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The report of the
Chief Executive sought approval of the Cabinet for the initial
submission by the Borough Council in respect of a proposal for new
Unitary Councils across Kent and Medway, as part of the
Government’s Local Government Reorganisation Programme.
 
As set out in a
letter from the Minister of State for Local Government and English
Devolution, attached at Annex 1, interim proposals for new Unitary
Councils across Kent and Medway were invited to be submitted by 21
March 2025 with full proposals to follow by 28 November 2025.
 
A draft county-wide
response had since been prepared with the input of all Council
Leaders, which made it clear that there was consensus amongst Kent
Council Leaders that there should be either three or four Unitary
Councils within the geographic area currently covered by Kent
County Council and Medway Unitary Council and the 12 Borough and
District Councils contained therein.  It
was noted that the interim submission attached at Annex 2a to the
report had received agreement of all the Councils across Kent and
Medway with Annex 2b having been agreed by many of those Councils
too.
 
Members noted that
following the interim submission, work would commence on a more
detailed and systematic evaluation of potential unitary geographies
ahead of the submission deadline for full proposals by 28 November
2025, with support to be procured via external partners to ensure
that the evaluation of options was robust and the submission was independently
evaluated.
 
Cabinet had due
regard to the financial and value for money considerations, risk
assessment and legal implications and noted that a budget needed to
be agreed to commence the preliminary financial and technical work
in order to prepare the evidence
base.  Other risks associated with
financial resilience of the new Unitary Councils, challenge faced
by the Government in delivering the programme within the ambitious
timetable, uncertainty presented to staff, partners and contractors
by these changes, and potential consequences for recruitment and
retention during the transition were also noted by Members.
 
Cllr Matt Boughton
proposed, Cllr Martin Coffin seconded and the Cabinet
 

RESOLVED:  That
 
(1)         
the invitation from the Minister of State for Local Government and
English Devolution to work with other councils in Kent to submit
initial proposals for local government reorganisation by 21 March
2025 and final proposals by 28 November 2025, as set out in Annex
1, be noted;

 
(2)         
the draft interim submission prepared in response to the
Government’s invitation, as set out in Annex 2a and Annex 2b,
be agreed;
 
(3)         
any final drafting changes that might be needed ahead of the
submission deadline, be delegated to the Leader of the Borough
Council;
 
(4)         
an initial budget of up to £10,000 funded from the
Transformation Reserve to help fund the preliminary financial and
technical data analysis and evidence base that had been necessary
to inform this work, be agreed; and
 
(5)         
the receipt of a further report to establish a budget to meet the
costs associated with the transition to a new Unitary Council once
this was known, including the cost of the work that would be
required to meet the Government’s 28 November 2025 deadline,
be agreed.