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Local Government Reorganisation and devolution

While Kent and Medway has not been selected as one of the areas to be a part of the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme, all of the county’s council leaders have been asked to work on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

This would mean merging the current two-tier councils, including county, district and borough, to make a smaller number of larger single unitary authorities, structures the Government says would be simpler and more efficient.

An interim proposal from KCC, Medway Council and all 12 district and borough councils had to be submitted by 21 March with full proposals expected by 28 November.

Councils across Kent and Medway will be gathering feedback from the public on LGR to form part of the submission of the business plan in the autumn. Information about how to get involved will be published here when it is ready.

The interim proposal reflects key criteria set out by Government around prioritising the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to residents, and demonstrating that reorganisation plans can meet local needs and deliver the best possible local government public services for the future to everyone who lives and works in Kent.

Read more about LGR policy and programme updates.

Will devolution ever happen in Kent?

Devolution is still a possibility for Kent and Medway. This would see a Mayor elected and a strategic mayoral authority sitting above these new unitary council structures with funding and decision-making power moving from Whitehall to a devolved area.

Government says it remains committed to supporting all areas of the country on a path towards devolution, and will build on the ‘enthusiasm and consensus’ that Kent and Medway have shown.

What happens next?

Local elections in May 2025

Now that Kent will not be preparing for a mayoral election in 2026, the local elections on May 1 2025 will go ahead as planned.

Find out more about the elections.

Devolution in Kent and Medway - the story so far

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Roger Gough devolution update - view transcript

Following the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, inviting councils to apply for priority status, Kent County (KCC) Council and Medway Council have formally asked the government to be included in its Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). Read the jointly-signed request from the Leaders of Kent County Council and Medway Council (PDF, 189.5 KB) and the response they received from Minister Jim McMahon on 30 January (PDF, 67.1 KB).

Council leaders across Kent agreed that a devolution deal would give people across Kent a stronger voice in how national decisions affect them and let local councils make important decisions closer to where residents live and work.

KCC Cabinet decided on 9 January 2025 to proceed with a proposal for devolution with a combined authority for Kent and Medway, including an elected mayor. This followed an extraordinary meeting of full county council earlier that day, when the proposal was considered by KCC members.

However, on Wednesday 5 February 2025 the Leader of Kent County Council was told by Government that Kent and Medway had not been selected as one of the areas that would be part of its Devolution Priority Programme.

In his letter to Kent Leaders, Jim McMahon OBE, MP Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, said “I had to make a judgement of the best-placed areas to take forwards on the Programme according to our strict criteria, and, in the round, concluded your proposals could not be taken forward due to concerns about the size of the population disparity between the two proposed constituent members of your proposed Kent and Medway Combined County Authority and the consequential impact on its governance.

“I believe this will affect your readiness and ability to meet the delivery criteria of the White Paper, and that local government reorganisation would benefit your area before a mayoral institution is established.”

The Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, has said he was ‘astonished and bitterly disappointed’ by the Government’s decision not to include Kent in its Devolution Priority Programme, and that the reason given was ‘confusing and insufficient.’ Read our media release responding to the government's decision.

Further information about local government reorginisation and devolution in Kent

For more information read our answers to your questions or follow the links below.

Kent County Council media releases:

County council meetings and papers:

The government and devolution:

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