Stevenage council merger paused: no new date for 2028

Eight weeks ago the government confirmed that Stevenage Borough Council would be abolished on 1 April 2028 and folded into a new Central Hertfordshire council. That plan is now on hold.

On 7 September the Secretary of State announced a review of local government reorganisation across England. Hertfordshire is one of the areas caught by it. Stevenage Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Richard Henry, confirmed the following day that the council had “received the announcement about the pause to Local Government Reorganisation for Hertfordshire and other areas across England”.

Nothing changes for residents this week. But the timetable the council had been working to, and the shadow election that was due next May, have both stopped.

What was decided in July

On 16 July the government confirmed four new unitary councils for Hertfordshire, subject to parliamentary approval. Stevenage Borough Council set the decision out itself on the day, and the wards matter as much as the names:

The six North Herts wards moving east are Royston Heath, Royston Palace, Royston Meridian, Ermine, Weston and Sandon. The government’s stated reason for choosing four councils was that the model “reflects Hertfordshire’s distinct economic areas, the connection to local communities, a tailored approach to services and provides a strong foundation for devolution in Hertfordshire”.

Two dates went with it. The new authorities would take over county, district and borough services on 1 April 2028. Elections to them would be held in May 2027, with those councillors sitting in a “shadow” capacity for a year while the new councils were built.

What changed on 7 September

The government’s own announcement is blunt about why. “Following updated and privileged legal advice, ministers will review plans for Local Government Reorganisation,” it says. The review is meant to make sure the process “is robust and aligns with the new government’s plans to rewire the state”.

The distinction between the areas matters, and most coverage blurs it:

• Decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn outright.
• Plans for 14 other areas, plus Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and West Sussex, “are also being reviewed and paused while this is carried out”. Hertfordshire is in this group. Its decision has not been cancelled, it has been stopped mid-course.
• Surrey is not affected. Its two new councils, East and West Surrey, still go live in April 2027.

The government also confirmed that “local elections in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries”. For Stevenage that means next May’s poll, if it runs to the usual pattern, will be to Stevenage Borough Council as it stands now, not to a shadow Central Hertfordshire authority.

No date has been published for the review to report.

The same leader, eight weeks apart

In July, Councillor Henry welcomed the decision at length. “I believe this decision is the best option for Stevenage and for Hertfordshire,” he said. “It simplifies services for residents, saves money, keeps the local in local government and will support growth and opportunity for our communities.” He added that the council would “continue to provide high-quality services right up until Stevenage Borough Council becomes part of the new unitary authority in April 2028”, and that a year of work with the other Hertfordshire councils meant the borough was “well positioned to move forward with confidence”.

His statement on 8 September runs to three sentences and does not mention 2028 at all.

“Our focus remains unchanged, we will continue to concentrate on delivering what’s best for the residents, businesses, and community groups in Stevenage. We will stay in touch with our partners and stakeholders over the next few weeks to keep them informed of any LGR news and updates.”

That is not a change of position. It is the position of a council that has been told to stop.

What it means for you

Your council has not changed. Stevenage Borough Council still collects your bins, still bills your council tax, still runs the car parks and still decides planning applications. Hertfordshire County Council still runs schools, social care and the roads. Nothing about who does what has moved.

Next May’s election will be to existing wards. The government has confirmed that. If you were expecting to vote for a Central Hertfordshire council in 2027, you will not be.

There is no new date for anything. The review has no published reporting deadline, and the government has not said whether Hertfordshire’s four-council model survives it, is redrawn, or is dropped. A paused decision is not a cancelled one.

Watch the borough’s own spending. Councils in the reorganisation areas have been told to cease implementation work. Stevenage has not published what it had spent on preparing for Central Hertfordshire, or what stopping costs. That is the number worth asking for.

Sources

• Stevenage Borough Council, Leader responds to pause in Local Government Reorganisation, published 8 September 2026.
• Stevenage Borough Council, Government announces four unitary authorities in Hertfordshire, published 16 July 2026, for the four councils, the ward splits, the government’s stated reasons and Councillor Henry’s July quotes.
• gov.uk, Review of local government reorganisation launched, published 7 September 2026, for the withdrawn and paused areas, the legal advice, the May 2027 elections and Surrey.
• gov.uk, Local government reorganisation: programme review and decisions withdrawal letter to council leaders, published 7 September 2026.