture provision, CCTV protection and fly-tipping prevention, that this council currently offers.
“Central government has decided that St Albans City and District Council is to be abolished and merged with Dacorum Borough Council including delivering all the services delivered locally by Hertfordshire County Council. Rest assured we will work closely with Dacorum and Herts County Council to ensure that we make the best of what has been required of us, as all residents would expect and deserve."
All councils in Hertfordshire remain committed to ensuring residents continue to receive high-quality services now and in the future.
Elections to the new authorities will take place in May 2027. These elected councillors will help set up the new councils and operate in a “shadow” capacity ahead of the new authorities being established on 1 April 2028.
More information about Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire can be found at www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/