Last chance to have your say on future of Councils in Kent and Medway

Last month the government ministers launched a consultation on the future of councils in Kent and Medway and the areas they should cover in the biggest shake up of local government in 50 years.

The deadline for responses is 23:59 on 26 March 2026. To take part in the government’s consultation, visit the Gov website.

Ministers asked councils to come up with plans to create unitary councils in a process known as local government reorganisation (LGR). 

Under the current system Kent County Council (KCC) delivers some services such as education, social services and roads, and district or borough councils deliver others like emptying your bins and providing housing services.  

Under the proposed system, a much smaller number of unitary councils would deliver all council services in one area. Medway Council operates in that way today. 

Councils across Kent and Medway have worked together to draw up a series of options for the number of unitaries needed and what areas they should cover. 

In Ashford, councillors felt the 4d model goes a step further than the other business cases on the basis that minor boundary changes are acceptable. Making this a once in a lifetime opportunity to remodel the geographical areas that make sense of the developed communities of Kent reflecting their local identities, creating a sense of place, travel to work opportunities, balancing urban and rural across a four unitary model with strategic capacity.

Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “This is the most significant change to local councils in half a century. While the final shape of the new unitary councils will be for government to decide, we are fully committed to working collaboratively with our partners to deliver effective, future‑ready councils in whatever form they take.

“There is a great deal of work ahead, but I’m confident that, together, we can create a system of local government that is responsive, resilient and better placed to meet the challenges and opportunities facing our communities.”

It’s now over to residents and organisations throughout Kent and Medway to help ministers make an informed decision.

There is lots of background information, including the detailed explanations for each option, at the Kent Council Leaders website.

Once the consultation closes, the civil servants and ministers will consider everyone’s responses alongside the evidence that has been presented to them. 

A decision on which option ministers have chosen is likely to be announced in the summer.