Congratulations to Spain on lifting the World Cup after Sunday's 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina, and to England, whose 6-4 win over France for third place was the country's best World Cup finish since 1966.

And in Westminster, Andy Burnham became prime minister yesterday, taking over from Keir Starmer after winning the Labour leadership unopposed. He's promised to focus on affordability and regional inequality, and one of his first moves is expected to be bringing Thames Water under temporary public control. There’s an eye on his take on the Local Government Reorganisation which has seen Hertfordshire councils merged to only four unitaries. More on that below.

It’s all been about the merging of councils across Hertfordshire as part of the Local Government Reorganisation and everyone is talking about. For more details on what it means for you, read the editorial from last week. Apologies for the late arrival of the newsletter. It was supposed to arrive yesterday. I guess better late than never. Nevertheless, I have all the news and events for the week for you below.

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Hertfordshire County Council, the body being dissolved under the government's local government shake-up, says it's exploring ways to challenge the decision, with leader Cllr Steve Jarvis calling it the "most disruptive" of the options on the table. The council says splitting adult social care, SEND support and highways teams across four new authorities will cost taxpayers more, with one new council projected to run a deficit from day one, and Jarvis criticised the government for going quiet on devolution while pushing ahead with reorganisation. It isn't yet clear whether a legal challenge, similar to the judicial review Essex has launched over its own reorganisation, is on the table for Hertfordshire.

Reporting: Deborah Price, Local Democracy Reporting Service, via Bishop's Stortford Independent

Every Hertfordshire district and borough council has now responded to the government's decision to split the county into four new unitary authorities from April 2028, and the reaction splits three ways. Dacorum, Stevenage, Hertsmere, North Herts and Watford welcomed the model; St Albans, Three Rivers and Broxbourne raised concerns over cost and community splits; and Welwyn Hatfield's own leader and deputy leader gave conflicting statements on the same day. Elections for the new authorities take place in May 2027, and your current council keeps running services as normal until the 2028 handover.

Read the full breakdown →

Hertfordshire schools switching to academy status will be charged a flat £11,000 from 2027 to cover the legal, HR and estates support the county council currently provides for free. Cabinet approved the charge on 15 July after government grants for conversion costs dropped, from £25,000 per school to only being available when three or more schools join the same multi-academy trust together, and 176 Hertfordshire schools have already converted since 2010. The charge will be reviewed annually, with education lead Cllr Mark Watkin saying it reflects the "costs of our officer time."

Hertfordshire's Step2Skills Adult Achievement Awards mark their 10th anniversary this year, celebrating residents who've gained new skills, grown in confidence and moved into employment despite real setbacks. The 2026 awards were opened by Honorary Alderman Annie Brewster JP and county council chief executive Angie Ridgwell, recognising both the learners and the organisations, employers and partners who support them. Winners and runners-up have now been announced, marking a decade of the programme.

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North Herts Council approved the next phase of work to redevelop Hitchin's Churchgate area at Full Council on 16 July, one of the town centre's biggest redevelopment opportunities. Independent studies over the past year found Hitchin generally has enough town centre parking except at peak Saturday lunchtimes, alongside market consultants exploring how to keep Hitchin Market commercially successful, building on the council's earlier £200,000 investment in new digital parking signage approved in March. The council will now appoint a specialist regeneration partner through competitive procurement to refine the scheme and explore delivery options, retaining control throughout; Executive Member for Enterprise Cllr Tamsin Thomas said she was "really pleased we've reached this stage."

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Eight parks and green spaces across Bushey, Borehamwood and Potters Bar have been awarded Green Flag status, the international benchmark for well-managed parks, as part of a record 2,391 UK sites recognised this year. King George Recreation Ground in Bushey has now held the award for 28 years running, and Fishers Field Nature Reserve in Bushey achieved a full Green Flag for only the second time after 16 years on the Community Award tier. Bushey Rose Garden also retained its Green Heritage Site Accreditation for its historic features.

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Scaffolding will be up at St Albans Museum + Gallery from July to December while Arts Council England-funded repairs are carried out to the roof. The museum, galleries, exhibitions, Courtroom Café and events all continue as normal throughout, though usual toilets may be unavailable at some stages, with the historic cells downstairs offered as an alternative. The museum remains open daily 10am to 4pm throughout the works.

St Albans city centre saw 324,306 visitors in June, according to the latest MRI Software footfall report. The busiest day was Saturday 20 June, with 16,168 visitors, coinciding with the Alban Day Pilgrimage and Festival run by the BID and the Cathedral. The figures show how much major events drive footfall for city centre businesses.

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Work began on Saturday 18 July on a new Mobility Hub at Lister Hospital, funded through Hertfordshire's Bus Service Improvement Plan. The project brings better bus facilities, safer walking and cycling routes, more cycle parking, a relocated taxi rank and new landscaping; during the works, the usual bus stops outside the main entrance (Stops A and B) move temporarily to Stops E and W at the western end of Coreys Mill Lane. The hospital, its parking and emergency ambulance access all stay open throughout, with marshals on site to help patients and visitors find their bus.

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Rickmansworth Aquadrome and Leavesden Country Park have both retained their Green Flag accreditation, the national benchmark for parks, as the award scheme marks its 30th year. Leavesden Country Park also kept its Green Heritage Site Accreditation, held since 2021, recognising its historic significance. Council leader Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst said both parks have benefited from recent improvement works and funding.

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Three Rivers District Council has secured £57,263 from the HS2 Community and Environment Fund to expand its Healthy Hub programme, with a focus on Maple Cross and Mill End. The funding will add more Hub locations and extra outreach support for residents affected by ongoing disruption from HS2 construction, connecting people to local services, advice and wellbeing support. The council says the investment aims to strengthen community resilience and improve access to support for affected residents.

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Dacorum Borough Council has added the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar to its website, letting anyone change how the site looks, reads and sounds to suit their needs. Features include text-to-speech, translation into over 100 languages, a screen mask and ruler, adjustable text size and colours, and simplified versions of complex pages, all free with no download or account needed. Look for the "Accessibility tools" link at the top of the site; your settings are saved for next time on the same device and browser.

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Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time: 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Location: Bill's St Albans, 2 Chequer Street, St Albans, AL1 3XZ
Cost: Free for BID businesses

Date: Wednesday 22 July 2026
Location: Venue to be confirmed (not stated in source)
Cost: Free, spaces are limited
Book: https://ow.ly/qgOV50ZmLrS

Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 3:30pm
Location: The Hub, Gilden Park, Old Harlow

Date: Wednesday 29 July 2026
Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: Stonehills, Welwyn Garden City
Cost: Free
More information: https://orlo.uk/FOeuk

Date: Thursday 30 July 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Castle Park, Bishop's Stortford
Cost: Free
More information: https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/sports-leisure-and-parks/local-parks-and-open-spaces/love-parks-week-2026

Date: Sunday 2 August 2026
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Location: Waltham Cross Town Centre
Cost: Free

Dates: Fridays 7, 14 and 21 August 2026
Location: King George V Playing Fields, Sish Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LS
Who can attend: Young people aged 12 to 16
Cost: Free, advance sign-up recommended for fast-track entry
Sign up: https://bit.ly/HertsSummerParks2026
More information: https://sportinherts.org.uk/Summer-Parks

Date: Wednesday 5 August 2026
Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: King George V Playing Fields, Welwyn Garden City
Cost: Free
More information: https://orlo.uk/Y37Bx

Date: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: White Lion Square, Hatfield
Cost: Free
More information: https://orlo.uk/U1mVx

Tuesday 21 July
23°C 🌡️ 13°C | 🌤️ Mostly sunny and pleasant

Wednesday 22 July
23°C 🌡️ 12°C | ⛅ Sunny intervals with some cloud

Thursday 23 July
24°C 🌡️ 13°C | ☁️ Cloudy and dry

Friday 24 July
26°C 🌡️ 13°C | 🌤️ Mostly cloudy, warm with sunny spells

Source: Forecast data updated 20 July 2026

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Wishing you a fantastic rest of your day!

Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya

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