Ministers decide future shape of Kent and Medway’s Councils - Ashford joins mid Kent unitary with Swale and Folkestone & Hythe authorities

Government ministers have decided Kent and Medway will 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

Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: "While this is not the option Ashford Borough Council identified as its preferred approach, we respect the Government's decision and recognise the importance of moving forward together with clarity and purpose.

"Throughout this process our priority has been securing the best possible outcome for residents, businesses and communities, ensuring future councils are financially sustainable, capable of delivering high-quality services and able to respond effectively to local needs.

"The decision on the geography is an important milestone, but it is only the beginning of the journey. We will work constructively with colleagues across Kent to help shape the new arrangements, ensure Ashford's voice is heard and support a smooth transition that protects services and delivers the best possible outcomes for our communities."

In a wider statement, Kent and Medway’s council leaders said: “We want to reassure our residents that not one of our services will change overnight – you will still be dealing with the same council staff tomorrow and the day after that. The new councils will not come into being until 1 April 2028. All of the councils in Kent and Medway have a long history of working closely together to do the very best for the people we serve and that will not change one bit.

“This is the start of the process of bringing our different teams together with the aim of designing then delivering the best possible services for the people we serve. Of course, this change affects the thousands of council staff across the county who work incredibly hard day in and day out.

“Our focus will be supporting them through this change while helping them to carry on delivering our business-as-usual services seamlessly. There is a lot of work to do but we will make sure we take every opportunity to make our services the very best they can be.”

Last November, Ashford councillors decided to back option 4d, as this model goes a step further than the other business cases on the bases that minor boundary changes are acceptable. 

They felt this is 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, and providing a better balance of urban and rural areas.

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