The Government has today, 16 July 2026, announced its decision on the new structure for local government in Kent and Medway.
Ministers have confirmed that the existing county, unitary, city, district and borough councils will be replaced by four new unitary councils moving to a simplified system where the new councils will be responsible for delivering all local government services in its area.
The Secretary of State has chosen Option 4b from the five proposals submitted last November. Option 4b will see:
- North Kent: Dartford, Gravesham, Medway
- East Kent: Canterbury, Thanet, Dover
- Mid Kent: Swale, Ashford, Folkestone and Hythe
- West Kent: Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells
A map showing Option 4b.
Responding to the announcement, Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council said: “The Government has now set out its preferred option for the future structure of local government in Kent and Medway. Whilst from the very start we have been strong advocates of four unitary councils for Kent and Medway, we believe that the option chosen represents a poor decision and has missed a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to be bold and shape services around communities and the way people live, work and travel today, as we put forward in our proposal last November. Places like Walderslade and Faversham will be stuck with the same problems and confused geographies created by previous processes over the past 50 years.
“I will be seeking further clarification from the Secretary of State on the assessment process used to reach this decision.
“Nonetheless, our focus now must be on ensuring that whatever model is implemented is delivered in the most efficient, professional and responsible way possible. We will work constructively with colleagues in Gravesham, Dartford and Kent County Council, to support a smooth transition. It does mean that the current Medway Council footprint will be more than 50 per cent of the population of the new council.
“We will also continue to collaborate closely with our council colleagues and partners across the whole of Kent and support our staff through this period of change as they are the people delivering day‑to‑day services for Medway residents, and their professionalism and commitment remain central to everything we do.”
The Government has set out a clear timetable for transition. Elections to a Shadow Authority will take place on 6 May 2027 with the new unitary council assuming full responsibilities on 1 April 2028. Further information about the elections and transition arrangements will be published in due course.
Cllr Maple continued: “I want to reassure our residents that, in the meantime, nothing changes. Medway Council remains fully responsible for delivering its services to residents and that will continue as normal, particularly ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our communities are cared for.
“We have an ambitious agenda to be getting on with and are committed to delivering that in the coming two years.”
In a joint statement issued today, 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 council 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.”