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Devolution & Local Government Reorganisation
** LGR PROGRAMME ON HOLD **
The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced she is pausing the local government reorganisation (LGR) programme in Kent and Medway and reviewing the decisions made by ministers in July.
We have been assured the review will take place as quickly as possible.
The review will be looking at all aspects of the proposals on the table and MHCLG is not able to give us an indication of timescales and its impact on the overall reorganisation timetable.
The geographies of any new unitary councils will not be confirmed until the review has concluded. In the meantime, we have been told the programme has not been abandoned and to continue with some preparatory work.
See the Government Press Release at GOV.UK
Ministers decide future shape of Kent and Medway's councils
Government ministers had decided Kent and Medway would be served by four completely new councils from April 2028.
In the biggest shake up of local authority arrangements in 50 years, the government was to replace Kent County Council, Medway Council and the 12 district, borough and city councils that currently deliver services in the county with four new unitary councils.
Those councils would have delivered all of the services in their area, much like Medway Council does today, including education, social services, highways, libraries, emptying your bins, leisure centres and housing services.
Following a government consultation which attracted around 3,000 responses, the Secretary of State opted for:
- A unitary council covering the areas currently served by Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north
- A unitary council covering the areas currently served by Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west
- A unitary council covering the areas currently served by Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe in the middle of Kent
- A unitary council covering the areas currently served by Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east.
See the Press Release - Ministers decide future shape of Kent and Medway's Councils.
Recent press releases
Have your say on the way councils in Kent and Medway are organised
DDC Councillors support a four-unitary council plan for Kent
Councils reveal draft business cases for new councils
Council reorganisation takes the next step
For more information on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) progress in Kent, please click here
Earlier indicative timeline for LGR
What will happen next?
As of 7 September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has paused Local Government Reorganisation for Kent to review the programme.
More information
If you require any further information, here are some useful links:
Local information:
National information: