East Herts leader wants residents’ feedback on Government’s council shake-up

The leader of East Herts Council is urging residents to have their say on local government reorganisation.

The Government wants to transform how authorities operate in Hertfordshire and the rest of the country.

The county and district councils are set to be replaced by unitary authorities with size a key question.

Green Cllr Crystall, also a member of Herts County Council, said: “Changes implemented in the next year or so will set the direction of governance in East Herts for a generation – we need to make this transformation the best it can be.

“I believe firmly that decisions that affect residents should always be made locally and I have been clear in my concerns that a single unitary council across our whole county would be far too large, impacting­­ democratic accountability.

“While there is much work to be done during the short timescale given, we will be collaborating with councils across the county to ensure that East Herts continues to be ambitious while remaining dependable for our communities.

“As a listening council, we also look forward to hearing views and feedback from the community throughout this transformation, as your input will prove critical in choosing the best option for our district.”

It is understood the Conservative-run county council favours a county-wide solution with one authority providing services for all 1.2m residents while the 10 districts, including East Herts, are looking at joining two or three other councils instead, with a maximum population of 500,000.

The Government wants councils like East Herts to submit initial plans by March 21 and full proposals by November 28, which the Government will then consider. Changes are likely to be implemented by April 2028.