Issue - meetings

Background:

The report provided an overview of the collaborative work that had taken place since February 2025, when all councils in Kent and Medway had been invited by the Secretary of State to submit proposals for local government reorganisation (LGR) for the region of Kent, following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024.

The report set out that Medway Council had consistently supported the view that four unitary authorities would be the best option for Kent and Medway, and accordingly the Council had developed its own proposal for Local Government Reorganisation, option 4D. This proposed replacing the existing two-tier system of local government in Kent and Medway with four balanced, community-focused unitary authorities: North Kent, East Kent, Mid Kent and West Kent. Each new council would deliver all local services within its area, removing duplication, simplifying accountability, and ensuring decisions are made closer to their communities.

Also presented with the report were all the business cases developed across Kent for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). All of the business cases developed proposed replacing the existing two-tier system in other parts of Kent, by establishing differing numbers of Unitary Authorities. These could then create the foundation for a Kent & Medway Combined County Authority (CCA) to deliver devolution, enabling greater local control over transport, housing, skills, and climate change programmes.

The report sought a decision regarding Medway’s preferred approach to enable submission of a business case to Government by the deadline of 28 November 2025.

It was noted that Full Council had considered the report at a special meeting held on 13 November 2025. The Chief Executive advised that the Council had agreed to provide a steer to Cabinet, namely that Medway Council should submit option 4D, for the establishment of four unitary authorities, as set out at Appendix 4 of the report to Cabinet, to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), for Local Government Reorganisation across the region of Kent and Medway. The Chief Executive also reported on the two amendments made at the meeting, in respect of options 3A and maintaining the “status quo”, respectively, neither of which were agreed. All Cabinet Members indicated their support for option 4D, with particular reference to their respective portfolios.

An Equality Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 6 to the report.

Reasons:

To ensure that Medway responds to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5