You may have read reports that the Government has written to councils in two tier authority areas inviting proposals for the creation of what are known as unitary councils. In Hertfordshire this either means that:
- all ten existing districts and ther county council will be replaced and a new authority established that would be responsible for all local authority services across the whole county; or
- two or more unitary councils are established, each having responsibility for all local authority services. These councils are expected to have a population of 500,000 or more.
The Government is clear that it expects councils to work together to formulate proposals and. expects to deliver the process as quickly as possible, including through new legislation where it becomes necessary to ensure progress.
What is meant by two-tier and unitary?
Hertfordshire is currently a two-tier area. This means that there is one upper tier County Council (Hertfordshire) responsible for things such as education, highways, street lighting, public health, social care and waste disposal. In addition, there are 10 lower tier district and borough councils, such as Broxbourne Borough Council, responsible for more local services such as planning, waste collection, street cleansing, environmental health, licensing and community safety. The councils in two tier areas collaborate but exist as separate entities.
Will there be one single council for Hertfordshire?
A unitary authority is one where all services are operated by one single council. An example of this would be a London borough or authorities such as Thurrock Borough Council.
Broxbourne Council, along with the other districts and boroughs in Hertfordshire, does not believe that a single unitary council covering the whole of Hertfordshire is the right approach. Hertfordshire is too large, both in terms of geography and population (1.2million people) and the delivery of excellent local services will be compromised on that scale.
What are the positives and negatives of a unitary authority?
In principle, reducing the number of touchpoints that you as a local resident or business has, will be simpler. The Government has suggested that abolishing the two-tier system will be more cost effective and efficient, however this will depend greatly on what form the unitary authority will take.
Broxbourne has a population of approximately 100,000 people, and a geographical area of 52km2. The Government’s advice is that any unitary authority should have a population of 500,000 or more, within a much larger geographical area. This means that local services will be operated more remotely and will not be tailored to the unique requirements of a local area as easily as they are under existing arrangements.