County-wide joint response submitted on local government reform

The submission follows the publication of the White Paper on English Devolution, which required two-tier councils to submit initial proposals for a single tier of local government by 21 March.

Hertfordshire is a two-tier area with the county council responsible for services such as highways and transport, adult social care and children's services, and 10 district and borough councils - including Three Rivers District Council - providing services such as bin collections, leisure and housing.

As part of their plans to reshape local government, the government has requested councils in all two-tier areas to submit initial proposals for moving to a single tier of unitarity councils providing all services.

Hertfordshire’s councils and the OPCC’s shared priority remains ensuring that any changes benefit residents and businesses, maintains our excellent local government services, and enables strong democratic accountability to our communities.

Officers and council leaders from all 11 councils and the OPCC worked together to produce the interim plan, and updates have been provided to elected members at each individual organisation. The submission sets out a number of options for further consideration, ranging from one to four unitary councils providing all services.

It also includes early thinking on how each option could support devolution, improve services, deliver value for money and maintain strong links to communities.

While a joint submission has been agreed councils have differing views on the options set out and no decisions are being made at this stage. Councils and the OPCC will continue collaboration over the coming months to collate and analyse further evidence for each option.

The government will provide feedback on the options put forward which will also inform the development of final proposals which need to be submitted by 28 November.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, the Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “Leaders of all eleven councils have agreed this joint submission based on looking at several different options in more detail. No decision has yet been made, and we all want the best council setup for our local area. We are some years off actual changes, and Three Rivers will maintain is high standard of services and business as usual. As leader of Three Rivers I will seek to ensure we represent the views of our local residents, who have made it clear that they want smaller local councils.

“We will engage further with resident, community groups and parishes, business and other stakeholders once we have the government view and further guidance post the May county council elections.”