The Secretary of State has chosen option 4B in the government consultation on local government reorganisation in Kent and Medway, meaning that from April 2028 the area currently served by Medway Council will be merged with Dartford and Gravesham to form a new northern unitary council.
What has been decided
The decision follows a consultation that attracted about 3,000 responses. Ministers will replace the existing county and district/borough arrangements across Kent and Medway with four brand-new unitary authorities. The plan creates the following new councils:
- Northern unitary: Dartford, Gravesham and Medway
- Western unitary: Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
- Central unitary: Swale, Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe
- Eastern unitary: Canterbury, Thanet and Dover
Immediate local implications
For residents of Medway, the decision means the council that currently provides local services will be reorganised into a larger northern authority. The government timetable sets the new structures to take effect from April 2028, giving councils and officials time to plan the transition.
Leaders of affected councils have responded to the announcement. Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of Swale Borough Council, welcomed the option selected by ministers, saying it aligns communities with shared characteristics and offers a balance between scale and local connection:
“The size of the new council should be large enough to provide financial stability, but not so large that the connection between councillors and their residents is broken.”
What residents should expect during the transition
Councils involved say they will continue delivering services while preparing for the new authorities. Officials describe the reorganisation as a long process: a "marathon, not a sprint." Practical implications likely to be addressed during the transition include:
- Staff and service realignment between existing councils and the incoming unitary
- Harmonisation of local policies, fees and council tax structures
- Establishing new governance arrangements and electoral boundaries for the unitary authority
How the new map looks
| New unitary | Areas included |
|---|---|
| Northern | Dartford, Gravesham, Medway |
| Western | Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells |
| Central | Swale, Ashford, Folkestone & Hythe |
| Eastern | Canterbury, Thanet, Dover |
Councils have pledged to continue co-operating and to focus on frontline services throughout the preparatory period. The background and rationale for the reorganisation are set out on the Kent Council Leaders website, where further details of the proposals and next steps are published.
For Medway residents, the coming two years will be a period of planning and adjustment as councils work to create the new northern unitary authority that will assume responsibility for local services in 2028.
