Central Hertfordshire
Central Hertfordshire | |
|---|---|
Future unitary authority area | |
 Stevenage Borough Council headquarters | |
 | |
Interactive map | |
| Coordinates: 51°54′08″N 0°12′03″W / 51.9023°N 0.2008°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | East of England |
| Ceremonial county | Hertfordshire |
| Incorporated | 1 April 2028 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unitary authority |
| • Body | Central Hertfordshire Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 130 sq mi (337 km2) |
| Population (2024 estimate) | |
• Total | 322,394 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
Central Hertfordshire will be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England. It is planned to be formed on 1 April 2028,[1] with elections to shadow authority taking place in May 2027.[2] The largest settlement will be Stevenage[3] and it will also include Baldock, Hatfield, Hitchin, Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City.[4] The area has a 2024 estimated population of 320,795.[5]
Formation
It will be formed from the district of Stevenage, combined with most of the districts of North Hertfordshire and Welwyn Hatfield. The wards of Ermine, Royston Heath, Royston Meridian, Royston Palace, and Weston and Sandon from North Hertfordshire and the Welwyn Hatfield ward of Northaw and Cuffley will instead join the Eastern Hertfordshire unitary.[6][7]
The district is being formed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils will see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance.[8] In Hertfordshire there will be four unitary authorities, with the other three being West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire and East Hertfordshire and Broxbourne.[9] The alternative proposals for two or three unitaries for Hertfordshire were not accepted.[10]
Governance
It will be run by Central Hertfordshire Council, which will comprise 89 councillors.[11]
Parishes
Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City are currently unparished, the rest of the area is parished.[4] Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is considering the creation of a parish council for Welwyn Garden City.[12]
References
- ↑ Mountney, Dan (16 July 2026). "Council leaders welcome Local Government Reorganisation decision". The Comet.
- ↑ "Government announces four unitary authorities in Hertfordshire". Hertfordshire County Council. 16 July 2026.
- ↑ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Figure 1". Office for National Statistics.
- 1 2 "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
- ↑ "Proposal for four unitary authorities" (PDF). Hertfordshire LGR. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ Hertfordshire LGR. "Proposal for four unitary authorities" (PDF). p. 25.
- ↑ "Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Hertfordshire council leaders" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ Forsyth, Alex (16 July 2026). "New councils to be created in 14 areas of England in local government shake-up". BBC News.
- ↑ Heath, Martin (16 July 2026). "Hertfordshire to see 11 councils reduced to four". BBC News.
- ↑ "Proposals for local government reorganisation in Hertfordshire". Gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ "Local government reorganisation: implementation letter to Hertfordshire chief executives" (PDF). Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
- ↑ "Consultation shows community support for parish council for Welwyn Garden City". One Welwyn Hatfield. 29 July 2026.