East Hertfordshire District | |
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![]() East Hertfordshire shown within Hertfordshire | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | East of England |
Non-metropolitan county | Hertfordshire |
Status | Non-metropolitan district |
Admin HQ | Hertford |
Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
Government | |
• Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
• Body | East Herts Council |
• MPs | Oliver Heald Stephen McPartland Julie Marson |
Area | |
• Total | 183.66 sq mi (475.69 km2) |
• Rank | 81st (of 296) |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 151,635 |
• Rank | 143rd (of 296) |
• Density | 830/sq mi (320/km2) |
Ethnicity (2021) | |
• Ethnic groups | |
Religion (2021) | |
• Religion | List
|
Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
ONS code | 26UD (ONS) E07000242 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | TL3758624322 |
East Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and the other main towns are Ware, Buntingford and Sawbridgeworth. At the 2011 Census, the population of the district was 137,687. [2] By area it is the largest of the ten local government districts in Hertfordshire. The district borders North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, and Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford in Essex.
In the 2006 edition of Channel 4's "Best and Worst Places to Live in the UK", East Hertfordshire was rated the seventh-best district to live in. In 2012, East Hertfordshire came ninth in Halifax bank's annual survey of most desirable places to live. [3] It came first in this survey in 2020. [4]
East Hertfordshire was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of six former districts and most of a seventh, which were all abolished at the same time: [5]
The new district was named East Hertfordshire, reflecting its position within the wider county. [6]
The boundaries of East Hertfordshire have remained largely consistent since 1974, although minor alterations have been made on occasion, particularly along the eastern boundary which largely follows the River Stort to reflect the changing course of the river, and along the border with Stevenage to respond to new developments. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
East Herts Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Richard Cassidy since 2019 [13] | |
Structure | |
Seats | 50 councillors |
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Political groups |
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Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
Meeting place | |
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Wallfields, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8EQ | |
Website | |
www |
Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including East Herts Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services. [14]
East Herts Council is responsible for a range of local services including refuse and recycling collection, planning, building control, licensing, housing, parking and council tax collection. [15] The council is officially called 'East Hertfordshire District Council', but its corporate branding is 'East Herts Council'. [15] [16] [17]
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a Green Party and Liberal Democrats coalition, led by Green councillor Ben Crystall. [18] [19]
The first election to East Hertfordshire District Council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows: [20]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
Conservative | 1976–1995 | |
No overall control | 1995–1999 | |
Conservative | 1999–2023 | |
No overall control | 2023–present |
The role of Chairman of East Hertfordshire District Council is largely ceremonial. They preside at council meetings and act as first citizen of the district. They are chosen from the councillors but have to maintain a non-political stance, although they do have the right to exercise a casting vote in the case of a tied vote at a meeting. The role of chairman is usually held by a different councillor each year. [21]
Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2001 have been: [22]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Carver | Conservative | 2001 | Jan 2006 | |
Tony Jackson | Conservative | 22 Feb 2006 | 20 May 2015 | |
Linda Haysey | Conservative | 20 May 2015 | 8 May 2023 | |
Ben Crystall | Green | 17 May 2023 |
Following the 2023 election and changes of allegiance up to December 2023 the composition of the council was: [23] [24]
Party | Councillors | |
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Green | 17 | |
Conservative | 16 | |
Liberal Democrats | 10 | |
Labour | 5 | |
Independent | 2 | |
Total | 50 |
The next elections are due to be held in 2027.
The council is based at Wallfields on Pegs Lane in Hertford. The original building there was a large nineteenth century house, which had been bought in 1950 by Hertford Rural District Council and converted to become its offices. It subsequently became the headquarters of East Hertfordshire District Council following local government reorganisation in 1974, and large modern extensions have subsequently been added to the original house. [25]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023, there have been 50 councillors elected from 26 wards. Elections for the whole council are held every four years. [26]
The 26 wards of East Hertfordshire are: [26]
East Hertfordshire straddles three parliamentary constituencies: Hertford and Stortford, North East Hertfordshire and Stevenage. [27]
The district is entirely parished. See List of civil parishes in Hertfordshire.
The district contains only one motorway - a small stretch of the M11 at Bishop's Stortford. The major roads within the district include:
A10 - (north-south) from London to Cambridge: enters after Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, leaves before Royston dualled.
A414 - (WSW-ENE) from Welwyn to Harlow, through Hertford, where it forms the Hertford by-pass.
A602 - (SE-NW), connecting at A10 at Ware with the A1(M) at Stevenage.
A120 - (west-east) connecting the A10 at Standon with the M11 at Bishop's Stortford.
None of the above roads are classified as trunk roads. Therefore, they are maintained by Hertfordshire County Council while responsibility for the M11 rests with National Highways.
Stansted Airport lies just outside East Hertfordshire, being in the neighbouring district of Uttlesford in Essex. Many of the district's towns have rail services into London at King's Cross, Moorgate, and Liverpool Street.
The district's biggest employer is the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, which has a research and manufacturing centre in Ware. The company also has a large research centre and office in neighbouring Stevenage.[ citation needed ]
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Watford, and the county town is Hertford.
Welwyn Hatfield is a local government district with borough status in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Welwyn Garden City. The borough borders Hertsmere, St Albans, North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire, Broxbourne, and the London Borough of Enfield.
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census.
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the M11 motorway and Stansted Airport, it is 22 miles north-east of Central London and 34 minutes away by rail from Liverpool Street station. The town had an estimated population of 41,088 in 2020. The district of East Hertfordshire, where the town centre is located, has been ranked as the best place to live in the UK by the Halifax Quality of Life annual survey in 2020.
North Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Letchworth Garden City and the largest town is Hitchin. The district also includes the towns of Baldock and Royston and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Part of the district lies within the Chiltern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The A10 is a major road in England which runs between The City of London and King's Lynn in Norfolk.
Sawbridgeworth is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, close to the border with Essex. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Hertford and 9 miles (14 km) north of Epping. It is the northernmost part of the Greater London Built-up Area.
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England. The council was created in 1889. It is responsible for a wide range of public services in the county, including social care, transport, education, and the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council since 1999. The council is based at County Hall in Hertford.
Hertford and Stortford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Josh Dean of the Labour Party since 2024.
North East Hertfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Hinchliff of the Labour Party.
Stevenage is a constituency in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Kevin Bonavia, a member of the Labour Party.
East Hertfordshire District Council is elected every four years.
Hertford was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire, which elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1298 until 1974.
Hitchin is a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
East Hertfordshire was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Hertfordshire from 1955 to 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Elections to Hertfordshire County Council took place on 6 May 2021 alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. All 78 seats to the council were elected.
The 2023 East Hertfordshire District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of East Hertfordshire District Council in Hertfordshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
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