Local Government Reorganisation suspended

Plans to reorganise Hertfordshire's local councils have been put on hold by central government after receiving new legal advice.

Hertfordshire is one of 14 counties to have proposals paused, whilst plans for the reorganisation of a further four have been withdrawn.

Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner told MPs that "in light of legal advice, I want to satisfy myself firstly that the right process is in place, that it is robust, and of course complies with the law".

"And secondly, I want to fully test whether our proposals for local government reorganisation meet the priorities of a new administration and a new prime minister and any additional considerations."

A decision to abolish Hertfordshire County Council and replace the district councils with four unitary authorities was announced in July.

Last week, Hertfordshire County Council formally asked the Government to disclose all the evidence for their decision to create four unitary councils in Hertfordshire as part of Local Government Reorganisation.

Following a motion agreed by Full Council in July, the Council took independent legal advice and wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government seeking clarity and transparency on the process, including how the different proposals were assessed against the Government’s own criteria

The letter requests the disclosure of evidence, analysis and financial assessments that informed the decision, particularly in relation to financial sustainability, implications of the Fair Funding Review and population size.

The government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing council boundaries.