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Town Hall & politics · Welwyn Hatfield Council

No party holds a majority on Welwyn Hatfield Council

Cuffley is run by Welwyn Hatfield Council and Hertfordshire County Council, with Northaw and Cuffley parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on either Welwyn Hatfield Council or Hertfordshire County Council. Its MP is Sir Oliver Dowden (Conservative), member for Hertsmere.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,481

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,481
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
1
1 ward · Welwyn Hatfield
MP
Sir Oliver Dowden
Conservative · Hertsmere
Turnout, July 2024
65%
Hertsmere · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How Cuffley’s politics has changed since 2021

No majority on Welwyn Hatfield Council

No party holds a majority on Welwyn Hatfield Council. Labour, the largest group, holds 17 of its 47 seats as elected, 7 short of the 24 needed. The Liberal Democrats hold 16, the Conservatives 11 and Reform UK 3. Who’s in charge ↓

Hertfordshire changed hands in 2025

Hertfordshire County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (45 of 78 seats in 2021) to no overall control at the May 2025 election: the Liberal Democrats won 31 of 78 seats. Hertfordshire ↓

The 2026 vote

Across Cuffley’s wards, the Conservatives took 52.5%, Reform UK took 30.8% and the Greens took 7.2% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, the Conservatives had 60.6%. How Cuffley has voted ↓

Council tax

A Band D bill in Cuffley is £2,481 for 2026–27; Welwyn Hatfield Council keeps 10% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 56% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓

Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.

Who’s in charge

No party has a majority on either council

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 24 of Welwyn Hatfield’s 47 or 40 of Hertfordshire’s 78 seats to run the council alone.

District council · 47 councillorsWelwyn Hatfield CouncilNo overall control
LabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeReform UKReform UKReform UK47seats
  • Labour17
  • Liberal Democrat16
  • Conservative11
  • Reform UK3

Latest election: May 2026.

County council · 78 councillors · Cuffley elects 1Hertfordshire County CouncilNo overall control
GreenGreenGreenGreenGreenLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UK78seats
  • Liberal Democrat31+7
  • Conservative23−22
  • Reform UK13+13
  • Green5+4
  • Labour5−2
  • Independent1no change

Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.

GreenLabourLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeReform UK

Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.

Who runs Cuffley

Two tiers of council, and a parish tier

Cuffley has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.

Town or parish councilNorthaw and Cuffley parish council

Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.

100% of Cuffley’s residents · Band D precept £91

District councilWelwyn Hatfield Council

Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.

Website ↗
County councilHertfordshire County Council

Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.

Website ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingWelwyn Hatfield Council
Planning applicationsWelwyn Hatfield Council
Council housing and homelessnessWelwyn Hatfield Council
Council tax billsWelwyn Hatfield Council
Parks and leisure centresWelwyn Hatfield Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesNorthaw and Cuffley parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsHertfordshire County Council
Schools and school placesHertfordshire County Council
Adult and children’s social careHertfordshire County Council
LibrariesHertfordshire County Council
Tips and recycling centresHertfordshire County Council
Police priorities and budgetHertfordshire Constabulary police and crime commissioner

From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.

Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.

Who represents Cuffley

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for Cuffley, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    Northaw and Cuffley parish council
  2. 2
    Welwyn Hatfield Council1 ward · 1 councillor
    Brian Seeger
  3. 3
    Hertfordshire County Council1 division · 1 councillor
    Fiona Thomson
  4. 4
    Police and crime commissionerHertfordshire Constabulary · elected May 2024
    Jonathan Ash-Edwards
  5. 5
    House of CommonsHertsmere
Conservative

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.

Councillors

1 councillor for 1 ward

Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.

Northaw and Cuffley
4,350 residents · 71% in Cuffley
  • Brian SeegerConservative · May 2026
Conservative
Show as a table, with Hertfordshire County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
WardSeatsElectedWhen
Northaw and Cuffleymostly in Cuffley · 4,350 residents1 seat · May 20261
Brian Seeger
May 2026

Hertfordshire County Council: county divisions

DivisionSeatsElectedWhen
Hatfield Rural ED34% in Cuffley · 4,350 residents1 seat · May 20251
Fiona Thomson
May 2025

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Welwyn Hatfield Council’s website lists who sits now.

Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).

How Cuffley has voted

The Conservatives have led every council vote since 2021

Share of all votes cast for candidates in Cuffley’s wards at each scheduled council election since 2021. A gap is a year with no election here.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%20212022202320242025noelection2026Green, 2021: 0%Green, 2022: 0%Green, 2023: 8.5%Green, 2024: 11.7%Green, 2026: 7.2%Labour, 2021: 12.6%Labour, 2022: 17.6%Labour, 2023: 15.5%Labour, 2024: 19.3%Labour, 2026: 4.3%Liberal Democrat, 2021: 12.2%Liberal Democrat, 2022: 14.6%Liberal Democrat, 2023: 9.2%Liberal Democrat, 2024: 8.4%Liberal Democrat, 2026: 5.2%Conservative, 2021: 75.2%Conservative, 2022: 67.8%Conservative, 2023: 66.8%Conservative, 2024: 60.6%Conservative, 2026: 52.5%Reform UK, 2021: 0%Reform UK, 2022: 0%Reform UK, 2023: 0%Reform UK, 2024: 0%Reform UK, 2026: 30.8%Conservative 53%Reform UK 31%Green 7%Liberal Democrat 5%Labour 4%

Seats won at each election

2021
1 seats · Conservative 1
2022
1 seats · Conservative 1
2023
1 seats · Conservative 1
2024
1 seats · Conservative 1
2026
1 seats · Conservative 1
GreenLabourLiberal DemocratConservativeReform UK
Show as a table
Party20212022202320242026
Green0%0%8.5%11.7%7.2%
Labour12.6%17.6%15.5%19.3%4.3%
Liberal Democrat12.2%14.6%9.2%8.4%5.2%
Conservative75.2%67.8%66.8%60.6%52.5%
Reform UK0%0%0%0%30.8%

In 2026, the Conservatives won 1 of the 1 seats up in Cuffley’s wards.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Where a ward elects several councillors at once, each voter has that many votes; all of them count here.

Local elections

Welwyn Hatfield council election, May 2026

Results in the wards that make up Cuffley, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in Cuffley’s wards1 seat · 7 May 2026
Conservative1

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for Cuffley’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
Northaw and Cuffley7 May 2026
Brian Seeger ElectedConservative52.5%
Danny BruntReform UK30.8%
Ian Howard GregoryGreen7.2%
Peter Edward BasfordLiberal Democrat5.2%
Laura Vivienne CookLabour4.3%

2,237 votes for candidates

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreen

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

Cuffley is in Hertsmere constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Cuffley).

Hertsmere · general election4 July 2024
Oliver Dowden ElectedConservative44.7%
Josh TapperLabour28.0%
Darren SelkusReform UK13.7%
Emma MatanleLiberal Democrat7.7%
John HumphriesGreen4.7%
Ray BolsterIndependent1.1%

48,007 votes for candidates · majority 7,992

MP for Hertsmere

Sir Oliver Dowden

Conservative, MP since 7 May 2015.

65%

turnout in July 2024: 48,007 votes from 73,465 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 7,992 of 48,007 votes (16.6%): wider than in 59% of England’s 543 constituencies.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreenIndependent

MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.

Council money

Cuffley’s Band D council tax is £2,481 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in Northaw and Cuffley
Northaw and Cuffley parish councilparish precept£90.84
Welwyn Hatfield Councildistrict council£252.00
Hertfordshire County Councilcounty council£1,858.19
Hertfordshire police and crime commissionerpolice and crime£280.00
A year£2,481.03
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

Welwyn Hatfield Council keeps £252.00 of a Band D bill (10%); the rest goes to the Northaw and Cuffley parish council, Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner.

Band D since 1993

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K1995200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52Welwyn Hatfield, 1993–94: £612.00Welwyn Hatfield, 1994–95: £561.38Welwyn Hatfield, 1995–96: £582.75Welwyn Hatfield, 1996–97: £612.46Welwyn Hatfield, 1997–98: £648.21Welwyn Hatfield, 1998–99: £718.36Welwyn Hatfield, 1999–00: £781.02Welwyn Hatfield, 2000–01: £829.87Welwyn Hatfield, 2001–02: £878.82Welwyn Hatfield, 2002–03: £957.86Welwyn Hatfield, 2003–04: £1,130.52Welwyn Hatfield, 2004–05: £1,201.09Welwyn Hatfield, 2005–06: £1,259.82Welwyn Hatfield, 2006–07: £1,321.63Welwyn Hatfield, 2007–08: £1,382.57Welwyn Hatfield, 2008–09: £1,441.48Welwyn Hatfield, 2009–10: £1,491.89Welwyn Hatfield, 2010–11: £1,498.28Welwyn Hatfield, 2011–12: £1,498.33Welwyn Hatfield, 2012–13: £1,499.62Welwyn Hatfield, 2013–14: £1,500.82Welwyn Hatfield, 2014–15: £1,501.66Welwyn Hatfield, 2015–16: £1,524.05Welwyn Hatfield, 2016–17: £1,569.35Welwyn Hatfield, 2017–18: £1,639.92Welwyn Hatfield, 2018–19: £1,730.42Welwyn Hatfield, 2019–20: £1,799.50Welwyn Hatfield, 2020–21: £1,867.06Welwyn Hatfield, 2021–22: £1,943.90Welwyn Hatfield, 2022–23: £2,019.94Welwyn Hatfield, 2023–24: £2,120.69Welwyn Hatfield, 2024–25: £2,224.88Welwyn Hatfield, 2025–26: £2,333.46Welwyn Hatfield, 2026–27: £2,452.26Welwyn Hatfield £2,452England £2,392

Welwyn Hatfield’s Band D bill has risen 56% in ten years, from £1,569.35 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £612.00 in 1993–94.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,654
Band B 7/9£1,930
Band C 8/9£2,205
Band D 9/9£2,481
Band E 11/9£3,032
Band F 13/9£3,584
Band G 15/9£4,135
Band H 18/9£4,962

A Band D home in Northaw and Cuffley, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Hertfordshire’s councils

Broxbourne£2,306
Stevenage£2,392
Hertsmere£2,406
Dacorum£2,409
St Albans£2,419
Three Rivers£2,422
Watford£2,447
North Hertfordshire£2,449
Welwyn Hatfield£2,452
East Hertfordshire£2,455

Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,200.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceWelwyn Hatfield + Hertfordshirevs England
Adult social care£475−£12
Children’s social care£219−£71
Roads and transport£51+£10
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£33−£28
Bins, street cleaning, environment£124+£5
Libraries, leisure, culture£55+£11
Planning and development£-7−£33
Public health£54−£24
Running the council£45−£14
Other£1−£18
Cuffley’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Hertfordshire
Welwyn Hatfield + HertfordshireCuffley’s councilsHertfordshireEngland
Adult social care£475£476£487
Children’s social care£219£219£290
Roads and transport£51£68£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£33£31£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£124£107£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£55£39£44
Planning and development£-7£17£26
Public health£54£54£78
Running the council£45£65£59
Other£1£7£19
Total, schools apart£1,093£1,124£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Welwyn Hatfield per its residents plus Hertfordshire per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Hertfordshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.

Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.

Get involved

Having a say in how Cuffley is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

welhat.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

welhat.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how Cuffley is run

Which council runs Cuffley?

Cuffley is run by Welwyn Hatfield Council and Hertfordshire County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.

Does Cuffley have a town council?

Yes: Cuffley has its own parish-tier council (Northaw and Cuffley parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £91 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for Cuffley?

Sir Oliver Dowden (Conservative) is the MP for Hertsmere, which covers Cuffley.

How many councillors does Cuffley have?

1 ward councillors represent Cuffley’s 1 ward, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.

When are the next elections in Cuffley?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Cuffley’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in Cuffley?

Band D council tax in Cuffley is £2,481 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls Welwyn Hatfield Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Labour 17 · Liberal Democrat 16 · Conservative 11 · Reform UK 3 of 47 seats; a majority needs 24. The council’s website lists who leads it now.

Who controls Hertfordshire County Council?

As elected, Liberal Democrat 31 · Conservative 23 · Reform UK 13 · Green 5 · Labour 5 · Independent 1 of 78 seats; a majority needs 40.

Who won the 2026 council election in Cuffley?

In Cuffley’s wards on 7 May 2026, Conservative 1 of the 1 seats up. The Conservatives had the largest share of votes, 52.5%.

Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.