Swale Councillors Endorse Re-Organisation Plans

Swale Borough Council has voted to endorse a proposal that would see Swale join forces with Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe.

At a council meeting last night (Wednesday 19th November) councillors voted for option 4b, which would see Kent and Medway divided into four new unitary councils.

In the proposed system unitary councils would deliver all council services in one area, in the same way Medway Council currently operates.

Five different options were discussed by councillors, each supported by a business case that had been put together by KPMG, working with all the councils in Kent and Medway.

Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “This vote was by no means an easy decision for councillors, and everyone who spoke was clear that the concerns of local people were at the forefront of their thinking. We have chosen option 4b, which I believe will ground our future in a partnership of equals. We would be aligning with areas who share our DNA - communities that balance rural villages, with bustling towns and coastal communities. The size of the new council should be large enough to provide financial stability, but not so large that the connection between councillors and their residents is broken.”

As well as creating a new unitary council covering Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe, option 4B will merge:

• Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north
• Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west
• Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east.

The proposal will now be submitted to the Government, by Friday 28th November, and a consultation on all the submitted proposals that meet the Government’s criteria will take place in early 2026, with a final decision expected in the summer next year.