Kent and Medway to be served by four completely new councils from April 2028
In the biggest shake up of local authority arrangements in 50 years, the government is replacing Kent County Council, Medway Council and the 12 district, borough and city councils that currently deliver services in the county with four new unitary councils.
Those councils will deliver all of the services in their area, much like Medway Council does today, including education, social services, highways, libraries, emptying your bins, leisure centres and housing services.
Following a government consultation, which attracted around 3,000 responses, the Secretary of State has opted for:
- a unitary council covering the areas currently served by Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north
- a unitary council covering the areas currently served by Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west
- a unitary council covering the areas currently served by Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe in the middle of Kent
- a unitary council covering the areas currently served by Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east