Consultation on parish and town council proposals
Residents are urged to give their views on proposals to change some parish and town council arrangements in St Albans District.
Among the measures being put forward is the creation of a new parish council in the unparished area of St Albans which has a voting population of around 28,000.
Another is the abolition of Harpenden Rural Parish Council with its area becoming part of Harpenden Town Council.
St Albans City and District Council carried out a Community Governance Review (CGR) into current parish and town council arrangements earlier this year.
This included a public consultation with the feedback being considered by the Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee.
The Committee made recommendations which are to be considered in a second consultation that is now underway and will run until Monday 23 February 2026.
This consultation will include polls in the unparished area of St Albans and in Harpenden Rural Parish to gauge the level of support for the proposals affecting their residents. A ballot pack will be sent to them by post.
Residents in the Highfield area of St Albans will be asked if they want to remain unparished, be part of the proposed new parish council or would prefer a new Highfield Parish Council.
The CGR was initiated following plans by central government to restructure local government across Hertfordshire.
Under the plans, the current two-tier system of district and county councils is to be replaced by new unitary authorities by May 2028.
Councillor Paul de Kort, the Council’s Leader, said:
Parish councils are an important part of our local government system. It is vital that they are not forgotten about during the restructuring.
We want to hear from residents, community groups and other organisations about the proposals that we have put forward.
In particular, we want to see if there is an appetite for a new parish council in the City, for a separate one just for Highfield residents and for the inclusion of Harpenden Rural Council within Harpenden Town Council.
I urge everyone with an interest in the future of our District to take part in the consultation and let us know their thoughts.
The proposals also include increasing the number of London Colney Parish Councillors from nine to 15.
No changes are proposed for the District’s six other parish councils: Colney Heath, Redbourn, Sandridge, St Michael, St Stephen and Wheathampstead.
The unparished area of St Albans is made up of these District Council wards: Batchwood, Bernards Heath, Clarence, Cunningham, Hill End, Marshalswick West, Sopwell, St Peters and Verulam.
Parish and town councils organise community events and look after assets such as open spaces, play areas and allotments.
The full list of recommendations is available here.
Residents can submit their views by completing an online questionnaire at https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/CGR-questionnaire or by emailing CGR@stalbans.gov.uk.
Alternatively, they can write to Community Governance Review, c/o Electoral Services, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE.
Responses will be used to draw up final recommendations which are expected to go forward to the Strategy and Resources Committee in June 2026.
A CGR can explore changing current parish/town council warding arrangements or boundaries, grouping existing parish/town councils, abolishing an existing parish/town council and creating a new parish/town council.
Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.