The Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP
Secretary of State Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF
6 August 2020
Dear Robert
We are writing to you as the Leaders of all ten district and borough authorities in Hertfordshire following the Government’s announcement that it plans to publish a White Paper on Devolution in September and, more specifically, following early declarations from some authorities - including Hertfordshire County Council - that they wish to move to a single unitary governance system.
There is a cross-party and cross-authority consensus amongst us that we do not believe that a unitary authority comprising 1.2million residents is a workable option. We do not feel that such a massive entity would fit in with the Government’s intended outcomes for local government serving residents, businesses and communities on the ground.
We know that Government in general and you in particular Robert, understand and appreciate that local government is vitally important to our residents and to the county’s ongoing success and prosperity now more than ever as we seek to emerge from the COVID pandemic and work hard to repair the damage it has wreaked on our local and national economies. We appreciate the Government desire to see change and we feel strongly that any reorganisation should be carefully considered and consulted upon.
The proposed size and scale of a Hertfordshire single unitary authority would be almost unprecedented in the United Kingdom and we have strong concerns about the ability of such an authority to convey an identity, respond effectively to local needs, and be democratically accountable to its citizens in any meaningful sense.
We are also in regular touch with our respective Members of Parliament who almost unanimously do not support a one unitary solution for Hertfordshire.
The Hertfordshire Growth programme that we have jointly been working on for two years across all the Hertfordshire authorities, including county council and our excellent Local Enterprise Partnership includes: accelerating the delivery of 100,000 additional homes by 2031, including 9,000 new homes and affordable homes for key workers over the next seven years, significantly growing our contribution to the UK economy, adding over £9billion of economic value, creating 100,000 new jobs by 2030, unlocking £5billion of private sector investment and becoming a Carbon Zero county before 2050.
At our most recent Herts Growth meeting on 4 August we were pleased to welcome two officials from MHCLG who expressed confidence in our work and support of what we have achieved to date and the collegiate way in which we work together for the good of Hertfordshire, our communities and our places. In their words: “You are already acting like a combined authority. You are doing everything right.”
We have now commissioned a professional study to review a range of options for the organisation of local government in Hertfordshire, to ensure the final outcome is right for our residents, businesses, communities and our economy. We have committed to sharing the outcome of this work with communities across Hertfordshire.
COVID-19 has taught us that the most localised solutions have often been those that have worked best, so we will seek to engage on a range of viable alternatives to ensure that there is the transparent and rigorous process our communities in Hertfordshire deserve and have confidence in.
We would very much appreciate the opportunity to meet with you via a Zoom call, to discuss the needs and aspirations of our districts and boroughs, our residents, and our businesses, communities and local economy and explain further our position
Comments