Hertfordshire County Council leader Cllr David Williams urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to push ahead with reforms to local government, amid fears the expected white paper may be delayed.

Writing directly to the PM, Cllr Williams outlined the benefits of a move towards unitary authorities, for areas like Hertfordshire that operate a two-tier council structure.

The letter highlighted concerns that the devolution white paper – which is expected to include moves towards more unitary authorities and more elected mayors – may be delayed.

He also suggested opposition to new unitary authorities may be politically motivated and pointed out the political implications that the reform agenda could have for Conservative councillors and MPs across the country.

Hertfordshire County Council already commissioned its own exploratory work that suggests that replacing it and the 10 district and borough councils with a single unitary authority could save up to £140m a year.

But the controversial move has been opposed by leaders of all 10 district and borough councils, who have vowed to oppose a move to a single unitary authority in the county.

The letter to the PM was sent in Cllr Williams’ capacity as leader of the Conservative Group of the County Council Network (CCN).

But since the release of the letter, the CCN has already distanced itself from the letter.

In the private letter, Cllr Williams tells Mr Johnson the white paper is a “real opportunity to deliver your Government’s vision to drive economic growth and level up the country.”

He says a move towards unitary authorities – and away from the “wasteful two-tier system” – would save £3bn over the next five years.

And he suggests unitary councils are better able to provide strategic leadership, build more homes, act as champions of economic growth and deliver better public services – and would also “breathe life into local democracy”.

Meanwhile he also says they are a ‘prerequisite’ to establish combined authorities or devolution deals.

Speaking on behalf of the Conservative Group on the CCN, he says members are “concerned” by recent suggestions that the white paper may be delayed.

He says this would “set back economic recovery and local growth prospects up and down the country” and “represent a failure to capitalise on what is a clear opportunity for reform.”

But in the letter, Cllr Williams also points to the political implications of a delay to the government’s ‘reform agenda’ – particularly for the so-called Red Wall MPs.

Cllr Williams wrote: “It is no surprise to me that many of those celebrating reports of delays to the Devolution White Paper are Labour and Liberal Democrat District Councillors, who regarded the prospect of strong county based unitaries as threats to their strongholds.”

In support of the reform agenda, he also dismisses a link that has been drawn between the number of Conservative district councillors and the Party’s chances of returning a Conservative MP.

The letter concludes: “We now have a once in a generation opportunity to put in place effective, efficient and sustainable units of local government which can think and act strategically and, alongside empowered town and parish councils, also be genuinely local and rooted in the identity of England’s great counties.

“I trust that you share our vision, as we certainly share yours, and that the Government will put in place measures to make this a reality.”

In response, a statement from the CCN said: “CCN is a cross party organisation, which includes political groups.

“The letter was sent in Cllr Williams’ capacity as the leader of the Conservative group at the CCN – as clearly stated in the first line of the letter.”