Purpose

Following the release of the White Paper, the Minister of State
for Local Government and English Devolution invited council leaders
to submit bids for the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP).
Although Kent and Medway councils applied to join the DPP for
mayoral devolution, their bid was unsuccessful. Instead, on 5
February, they were invited to submit a proposal for Local
Government Reorganisation. Interim plans are due by 21 March 2025,
with full proposals required by 28 November 2025.

Decision

RESOLVED –
 

That the invitation received from the Minister for
Local Government to work with other councils in Kent to submit a
proposal for local government reorganisation be noted.

That the contents of the draft interim submission
that has been drafted in response to the invitation and which has
provisionally been agreed by other council leaders be
noted.

That the Leader is minded to submit an additional, supplementary
submission

(alongside a number of other councils) which provides more
detail on possible
unitary geographies and associated demographic, geographic and
financial
information and an assessment of these models against the
criteria agreed by Kent Council leaders and the Government’s
established assessment criteria for unitary local government be noted.
 

That Delegated authority be given to the Leader of
the Council in consultation with the Chief Executives to amend and
submit a final submission jointly with other Kent and Medway
principal authorities as per the request from government in the
invitation letter dated 5 February 2025 including determining
whether to submit a supplementary submission which provides further
data and information on possible unitary geographies be
approved.

CALL-IN AND URGENCY
In
accordance with the provisions Of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure
Rule 14 in Part 4 of the Constitution, the Chairman of Overview and
Scrutiny gave prior agreement that this decision was urgent and
would not be subject to call-in as delay would seriously prejudice
the Council’s or the public’s interest.
 
REASON FOR DECISION: To
meet the deadline set by Central Government to submit an interim
plan ahead of a more detailed proposal later in 2025.