Local government reorganisation
Local government reorganisation changes how local councils are organised and what they're responsible for.
Central government plans to replace the current system of district and county councils with more unitary authorities across England.
A unitary authority is one layer of government responsible for all services in a given area.
In most areas, reorganisation will mean creating unitary councils that serve at least 500,000 people. Medway’s current population is 280,000 people.
There may be exceptions to make sure the new system works well for each area. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
What reorganisation means for Medway
Medway Council is already a unitary authority. We're responsible for all services in our area including social care, waste collections, roads, parking and much more.
Across the rest of Kent, there is a 2-tier system in place. District and borough councils are responsible for some services and Kent County Council responsible for others.
It's likely that all local government services in Kent and Medway will be reorganised into 3 or 4 unitary councils serving the whole of Kent and Medway.
KMPG options for unitary councils and areas
Kent and Medway's Councils asked KMPG to look at 2 options for unitary councils and areas it should cover.
Medway’s proposal below was not one of the 2 options shortlisted. However, it was also agreed that individual councils can choose to submit business plans for alternative options.
Our preferred option
Our proposal supports reorganising Kent and Medway into 4 unitary councils.
Our map shows what councils could look like across Kent and Medway if split into North, East, Mid and West.
View a higher resolution version of the map (JPG).
Our proposal ensures that new councils are not too small or too large. Their size will enable them to:
- maintain a high level of service
- meet local needs
- meet government's criteria for serving populations of around 500,000 people.
Having 4 unitary councils will also:
- align with the healthcare system, ensuring residents receive the best level of care
- support the social care and education systems by maintaining local knowledge and relationships
- build on the successes of partnership and multi-agency work already happening in Medway.
Changes to boundaries
We have made some refinements to our preferred option since we announced our first proposal in August 2025.
Following engagement with Kent leaders and stakeholders across the county, the refined boundaries for the Medway option (as seen in the map above) mean:
- Faversham moves into the East unitary authority
- Tunbridge Wells is no longer split by a boundary
- the northwest boundary of the Mid unitary is extended.
Have your say
We want you (residents and partners) to have your say as we shape our proposals for local government reorganisation.
All the councils in Kent and Medway recently ran a survey to find out what’s important to you when we think about setting up the
Next steps
We'll work over the coming months on final proposals to submit to government in November 2025.
We expect reorganisation in Kent and Medway to be completed by April 2028.
We'll continue to support our residents with important services in the meantime.
What has happened until now
Medway Council, Kent County Council and Kent’s 12 district and borough councils have been working together to develop proposals.
All 14 council leaders in Kent sent an interim plan to central government on 21 March 2025.
Read the:
Our Leader, Councillor Vince Maple, also wrote to Jim McMahon, OBE MP, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution. This was to confirm:
- Medway Council’s strong support for the introduction of unitary authorities across the Kent region
- his backing to a model supporting 4 unitary authorities on the basis that this would best serve local needs.
Read Leader Councillor Vince Maple's letter to Jim McMahon.
The government responded to our interim plan with feedback in May 2025. Read the interim plan feedback document.