Change is coming - Is a local voice important to you?

This is the question being posed to local residents in a consultation to find out whether they would like to see the creation of a town council for the unparished, urban area of Ashford when changes to local government are introduced.

This will not affect existing parish or town councils; however a large part of our town is unparished and there are concerns that Ashford’s local voice will be silenced.

Ashford Borough Council is conducting a Community Governance Review, which is the process by which the community is consulted on changes to the most local levels of governance, and would like to know what residents think by the 5 December 2025.

Why are we asking now?

The Government is planning big changes to local councils. They want to join Kent councils together to create new, larger councils. This is called Local Government Reorganisation, or LGR.

This means that from 1 April 2028, Kent County Council and all the borough and district councils in Kent, will be replaced by a smaller number of larger councils that will do the job of both. These larger councils are called unitary councils.

In parished areas, the parish or town council will remain and work with the new unitary council. In the unparished areas of Ashford, only the unitary council will remain and will cover several towns. Parished areas will therefore retain a more local layer of local government than unparished ones.

While ultimately it will be the government who makes the final decision on how councils in Kent will look in future, residents are being asked about how they ensure a local voice is still heard.

When LGR is introduced, in parished areas of the borough, the parish or town council will remain and work with the new unitary council.

Cllr Linda Harman, Chair of Local Government and Polling District Task Group, said: “When the proposed changes to local government are introduced this could mean that in the unparished urban areas of Ashford, only the unitary council will exist.

“Listening to our community is at the heart of everything we do in local government. This review is your opportunity to shape how local decisions are made and where your contacts for local issues are based. I urge every resident to take part—your voice truly matters.”

What is a town council?

A town council has the same powers as a parish council. They can provide, maintain and support a variety of important and visible services including allotments, parks and open spaces, bus shelters and some community centres and leisure facilities.

They are made up of locally elected councillors, providing an extra voice to represent the community and be an advocate for your local area.

What would change?

Some services currently delivered by Ashford Borough Council would be transferred to the new town council. Like parishes, town councils get their money from something called a ‘precept’. This is an extra charge added to your Council Tax and collected at the same time. Town councils decide how much precept to charge, based on the services they want to offer.

We want your views – Tell us before 5 December 2025. Have your say on our website or scan the QR code.

Please note the consultation is live from Friday 24 October

For more information, visit our dedicated CGR page on our website.