Council confirms County Hall sale

Hertfordshire County Council has reconfirmed its decision to market the County Hall site for alternative uses.

The original decision made in June was called in under the Council's Constitution and was discussed further at a special meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 9th July 2025.

County Hall has been marketed for employment use since September 2023, following the council's decision to move most of its services from the Hertford site to its Stevenage Campus. To date there has been limited interest in securing the site for employment use, with most interested parties looking to rent small parts of the building.

The council is now able to market County Hall for alternative uses, potentially including residential or commercial use, subject to planning permission

The previous cabinet decision to market County Hall for employment use included an ambition to retain the front part of the building, including the Council Chamber, for political meetings. The new administration has decided that the whole building will now be included in the marketing. This will remove the need to spend around £9.7m to split the front part of County Hall away from the rest of the building, reduce running costs, as well as increasing the total value of the potential sale of the site.

Critics have questioned the cost of the move when the future of loal giovernment is likely sto see the county council abolished in the coming years.

Planning has now commenced to create new spaces to allow for democratic meetings to take place at the council's Stevenage campus, bringing councillors closer to the officers responsible for delivering council services.

Cllr Chris Lucas, Executive Member for Resources & Performance said: "We have not taken this decision lightly and we welcome the feedback that has come from interested parties along with the views of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

"However, if we are to deliver on our pledges to make ourselves more efficient while improving services we must be prepared to embrace change that will bring benefits to all through the investment of any receipts back into the services we deliver.

"By looking at how we can best use our assets, particularly those that are not fully utilised we can reduce the need for borrowing, allowing us to invest in our vital services and deliver on our vision for a better Hertfordshire."

The original building at County Hall is Grade II* listed, and the front part contains many of the most significant heritage features. Potential bidders will be expected to demonstrate that their proposals will protect the building's heritage.

The county council will remain responsible custodians of County Hall while the bids are evaluated and any potential planning permissions are granted, during which time the site will continue to generate income for the council by being rented out for TV and film projects.