Draft business cases for new councils published
Councils from across Kent and Medway have published a series of draft business cases for Local Government Reorganisation.
The business cases which were published on 5 November 2025 will 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.
You can read the business cases here: https://kentcouncilleaders.org.uk/councils-reveal-draft-business-cases-for-new-councils/
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 operates in that way today.
Options
In September, councils chose two options to explore in more detail using government money.
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.
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.
Medway Council is proposing a four-unitary model with changes to existing council boundaries.
Gravesham Borough Council and Dartford Borough Council have developed proposals for a five-unitary model also including a number of boundary changes.
KCC announced its intention to explore the case for a single unitary council covering Kent and Medway supplemented with three area committees covering the north, east and west of the county.
Next steps
Throughout November, each individual council will use its own decision-making process to confirm its preferred model and associated business case. The business cases will be considered by Tunbridge Wells’ Full Council and Cabinet on 17 November.
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.
What you said
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: https://kentcouncilleaders.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LGR-Engagement-Exercise-Report-October-2025.pdf
