Our proposal
Gravesham Borough Council and Dartford Borough Council have developed a proposal for a five-unitary model with boundary changes, consisting of Dartford, Gravesham, parts of Medway west of the River Medway, and Swanley in the north; Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, and Maidstone (excluding Swanley) in the west; the remainder of Medway with the western part of Swale (Sittingbourne area) in the middle; the rest of Swale (Faversham area) combined with Canterbury and Thanet; and finally, Ashford, Folkestone & Hythe, and Dover in the east.
The business case for Option 5a has been published.
View the full announcement on the Kent Council Leaders website.
Why does this matter?
We believe Option 5a offers the right balance between being big enough to deliver services efficiently and local enough to understand our communities.
The key benefits are:
- Decisions made locally: services shaped by leaders who know their areas best.
- Protecting identity: Gravesham's unique heritage and character would be safeguarded.
- Working in partnership: aligning with health and care services so residents get better outcomes.
- Fair and sustainable: councils sized to be financially stable without losing the local connection.
- Better value: structures that cut waste, adapt quickly, and focus resources where they’re needed most.
This video sets out the case for Option 5A as part of Kent’s Local Government Reorganisation. It demonstrates how the proposed model delivers against the Government’s objectives for reform, strengthening public services, supporting long-term financial sustainability, and enabling strategic economic growth.
Grounded in evidence and shaped by how Kent’s communities and economy function in practice, Option 5A provides a balanced approach, combining the scale needed to deliver for the future with the local connection required to remain responsive to communities and the people who live and work across Kent.
Developed to support ongoing engagement with Government and stakeholders, this film brings together the strategic, economic and community case for Option 5A in a clear and accessible way.
What happens next?
Gravesham and Dartford will now prepare a detailed business case for Option 5a. This will be reviewed alongside other proposals being developed across Kent.
No final decisions have been made yet. For now, Dartford Borough Council will continue to deliver all the services you rely on.
There will also be opportunities for residents to have their say before any changes are agreed.
Our goal is simple, to make sure any reorganisation puts people, communities and services first.