The government has withdrawn Hertfordshire's four-council plan. Any new council now starts in April 2029, 11 months after Watford's mayoral term is due to end.
The government has withdrawn its decision to replace Watford Borough Council and the rest of Hertfordshire’s councils with four new unitary authorities. Whatever replaces them, if anything does, will not start before 1 April 2029. That is a year later than planned.
Jim McMahon, the Minister for Local Government, wrote to council leaders in nine areas on Thursday 29 October. Hertfordshire is one of them.
“We have decided to today withdraw the decisions announced in July 2026 for your area,” his letter says. It adds that “all options and proposals in your area will remain under consideration”.
That means the plan for a South West Hertfordshire Council, merging Watford with Three Rivers and Hertsmere, is no longer the decided outcome. It has not been ruled out either.
What the letter changes
In September the government paused the programme and put Hertfordshire’s July decision under review. Thursday’s letter is the result of the first stage of that review. For Hertfordshire it sets out:
- No decision for now. The July 2026 decision is withdrawn. A new “minded to” decision will follow, and there will be a short period for representations before it is final.
- A timetable for that decision. Some of the 15 areas still waiting will hear “by Christmas”, and “every area will have an outcome announced by early next year”. The letter does not say which areas come first.
- Elections to any new councils in May 2028, with the new councils taking over on 1 April 2029.
- May 2027 elections go ahead to the existing councils, as the government said in September.
- Half the promised transition money now. Areas get 50% of the £900,000 per new unitary that was in their original decision, “guaranteed” and “not contingent on the outcome of the Review”.
Hertfordshire’s July decision was for four new councils, so half of £900,000 four times over comes to £1.8 million. Watford Borough Council’s statement on Thursday puts it at “approximately £2 million”, to be paid to the county’s councils in November.
Old timetable and new
| Milestone | July 2026 decision | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Elections to the new councils | May 2027 | May 2028 |
| New councils take over | 1 April 2028 | 1 April 2029 |
| Watford borough election | Replaced by the shadow election | Goes ahead in May 2027 |
| Shape of the new councils | Four unitaries, including South West Hertfordshire | Undecided |
The mayor’s term now ends first
This is the question the letter leaves open for Watford.
Peter Taylor was re-elected as Watford’s mayor on 7 May 2026 for two years, not the usual four. The council shortened the term because the borough was due to be abolished on 1 April 2028. Our earlier report sets out how that was decided.
Two years from May 2026 is May 2028. Under the old plan the council would have closed a few weeks before the term ran out. Under the new timetable the borough council would carry on until 31 March 2029, 11 months after the mayoral term is due to end.
Neither the minister’s letter nor the council’s statement says what happens to the mayoralty in that gap. A mayoral election in May 2028, an extension of the current term, or some other arrangement would each need a decision. None has been published.
Peter Taylor is also the Liberal Democrat candidate to be Watford’s MP, as we reported on 14 October.
What the council says
Watford Borough Council’s statement says “there is no confirmed reorganisation model for Hertfordshire” and that “we do not yet know when Hertfordshire’s decision will be made”.
The councils will “carefully consider the implications” for the reorganisation programme. They will also consider the separate work on a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Hertfordshire, which the Budget on 28 October listed among ten devolution deals the government is close to agreeing. That would be a county-wide mayor, a different post from Watford’s own elected mayor.
“Hertfordshire’s councils remain committed to working collaboratively, engaging constructively with Government and ensuring that we are prepared for the next stage of the process once further clarity is provided,” the statement says.
What it means for you
Your services do not change. Watford Borough Council still runs bins, planning, parking, housing and licensing. Hertfordshire County Council still runs roads, schools and social care. Our council tax bands page explains who charges what today.
There is a borough election in May 2027. It is an ordinary election to the existing council. Check your registration well before the spring.
Watch for the “minded to” decision. It may come before Christmas or early in 2027. There will then be a short window to make representations to the minister before the final decision. We will report it when it lands, and say how to respond.
Plans made on the 2028 date are out of date. Any council paper or planning report that relies on Watford Borough Council closing in April 2028 was written to a timetable that has now been withdrawn. Our Watford planning news page follows the decisions that touch this.
Frequently asked questions
Is Watford Borough Council being abolished?
Not on any confirmed plan. The decision to replace it with South West Hertfordshire Council was withdrawn on 29 October 2026. The government says all options for Hertfordshire are still under consideration, and a new decision is due by early 2027.
When would a new council start?
Not before 1 April 2029, with elections to it in May 2028. That is the government’s timetable for every area still in the review.
When is Watford’s next mayoral election?
The current term runs to May 2028. Nothing has been published about whether there will be a mayoral election that month, or whether the term will be extended to cover the gap before any new council starts.
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