Canterbury City Council has chosen its favourite plan for a major change to local government in Kent. They are supporting a plan that would replace the current system with four new, larger councils.
The current system in Kent has two layers of council:
- County Council (KCC): Handles big services like education, social care, and main roads.
- District/City Councils: Handle local services like bin collection, housing, and planning.
The new idea is to create “unitary councils,” which would be one single council handling all of those services for a specific area. (Medway Council already works like this.)
The government believes the current two-layer system is “broken” and needs to be replaced with unitary councils. The main goal of this change is to:
- Simplify Services: Residents will only have to deal with one council instead of two.
- Create a Mayoral Authority: Eventually, the new system will allow Kent to get an overall strategic mayor.
- Gain More Control and Money: This change is expected to bring “devolution”—meaning Kent gets more independence from the central government in London, more control over decisions, and more money to spend locally.
Canterbury’s Chosen Plan: Option 4d
Canterbury’s council members chose a specific proposal known as Option 4d, which divides Kent and Medway into four new unitary councils. They believe this plan works best because it:
- Will keep services working effectively.
- Creates councils that are a sensible size.
- Doesn’t reinforce inequalities between East and West Kent by making the new areas more equal in terms of population and earnings.
- Keeps local elected representatives accessible to residents.
How Kent Would Be Divided Under Option 4d:
- North Kent: Medway, Gravesham, Dartford, most of Swale, and parts of Tonbridge & Malling and Maidstone.
- East Kent: Canterbury, Thanet, Dover, eastern Swale, and part of Folkestone & Hythe.
- West Kent: Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & Malling, and Sevenoaks.
- Mid Kent: Maidstone, Ashford, southern Swale, and part of Folkestone & Hythe.
What Happens Next?
All 14 councils in Kent and Medway must submit their preferred option and a detailed business case to the government by Friday, November 28th.
The government will then:
- Analyze the plans and launch a public consultation (asking residents for their views) early next year (2026).
- Make a final decision on the new structure in the Summer of 2026.