Councils Reveal Draft Business Cases for New Councils
Update 28/11/25: The final cases have now been published — see the final cases.
Councils from across Kent and Medway have today, Wednesday 5 November 2025, published a series of draft business cases to help inform the next steps in the government’s biggest shake up of local councils in 50 years.
The cases, compiled with the help of experienced advisers KPMG, explore different options for the number of unitary councils in Kent and the areas they should cover in the future.
Under the current system Kent County Council (KCC) delivers some services like education, social services and roads, and district or borough councils deliver others like emptying your bins and providing housing services.
In the proposed system, unitary councils would deliver all council services in one area. Medway Council operates in that way today.
In September, councils chose two options to explore in more detail using government money.
Option 3a
The first was three unitary councils consisting of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale in the north; Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west and Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe in the east.
Option 4b
The next was four unitary councils consisting of Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north; Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west; Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe in the middle of Kent and Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east.
Councils across Kent kept the option to pay for and submit business plans for alternative options themselves using the KPMG data.
Option 1a
KCC announced its intention to explore the case for a single unitary council covering Kent and Medway supplemented with three area committees of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale in the north; Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west and Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe in the east.
Option 4d
Medway Council is proposing a four-unitary model with changes to existing council boundaries, consisting of parts of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale in the north; the remaining part of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway, with Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, and parts of Tonbridge and Malling in the west; Maidstone, Ashford with the remaining parts of Tonbridge and Malling, Swale, and part of Folkestone and Hythe; and Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and with the remaining parts Swale of Folkestone and Hythe in the east.
Option 5a
Gravesham Borough Council and Dartford Borough Council have developed a proposal for a five-unitary model with boundary changes, consisting of Dartford, Gravesham, parts of Medway west of the River Medway, and Swanley in the north; Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, and Maidstone (excluding Swanley) in the west; the remainder of Medway with the western part of Swale (Sittingbourne area) in the middle; the rest of Swale (Faversham area) combined with Canterbury and Thanet; and finally, Ashford, Folkestone & Hythe, and Dover in the east.
In the business cases 3a, 4b, 4d, and 5a, text shown in blue is to highlight where there is shared narrative, this is identical wording that appears across those four cases.
Throughout November, each individual council will use its own decision-making process to confirm its preferred model and associated business case.
Business cases then need to be submitted to the government by Friday 28 November.
In the new year, the government is expected to carry out public consultation with all Kent residents on the preferred options.
A decision by the government on the final structure of unitary councils is expected in the summer.
Public Survey Report
Meanwhile, the results of a public and stakeholder engagement exercise held to find out from people living, working and studying in Kent about what is important to them in reorganising councils has been published.
It found the public wants the new arrangements to focus on the quality of the services provided, ensure efficiency and value for money and to solve people’s problems quickly.
The public saw opportunities in simplifying local government structures, clarifying responsibilities and making the most of economies of scale to streamline operations, reduce bureaucracy and deliver better value.
You can read the results here.
KCC also ran its own engagement exercise asking for views on its proposals.
