North Hertfordshire

North Hertfordshire is an administrative district in Hertfordshire county that includes towns like Hitchin, Baldock, and Royston alongside rural villages and farmland. The area blends urban centers with open countryside, creating a varied region with different character zones.

The district was created in 1974 by merging five previous administrative areas, including Baldock and Hitchin, as part of a major reorganization of local government. This consolidation shaped the administrative structure that exists in the region today.

Letchworth, the administrative heart, reflects early 20th-century planning ideals with designed green spaces and community-focused layouts that shape how residents interact with their surroundings today.

The District Council manages local services from offices in Letchworth, including waste management, planning applications, and environmental health matters. These central services are reasonably accessible from the main towns across the area.

The area contains 35 civil parishes, with six smaller communities using parish meetings instead of traditional councils for their local governance. This approach allows tiny villages to have direct input on decisions affecting their neighborhoods.