North Kent

North Kent
Future unitary authority area
Chatham
Chatham
Coordinates: 51°22′55″N 0°31′35″E / 51.3819°N 0.5265°E / 51.3819; 0.5265
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionSouth East
Ceremonial countyKent
Incorporated1 April 2028
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • BodyNorth Kent Council
Area
 • Total
141 sq mi (366 km2)
Population
 (2024 estimate)
 • Total
528,337
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)

North Kent is a planned unitary authority area in Kent, England, scheduled to be created as part of upcoming local government reform. It will be formed from the existing Medway unitary authority area, and the Dartford and Gravesham two-tier districts.[1]

North Kent will border West Kent and Mid Kent, as well as the London Borough of Bexley. The area is also connected by road to the future South West Essex. The largest settlement will be Gillingham.

Chatham, Dartford, Gillingham, Gravesend, Northfleet, Rochester and the Ebbsfleet area are currently unparished, the rest of the area is parished. The area has a 2024 estimated population of 528,337.[2]

History

North Kent was first formed by proposals brought by Kent district councils as part of structural changes to local government in England which began in 2024. Prior to the local government reform, most of Kent had a two-tier system where Kent County Council and would provide local services; however, the conurbation around Gillingham was in the pre-existing Medway unitary authority. Medway had been administratively part of Kent before 1998.[3]

Following the 2024 Devolution White Paper, the ruling Labour Party announced that the government would seek to establish unitary authorities in the remaining two-tier areas including Kent.[4] In February 2025, the government wrote to the local authorities in Kent asking them to submit proposals for two-tier areas under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.[5] A North Kent district was included in all the proposals brought forward by district councils while a single-unitary option merging Kent and Medway was supported by the county council. [6]

Option 4b, with the boundaries as planned, was selected by the government in July 2026. The alternative proposal for four unitaries and the proposals for a single unitary, or three or five unitaries were not accepted.[7] Medway Council had supported a modified Option 4, named 4d, in which North Kent's boundaries would have been modified to more closely align with the built-up areas, also including most of Swale. Dartford and Gravesham borough councils had jointly proposed Option 5a, where North Kent would have excluded the parts of Medway district east of the River Medway.[8][6]

Governance

It will be run by North Kent Council, which will comprise 81 councillors.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Kent and Medway council leaders" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  2. ^ "Option 4B" (PDF). Kent Council Leaders. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  3. ^ "The Kent (Borough of Gillingham and City of Rochester upon Medway) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1876
  4. ^ "English Devolution White Paper". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  5. ^ "Letter: Kent and Medway". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Local government reorganisation in Kent and Medway". GOV.UK. Retrieved 29 March 2026. Text in this article is derived from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  7. ^ "Consultation on the Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Kent and Medway". Gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  8. ^ "Local government reorganisation: decision letters to council leaders". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  9. ^ "Local government reorganisation: implementation letter to Kent and Medway chief executives" (PDF). Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Retrieved 31 July 2026.

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