Ambitions to create one super-council boss to preside over both Watford and Three Rivers have been put on ice, it has emerged.

Councillors at meeting of Watford Borough Council’s budget panel were told the potentially money-saving move was currently off the table as senior figures at Three Rivers District Council had got cold feet.

The news came after Liberal Democrat councillor Rabi Martins asked council officers at the meeting yesterday for an update on the scheme.

Tricia Taylor, executive director at the council, said: “There was a discussion between senior members here and senior members at Three Rivers and their position is that it is off for now.

“It is not off forever, but it is off for now.”

The two councils are looking at sharing services and in some cases officers as a way to save money in the future.

There had been discussion at the council of Watford’s current managing director Manny Lewis taking up and expanded role at the top of the two councils.

Councillor Andy Wylie, Watford's Liberal Democrat portfolio holder for finance and shared services, said the two councils had seen an opportunity to merge other senior jobs with retirement for some officers not too far on the horizon.

However he told the budget panel that Three Rivers had balked at the idea of sharing a managing director with Watford.

Councillor Wylie added: “At managing director level they want someone to be responsible for their council. That is their position and they are not going to move away from that.”