Three Rivers is a local government district in south-west Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Rickmansworth. The district borders Hertsmere, Watford, St Albans, Dacorum, Buckinghamshire, and the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Harrow.

History Three Rivers District was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and most of a third, which were all abolished at the same time: Chorleywood Urban District Rickmansworth Urban District Watford Rural District, except the parish of Aldenham, which went to Hertsmere, and the part within the designated area of Hemel Hempstead New Town, which went to Dacorum.

The new district was named "Three Rivers", referencing the rivers Chess, Colne, and Gade which flow through the district and have their confluence in Rickmansworth, the largest town in the district.

Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Hertfordshire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new South West Hertfordshire unitary authority.

Governance

Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including Three Rivers District Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services. In some areas there is an additional third tier of civil parishes.

Responsibilities Three Rivers District Council carries out a variety of district council functions including: Benefits - Housing and Council Tax Car Parking Concessionary Travel Council Tax - Administration and Collection Elections and Electoral Registration Environmental Health Food Safety and Hygiene Complaints Noise Pollution and Pest Control Housing Administration Licensing Caravan Sites Town Planning Public Conveniences Health and Leisure Centres Refuse Collection Recycling Tourism and Visitor Information

Political control The council has been under no overall control since a by-election in August 2024, having previously been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2018.

The first election to Three Rivers District Council was held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows: (Put "Three Rivers" in search box to see specific results.) Party in control Years 1974–1976 1976–1986 1986–1987 1987–1988 1988–1990 1990–1999 1999–2015 2015–2016 2017–2018 2018–2018 2018–2024 2024–

Leadership The leaders of the council since 2016 have been:

Councillor Party From To Ann Shaw 17 May 2016 Sara Bedford 17 May 2016 14 Jul 2020 Sarah Nelmes 14 Jul 2020 21 May 2024 Stephen Giles-Medhurst 21 May 2024

Composition Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was:

The next elections are scheduled for 2027, but may be affected by the upcoming structural changes to local government in England.

Premises The council's main offices are at Three Rivers House on Northway in the centre of Rickmansworth, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. The site had been part of the grounds of Basing House, which had bought by the old Rickmansworth Urban District Council in 1930 to serve as its headquarters.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2014 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 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 district council elections.

Wards The wards of the district are:

Abbots Langley and Bedmond Carpenders Park Chorleywood North and Sarratt Chorleywood South and Maple Cross Dickinsons Durrants Gade Valley Leavesden Moor Park and Eastbury Oxhey Hall and Hayling Penn and Mill End Rickmansworth Town South Oxhey

Wider politics County council For elections to Hertfordshire County Council, the district is divided into six divisions, three of which are held by the Conservatives, and three by the Liberal Democrats:

+Hertfordshire County Councillors for divisions in Three Rivers Division Councillor Party Abbots Langley Stephen Giles-Medhurst Croxley Chris Lloyd Rickmansworth East and Oxhey Park Vishal Patel Rickmansworth West Paula Hiscocks South Oxhey and Eastbury Christopher Alley Three Rivers Rural Louise Price

Parliament For parliamentary elections, the entire district has been part of the South West Hertfordshire constituency since the 2024 general election. The constituency is not quite coterminous with the district, however, as it also contains the ward of Kings Langley from the Dacorum district. The current MP is Gagan Mohindra of the Conservative Party.

Rail Train services are provided by Chiltern Railways and the Metropolitan line of the London Underground.

London Underground stations: Chorleywood Croxley Rickmansworth Moor Park

Chiltern Railways stations: Chorleywood Rickmansworth

A special fare structure exists as the stations are outside the Greater London boundary.

London Overground stations: Carpenders Park

West Coast Main Line stations: Kings Langley

Settlements Abbots Langley Chorleywood Croxley Green Loudwater Maple Cross Moor Park Rickmansworth Sarratt South Oxhey

Civil parishes Three Rivers is partially parished. There are six civil parishes in the district: Abbots Langley Batchworth Chorleywood Croxley Green Sarratt Watford Rural

There are also two unparished areas in the district, both comprising parts of the former Rickmansworth Urban District which have not subsequently been added to a parish: one larger area including Maple Cross and Mill End, Rickmansworth; and a smaller area including part of Loudwater.

Footnotes

External links