Local Government Reorganisation Consultation (LGRC)- Council's Response

The Parish Council's has responded to the LGRC as follows -

Local Government Reorganisation in KENT & MEDWAY

Wilmington Parish Council (‘the Council’) is grateful for the opportunity of responding to the consultation on proposed Local Government Reorganisation in Kent and Medway.

Without the funding or expertise required to undertake an independent analysis the Council has had to base this response by reference to the submissions made to Central Government; however as the tier of Government that works with residents on a day to day basis the Council knows and understands the local community and the need to ensure that, regardless of the form the Reorganisation takes, effective and meaningful local representation is of paramount importance.

As a result, Wilmington Parish Council believes that this is best achieved by Option 5A, proposed by Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council which would create five Unitary Authorities across Kent and Medway. Whilst other Options propose fewer, larger Authorities the Council believes that by so doing this would result in decision-making being distanced from residents and drastically reduce local engagement which the Council considers to be a totally unacceptable concept.

Of the remaining Options, the Council is totally opposed to Option 4D, which would divide Wilmington Parish between two separate Unitary Authorities. In response to a Parliamentary Question asked in June 2025 the Government’s response was ‘Parish and Town Councils are not in scope for LGR and will continue to operate as they do now which would clearly not be the case if Option D was followed as the Council would have to work with two Principal Authorities in such matters as planning, service delivery, funding and engagement. The Council accepts that this could be addressed by a subsequent Boundary Commission Review but, were there to be such a review and the Parish boundary realigned, the community, history and heritage of Wilmington would be lost.

On a more general note, the Council considers that by decentralising decision-making and abolishing Borough and District Councils to create larger Unitary Authorities there is a risk of losing the local knowledge and understanding provided by those Authorities.

In addition, a point that seems to have been missed when the proposed Reorganisation was announced was the critical role Parish Councils have in retaining local insight and community engagement. The Government has indicated that District and Borough Councils should work closely with Parish Councils throughout the reorganisation process. It is essential that Parish Councils are properly supported, consulted and empowered, with clear and meaningful engagement as new governance arrangements develop.

In summary, the Council:

• Accepts the principle of local government reform to improve efficiency and service delivery.

• Supports Option 5A as the model that that would retain the important link between decision making and local communities.

• Considers Option 4D to be unworkable for the Parish

• Stresses the need to avoid diminishing local engagement and ensuring services remain accessible.

• Stresses the need for much clearer information on the implications of reorganisation for Parish Councils, in such matters as roles, responsibilities, funding and working arrangements with new Unitary Authorities.

The above comments were approved by Members of Wilmington Parish Council and submitted by the Clerk of the Council on behalf of the Council.

The LGRC ends on 26th March and so there is still time for residents to make their views known. Further information about the consultation and how to take part is available on the Government website here: Local government reorganisation in Kent and Medway - GOV.UK