About Local Government Reorganisation in Kent and Medway

The government has announced its decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) for Kent and Medway, opting for option 4b.

Find out more about what this means for Medway and other council residents below.

What Local Government Reorganisation is

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) changes how local councils are organised and what they're responsible for.

Central government wants councils to be simpler, so it’s clear who is in charge of local services.

They are replacing the current system of district and county councils with new bigger councils, known as unitary councils. A unitary council is responsible for all the services for its area. Even though Medway is already a unitary council, we'll be combining with Dartford and Gravesham to serve a larger population of residents.

This work is part of the government's English Devolution White Paper, which seeks to streamline council structures so it's easier for residents to understand and save taxpayers money.

LGR in Medway

Councils from across Kent and Medway submitted 5 proposals to government on the 28 November 2025. These proposals suggested how our councils should be combined to create new unitary authorities. View all of the proposals.

On 16 July 2026 it was announced that the government has opted for option 4b.

This option is for 4 unitary councils consisting of:

  • Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north
  • Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west
  • Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe in the middle of Kent
  • Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east.

Map for option 4b

View a higher resolution version of the map for option 4b.

Medway Council's position on LGR in Kent

Throughout the process we made it clear that our preferred outcome for LGR was option 4d. While this is not the outcome that has been chosen, we remain committed to ensuring the decision is implemented in the best way possible for our residents, communities and customers.

Next steps

The government has set a timeline for next steps:

  • statutory orders, which will formally implement local government reorganisation, are expected to be made in due course
  • elections to the shadow councils will take place on 6 May 2027
  • the new shadow councils will operate alongside existing councils, ahead of the new unitary councils taking full responsibility on 1 April 2028.

We expect devolution to follow shortly after Local Government Reorganisation.

We will:

  • publish further information about next year’s election soon
  • begin work straight away with colleagues at Dartford and Gravesham councils, and Kent County Council, to ensure the new council is formed in the most effective way
  • support our staff through this period of change, ensuring the transition is smooth and well managed
  • keep you, our residents, regularly informed so you’re ready for the changes when they take effect.

In the meantime, Medway Council remains responsible for providing all its services to residents and that will continue as normal.