The government has withdrawn Hertfordshire's four-unitary decision. New councils now start 1 April 2029, a year late, and Stevenage gets about £2m in November.

The plan to abolish Stevenage Borough Council and fold it into a new Central Hertfordshire council has been withdrawn. The government today took back its July decision to create four unitary councils in Hertfordshire, and the earliest any new council can now take over is 1 April 2029, a year later than first planned.

Withdrawn does not mean dropped. Hertfordshire’s 11 councils are still due to be replaced; what has gone is the agreed shape. “Today’s announcement means there is no confirmed reorganisation model for Hertfordshire,” Stevenage Borough Council said in a statement sent to Stevenage Today this afternoon.

What the government decided

The Minister for Local Government, Jim McMahon, wrote to council leaders in nine areas today to say their July decisions were being withdrawn. Hertfordshire is one of them, alongside Kent and Medway, Derbyshire, Devon, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire.

His letter says the review that paused Hertfordshire’s plan on 7 September has found “the basis of the programme is robust”, and that reorganisation will go ahead on the existing criteria. What it has not done is settle what happens in each area. “We have concluded that further time is required to consider the outcome in your nine invitation areas,” the minister wrote, adding that the withdrawal “is not a reflection of the quality of the proposals submitted by councils in your area”.

He was explicit that nothing is ruled out: “all options and proposals in your area will remain under consideration as part of the review.” That includes the four-council model Stevenage backed in July, and the alternatives it beat.

The new timetable

What When
Elections to Stevenage Borough Council, existing wards May 2027
First “minded to” decisions for some of the 15 areas under review By Christmas 2026
Decisions for every remaining area Early 2027
Elections to the new councils (shadow authorities) May 2028
New councils take over 1 April 2029

The council says it does “not yet know when Hertfordshire’s decision will be made”. When it comes, it will be a “minded to” decision first, with “a short period of review, allowing representations from stakeholders before a final decision is made”. That is a second chance for anyone who wants to argue for or against a particular map.

The minister’s letter says some areas “will receive an outcome before others”, with updates on another set of areas by Christmas and every area by early next year.

The money

Councils spent time and money preparing for the July decision. The government is paying half of the £900,000 in transition support it had promised for each new council, whatever the review decides. With four councils in Hertfordshire’s July plan, the council puts the county’s share at “approximately £2 million”, arriving in November. The letter says this payment “is guaranteed” and “not contingent on the outcome of the Review”.

The rest follows once a final decision is made, along with £150,000 per new council for leadership in children’s services, adult social care and public health.

What Stevenage’s leader said

Councillor Richard Henry, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, tied the news to the devolution deal named in yesterday’s Budget rather than to the reorganisation map.

“I have worked closely with government, local partners, and our MPs to help secure devolution for Hertfordshire,” he said. “This will bring powers and funding to our local area, to help make a difference for our community, support us to build more council homes, create new jobs, the opportunity to improve transport, and support regeneration.

“Over the last two years, the government has been looking at how to reorganise local councils. I have been clear that we will put the needs of Stevenage first and focus on what matters to our community. This includes building the new leisure facilities, to creating more council homes, improving local areas, and supporting the town.

“Today, government has confirmed it will continue to consider options to reorganise councils in Hertfordshire, replacing the current 11 councils, and plans to make a decision on this in the next few months. While this may lead to some uncertainty, I continue to remain focussed on what matters most for Stevenage, working closely with our partners and supporting the community we are proud to serve.”

The council said it will “now carefully consider the implications of this announcement on Hertfordshire’s LGR programme and the work to establish a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Hertfordshire as soon as possible”, and that Hertfordshire’s councils “remain committed to working collaboratively, engaging constructively with Government and ensuring that we are prepared for the next stage of the process once further clarity is provided”.

What it means for you

Nothing changes in your services. Stevenage Borough Council still collects your bins and bills your council tax; Hertfordshire County Council still runs schools, social care and the roads.

Next May you vote for the council you have now. The May 2027 elections go ahead to existing councils on existing wards.

Central Hertfordshire is no longer a settled plan. In July Stevenage was to join Welwyn Hatfield and most of North Herts in one council. That grouping, and the split that sent three Royston wards east, is now one option among several again. Our September report on the pause sets out the July map in full.

The mayor is a separate track. The Mayoral Strategic Authority for Hertfordshire is a devolution deal, not a council merger, and today’s letter does not withdraw it.

Sources