Who sets regulation?

There are three tiers of local government in Hertfordshire: Hertfordshire County Council (one), district councils (ten) and town and parish councils (over 120). Both the county council and district councils have regulatory powers, but this doesn’t mean it’s harder to comply with regulation, or that you have to speak to twice as many councils.

The ten district councils provide more local services, such as leisure facilities, environmental health, licensing and local planning, whereas the county council delivers county-wide services such as Trading Standards, Highways, and Fire Protection.

The different types of regulation are usually dealt with by different teams within the district council, for example there will often be a separate team of professionals for Licensing, Environmental Health, Building Control, and Planning. All the teams within the district will know who to direct you to about other kinds of regulation.