Joint statement from Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, Cllr Jeremy Newmark and Chief Executive, Sajida Bijle – Responding to the English Devolution White Paper
“We have noted the content of the White Paper in which the Government announces that it will ‘facilitate a programme of local government reorganisation for two-tier areas’ and will be inviting proposals for reorganisation from all these areas on how new unitary councils could be created.
As the county of Hertfordshire operates a two-tier system of local government we will be carefully considering what this means for our communities in Hertsmere and the services we provide, and for local government structures in Hertfordshire more widely.
We will also be talking to our partners from across the borough and the county about what potential options and opportunities the proposals could bring for this area. We will be working through the Herts Growth Board to assess the economic implications of reorganisation. Collectively we will push the Government to ensure we have an active say in how future changes take shape and to strongly make the case against creating vast, remote council areas with weak links to their communities.
As always, our priority remains delivering excellent services to our residents and businesses and putting our communities at the heart of everything we do, and supporting our people to do that as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Through all our discussions and future planning, we will remain committed to ensuring that any reorganisation is done in a way that enhances our local democracy and local services in Hertsmere.”
