What happens next?
On Wednesday 3 September, Kent’s councils asked experienced advisors KPMG, whose work is being paid for by the government, to look in more detail at two options for new unitary councils and the areas they should cover, following a detailed options appraisal of seven possible options.
They are:
Option 3a
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
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.
Individual councils can also choose to commission and submit business plans for other options too. This currently includes Kent County Council (1a), Medway Council (4d), and Dartford and Gravesham (5a), with maps below.
Option 1a
One unitary council, consisting of three area assemblies 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
This map has been updated with the refined boundaries following the options appraisal as part the development for the business case. Please note the 4d map in the options appraisal is a previous a version.
Four unitary councils with boundary changes, consisting of parts of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale in the north; the remaining part of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway, with Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and parts of Tonbridge Wells in the west; Maidstone, Ashford with the remaining parts of Tunbridge Wells, Swale, and part of Folkestone and Hythe; and Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and with the remaining parts of Folkestone and Hythe in the east.
Option 5a
Five unitary councils 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.
Once KPMG and council officers have worked together to draw up business cases for each of the options, each council will go through its own decision-making process to decide which option it supports.
Business plans need to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by 28 November.
The final decision rests with ministers.
