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Devolution & Local Government Reorganisation

Update - 19 May 2025

Councils in Kent and Medway have received a response from Government on interim proposals to replace the current system of local government.

The feedback acknowledged the positive partnership working by the 12 borough and district councils, Medway Council and Kent County Council to shape high-quality and sustainable services that best respond to the needs of residents and provide better value for money.

Government welcomed the initial thinking on the options for LGR in Kent and Medway, recognising that proposals are at an early stage and further analysis is planned in the run-up to final submissions in the autumn.

The feedback also included recognition of the geographically important position of Kent as the gateway to Europe, adding that this will necessitate unique considerations for LGR within the Kent and Medway area.

The reorganisation of councils in Kent and Medway will mean councils in their current form will be replaced by unitary authorities with responsibility for all services across a wider geographical area.

There is much more work to be done to build comprehensive business cases for submission by the Government’s 28 November deadline. A key part of that process will be a public awareness campaign to ensure residents and businesses fully understand the potential changes that LGR will bring.

See response from Government at https://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/210271/LGR-Interim-Plan-Feedback-for-Kent-and-Medway-15-May-2025.pdf.

21 March 2025

A joint submission has been made to MHCLG from all 14 councils in the county of Kent today. Here are the documents:

Kent Interim Plan for Local Government Reorganisation covering letter
Kent Interim Plan for Local Government Reorganisation joint submission from all 14 councils

5 February 2025

Kent has not been selected by Government to be part of its Devolution Priority Programme. This means we will not be part of the fast-track programme for the creation of a Mayoral Strategic Combined Authority and the new Unitary councils. More on KCC's response to it can be found here. As a result of this, Kent County Council elections will be going ahead as planned in May 2025.

Along with all other council leaders in Kent, we have received a formal invite to develop a proposal for Local Government Reorganisation, setting out the criteria, guidance on developing proposals and a timeline. If there is agreement across Kent to respond to this invitation, an interim plan should be submitted on or before 21 March 2025, with the expectation for a full proposal to be submitted by 28 November 2025. You can view the letter here on the MHCLG website.

On 16 December 2024, the Government published an English Devolution White Paper (Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth) setting out their plans for devolution and local government reorganisation - with the aim of shifting power away from Whitehall and simplifying local government structures.  

The White Paper is fundamentally made up of two parts:   

A promise to devolve more powers to a bigger, broader set of regional institutions.

A major move towards reorganisation of the older system of local authorities that sit beneath.

What does the Government mean by Devolution?

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from central Government to local authority level.

It is important because decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.

Devolution would provide greater freedoms and flexibilities for councils to work more effectively to improve public services and outcomes for residents and businesses.

Under the Government’s proposals to unlock Devolution from the Government, all areas are expected to have a Strategic Authority, and it is likely this would apply to the whole of Kent (including Medway). This would also be likely to include the election of a Mayor and would operate along the lines of current mayoral combined authorities in places like Manchester and the West Midlands.

To begin this process, a letter was sent to all county councils asking them to express an interest in becoming part of the Devolution Priority Programme, which could see the creation of a Strategic Authority covering the whole county of Kent. Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway Council submitted an expression of interest on 10 January 2025, along with 15 other county councils in England. We are now waiting to hear from the Government which areas will be selected to proceed as part of the Devolution Priority Programme. The speed of this is required as in order to begin the process, it may involve the postponement of the county elections due in May 2025, with the view to Mayoral elections being held in May 2026.

What is Local Government Reorganisation?

Also, within the White Paper, the Government shared its vision for simpler council structures, making it clearer who is responsible for services. Local Government Reorganisation is about making a pattern of single tier, unitary authorities across England.

As such, the Government is inviting proposals for Local Government Reorganisation where unitary councils with populations of around 500,000 sit between new mayoral strategic authorities and town and parish councils. These unitaries will replace the existing two-tier structure of local authorities (county and districts in an area like Kent). If we proceed, the proposed timeline for this process includes indicative reorganisation plans for Kent by March 2025, detailed business case(s) by Autumn 2025, and new unitary councils replacing the existing structure by 2028.

Devolution & LGR

Fig 2: Streamlining government

Source: MHCLG English Devolution White Paper, Section 4.1

What could this mean for Dover District?

For Dover District Council, which serves an area of 118,600 residents, this would mean the abolition of KCC, the 12 district councils and Medway Council, and for them to be replaced by the creation of a smaller number of unitary authorities (likely 3 or 4). For Dover District specifically, this is likely to be covered by a wider East Kent authority that also covers neighbouring districts as well as the services and functions currently provided by KCC.

What next?

Work will continue on building a comprehensive business case for submission to meet the Government’s deadline of 28 November 2025.

A key part of that process will be a public awareness campaign to ensure residents and businesses fully understand the potential changes that LGR will bring.