As part of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) we're proposing to reorganise Kent and Medway into 4 unitary councils.
Option 4d consists of:
- North Kent
- Mid Kent
- West Kent
- East Kent.
Find out more about the different areas.
Each new unitary council would be responsible for all local services in its area, working alongside a future Kent and Medway Combined County Authority to unlock the significant benefits from devolution.
Option 4d offers the best balance between:
- strong local accountability
- financial sustainability
- better public services
- effective partnership with the NHS, police and others
- readiness for devolution.
Why change is needed
The current system is:
- confusing for residents (county vs district responsibilities)
- duplicated and inefficient
- harder to align with the NHS, police and fire services
- under growing financial and service pressure
- poorly suited to modern, place-based public services.
LGR is about simplifying and making councils fit for the future.
Why 4 councils is the right number
Option 4d is the most future-ready model for Kent and Medway. It:
- is large enough to be financially resilient
- is small enough to stay close to communities
- reflects real economic, transport and health geographies
- balances distribution of need, opportunity and risk.
The ward boundaries proposed under option 4d provide the best balance of democratic fairness, community identity, local representation and long term stability. Other proposals either create wards that are too large and remote or rely on ‘artificial groupings’ that weaken local representation and service delivery.
Option 4d provides the best platform for devolution in Kent and Medway as it aligns well with national devolution policy.
Benefits of option 4d for different needs and services
Social care and health
Option 4d creates councils at the right scale for place-based health:
- one council is responsible for social care, housing and public health across each of North, East, West and Mid Kent
- stronger integration with NHS community services through neighbourhood health areas as set out in the NHS 10 year plan
- aligns well with potential neighbourhood health areas
- improves prevention and population health management by a focus on the needs of communities at a local level
- makes tackling health inequalities easier. This is especially in coastal and urban areas through a more focussed approach to service design and delivery and more targeted interventions in areas such as mental health, early identification and prevention. This supports people to live independently for longer and reduces pressure on hospitals.
Very large councils make this harder for everyone by distancing decision-making from communities.
Children's services and SEND
Option 4d strengthens services for children and families by:
- giving each council full responsibility for safeguarding, early help, SEND and youth services
- improving alignment with schools, health and police
- supporting earlier intervention and family-based support
- making SEND planning more responsive to local need
- providing clearer accountability for outcomes.
Very large councils increase safeguarding risk by distancing leadership from communities.
Housing and homelessness
Option 4d:
- brings housing supply, homelessness prevention and regulation into one organisation at each unitary
- strengthens links between housing, health and social care
- enables faster, clearer decisions
- improves prevention of rough sleeping and repeat homelessness
- allows tailored responses to coastal, urban and rural housing pressures.
Transport and highways
Transport is one of the most visible tests of council performance. Option 4d:
- removes duplication between county and district roles
- creates a single accountable authority for local roads and transport
- improves response times to maintenance and safety issues
- integrates transport with housing and regeneration
- enables strategic transport planning through a Combined County Authority.
Residents will know exactly who is responsible.
Community safety, policing and fire
Option 4d aligns boundaries with Kent Police and Kent Resilience Forum geographies. This will:
- improve coordination for emergency planning, incident reporting and enforcement
- strengthen alignment with police, fire and resilience arrangements at neighbourhood level
- strengthen neighbourhood safety partnerships.
Culture, heritage and leisure
Option 4d is based on the impact that place and local decision making has on individuals and communities. It will:
- protect civic identity and local pride
- keep libraries, museums and leisure services locally visible
- link culture to health, wellbeing and regeneration
- support tourism and local economies
- enable place-based cultural strategies.
Large authorities often marginalise these services. Option 4d does not.
Economic growth, skills and regeneration
Option 4d combines local delivery with strategic coordination, supporting more inclusive and sustainable growth through:
- councils leading town centre renewal and regeneration
- skills provision aligning with local labour markets
- targeted support for coastal, rural and urban economies
- strategic investment coordinated through a Combined County Authority
- stronger links between planning, transport and growth.
Financial sustainability and workforce stability
Option 4d is financially credible through:
- significant recurring annual savings
- removal of duplicated systems and management
- strong reserves across the four councils
- manageable payback period.
Stronger democracy and public trust
Option 4d strengthens local democracy by:
- creating councils aligned with places people recognise
- providing clear lines of accountability
- supporting neighbourhood, town and parish engagement
- improving scrutiny and transparency
- increasing public confidence in decision-making.