Welwyn Hatfield

District in Hertfordshire, England

For the constituency, see Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency).

Place in England

Welwyn Hatfield

Non-metropolitan district, Borough

Hatfield House

Welwyn Hatfield shown within Hertfordshire

Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Constituent country| England
Region| East of England
Non-metropolitan county| Hertfordshire
Admin HQ| Welwyn Garden City
Incorporated| 1 April 1974
Named after| Welwyn (village) and Hatfield (town)
Government

• Type| Non-metropolitan district council
• Body| Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
• MP| Andrew Lewin (L)
Oliver Dowden (C)
Area

• Total

| 50.02 sq mi (129.55 km2)
• Rank| 176th (of 296)
Population

(2022)

• Total

| 120,213
• Rank| 197th (of 296)
• Density| 2,400/sq mi (930/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)

[1]

• Ethnic groups|

List

* 78.7% White
* 8.8% Asian
* 6.1% Black
* 4.1% Mixed
* 2.3% other

Religion (2021)

[1]

• Religion|

List

* 47.2% Christianity
* 37% no religion
* 12.5% other
* 3.3% Islam

Time zone| UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code| 26UL (ONS)
E07000241 (GSS)
OS grid reference| TL245135

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.

The borough includes the two towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, along with numerous smaller settlements from Woolmer Green in the north to Cuffley in the south. The borough has six railway stations on the Great Northern Railway; five being on the main line and one on the Hertford loop line. The Digswell Viaduct is a local landmark. The A1 road passes through the borough.

Much of the borough lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt which surrounds London. Welwyn Garden City is notable as being one of only two Garden Cities in the country, and is uniquely both a Garden City and a designated New Town. The University of Hertfordshire has its main campus at Hatfield.

## History

[edit]

Welwyn Hatfield was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[2]

* Hatfield Rural District
* Welwyn Garden City Urban District
* Welwyn Rural District

The new district was named Welwyn Hatfield.[3] From 1974 to 2006 the council was called Welwyn Hatfield District Council. The council petitioned for borough status in 2005, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The petition was agreed to by the Privy Council and a charter conferring borough status was issued which took effect on 22 May 2006, when John Hawkins was appointed the first mayor and the council's name changed to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.[4]

## Governance

[edit]

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

Type
Type|

Non-metropolitan district council

Leadership

Mayor

Lynn Chesterman,
Labour
since 19 May 2025[5]

Leader

Max Holloway,
Labour
since 20 May 2024[6][7]

Chief Executive

Ka Ng
since July 2021[8]

Structure
Seats| 48

Political groups

Administration (35)
Labour (19)
Liberal Democrats (16)
Other parties (13)
Conservatives (12)
Green (1)
Elections

Last election

| 2 May 2024

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Council Offices, The Campus, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AE
Website
www.welhat.gov.uk

Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services.[9]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election. After that election, the Conservatives were the largest party, but a Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition formed to take control of the council.[10] The Liberal Democrats were the larger party in the coalition from 2023 to 2024. Following the 2024 election, a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition continued to run the council, with Labour overtaking their coalition partners and also becoming the largest party on the council.[11]

The first election to the 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:[12][13]

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1974–1976
| Conservative | 1976–1979
| Labour | 1979–1992
| Conservative | 1992–1994
| Labour | 1994–1999
| Conservative | 1999–2000
| Labour | 2000–2002
| Conservative | 2002–2019
| No overall control | 2019–2021
| Conservative | 2021–2023
| No overall control | 2023–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Welwyn Hatfield, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2005 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

John Dean[14] |  | Conservative | May 2005 | May 2018
Mandy Perkins[15][16] |  | Conservative | 21 May 2018 | 29 Sep 2018
Tony Kingsbury[17][18] |  | Conservative | 19 Nov 2018 | May 2023
Paul Zukowskyj[19][20] |  | Liberal Democrats | 22 May 2023 | May 2024
Max Holloway[21][11] |  | Labour | 20 May 2024 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2024 local elections and subsequent changes up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:[22][23][24]

Party | Councillors

|

| Labour | 19
| Liberal Democrats | 16
| Conservative | 12
| Green | 1
Total | 48

The next elections are due to be held in 2026, where a third of the council's seats will be up for election.[25]

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at the Council Offices on The Campus in the centre of Welwyn Garden City, which it inherited from the old Welwyn Garden City Urban District Council. The building was completed in 1937.[26]

## Towns and Parishes

[edit]

Welwyn Hatfield contains eight civil parishes. The town of Welwyn Garden City is an unparished area. The parishes are:

* Ayot St Lawrence
* Ayot St Peter
* Essendon
* Hatfield[a]
* North Mymms
* Northaw and Cuffley
* Welwyn
* Woolmer Green

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Welwyn Hatfield local elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards, each of which elects three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, electing one councillor from each ward each time. Elections to Hertfordshire County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[27]

### Wards

[edit]

The wards of the borough are:[27]

* Brookmans Park & Little Heath
* Haldens
* Handside
* Hatfield Central
* Hatfield East
* Hatfield South West
* Hatfield Villages
* Hollybush
* Howlands
* Northaw and Cuffley
* Panshanger
* Peartree
* Sherrards
* Welham Green and Hatfield South
* Welwyn East
* Welwyn West

### Wider politics

[edit]

Most of Welwyn Hatfield borough is within Welwyn Hatfield parliamentary constituency, whose current MP for Welwyn Hatfield is Andrew Lewin of the Labour Party. The constituency's boundaries differ from the borough only by the single ward of Northaw and Cuffley being within the borough, but in the parliamentary constituency of Hertsmere, whose current MP is Oliver Dowden of the Conservative Party.

## Arms

[edit]

Coat of arms of Welwyn Hatfield

Notes
Granted 11 February 1976 [28]
Crest
On a Wreath of the Colours within a Circlet of eight Roses Gules each charged with another Argent barbed and seeded proper a Garb Or between two Wings displayed Azure.
Escutcheon
Or a Fess wavy between in chief a Bar wavy Azure surmounted of two Willow Trees couped and in base an Oak Tree couped fructed proper.
Supporters
On either side a Hart Royal proper that on the dexter charged on the shoulder with two Pairs of Dividers in fess inverted and extended the interior points contiguous Argent and that on the sinister with a representation of a Roman Wine Jar Or within a Cage Sable.
Motto
By Wisdom And Design
Badge
On a Bezant environed of a Torse Or and Azure two Pallets Azure surmounted of a Bar dancetty of two points downward counter-changed.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Parish council takes the style of "town council".

1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Welwyn Hatfield Local Authority (E07000241)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
2. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 12 May 2023
3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 12 May 2023
4. ^ "Orders in Council: Meeting 15 November 2005". Privy Council Office. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
5. ^ Benham, Joe (20 May 2025). "New mayor of Welwyn Hatfield Lynn Chesterman OBE appointed". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
6. ^ "New Cabinet Line-up and Joint Administration Announced". One Welwyn Hatfield. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
7. ^ Mountney, Dan (16 May 2024). "New Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council leader announced". Retrieved 18 May 2024.
8. ^ "Council minutes, 14 July 2021" (PDF). Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
9. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 3 March 2023
10. ^ "Joint Administration and Cabinet line-up announced". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
11. ^ a b Mountney, Dan (16 May 2024). "New Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council leader announced". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
12. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 5 March 2025. (Put "Welwyn Hatfield" in search box to see specific results.)
13. ^ "Welwyn Hatfield". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
14. ^ Morgan, Nina (16 January 2018). "Welwyn Hatfield Times". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
15. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2018". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
16. ^ Morgan, Nina (1 October 2018). "Welwyn Hatfield Council leader Mandy Perkins 'enormously missed'". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
17. ^ "Council minutes, 19 November 2018". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
18. ^ Mountney, Dan (5 May 2023). "Live: Updates from Welwyn Hatfield election results 2023". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
19. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2023". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
20. ^ Mountney, Dan (3 May 2024). "Paul Zukowskyj on Welwyn Hatfield local elections 2024". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
21. ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2024". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
22. ^ "Welwyn Hatfield election result". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
23. ^ "Make up of the council". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
24. ^ Day, Christopher (10 January 2025). "Hertfordshire councillor and NHS surgeon cheated on medical exams". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
25. ^ "Welwyn Hatfield". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
26. ^ "New Council Offices". Hertfordshire Mercury. Hertford. 8 January 1937. p. 7.
27. ^ a b "The Welwyn Hatfield (Electoral Changes) Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2016/116, retrieved 12 May 2023
28. ^ "WELWYN HATFIELD DISTRICT COUNCIL (HERTS)". Robert Young. Retrieved 30 October 2019.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Welwyn Hatfield.

* v
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Ceremonial county of Hertfordshire

Boroughs or districts|

* Broxbourne
* Dacorum
* East Hertfordshire
* Hertsmere
* North Hertfordshire
* City of St Albans
* Stevenage
* Three Rivers
* Watford
* Welwyn Hatfield

Major settlements
(cities in italics)|

* Baldock
* Berkhamsted
* Bishop's Stortford
* Borehamwood
* Broxbourne
* Buntingford
* Bushey
* Cheshunt
* Chorleywood
* Harpenden
* Hatfield
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* Hoddesdon
* Letchworth
* Potters Bar
* Radlett
* Rickmansworth
* Royston
* Sawbridgeworth
* St Albans
* Stevenage
* Tring
* Waltham Cross
* Ware
* Watford
* Welwyn Garden City
See also: List of civil parishes in Hertfordshire

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Hertfordshire|

* Broxbourne
* Dacorum
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* Hertsmere
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Civil parishes in Hertfordshire

Dacorum (partly parished)|

* Aldbury
* Berkhamsted
* Bovingdon
* Chipperfield
* Flamstead
* Flaunden
* Great Gaddesden
* Kings Langley
* Little Gaddesden
* Markyate
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* Tring
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* Wigginton

East Hertfordshire (wholly parished)|

* Albury
* Anstey
* Ardeley
* Aspenden
* Aston
* Bayford
* Bengeo Rural
* Benington
* Bishop's Stortford
* Bramfield
* Braughing
* Brent Pelham
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* Hertingfordbury
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* Hormead
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* Little Berkhamsted
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* Little Munden
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* Much Hadham
* Sacombe
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* Standon
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* Stapleford
* Stocking Pelham
* Tewin
* Thorley
* Thundridge
* Walkern
* Ware
* Wareside
* Watton-at-Stone
* Westmill
* Widford
* Wyddial

Hertsmere (partly parished)|

* Aldenham
* Elstree and Borehamwood
* Hertsmere Meriden
* Shenley
* South Mimms and Ridge

North Hertfordshire (partly parished)|

* Ashwell
* Barkway
* Barley
* Bygrave
* Caldecote
* Clothall
* Codicote
* Graveley
* Great Ashby
* Hexton
* Hinxworth
* Holwell
* Ickleford
* Kelshall
* Kimpton
* King's Walden
* Knebworth
* Langley
* Lilley
* Newnham
* Nuthampstead
* Offley
* Pirton
* Preston
* Radwell
* Reed
* Royston
* Rushden
* Sandon
* St Ippolyts
* St Paul's Walden
* Therfield
* Wallington
* Weston
* Wymondley

St Albans (partly parished)|

* Colney Heath
* Harpenden Town
* Harpenden Rural
* London Colney
* Redbourn
* Sandridge
* St Michael
* St Stephen
* Wheathampstead

Three Rivers (partly parished)|

* Abbots Langley
* Batchworth
* Chorleywood
* Croxley Green
* Sarratt
* Watford Rural

Welwyn Hatfield (partly parished)|

* Ayot St Lawrence
* Ayot St Peter
* Essendon
* Hatfield
* North Mymms
* Northaw and Cuffley
* Welwyn
* Woolmer Green

Wholly unparished boroughs|

* Broxbourne
* Stevenage
* Watford

See also|

* List of places in Hertfordshire

Authority control databases

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