Opportunity to share your views closes shortly.

Residents are being asked for their views on KCC’s new draft Strategic Statement and Central Government proposals for local government reorganisation in Kent.

The new draft Strategic Statement, called Reforming Kent, replaces the previous administration’s document Framing Kent’s Future and is a vision for the county for the next three years.

It sets out the proposed aims and objectives for Kent with a focus on value for money, cost efficiency and a common-sense approach.

The administration has pledged to reduce the KCC debt burden and release more money back into frontline services.

The draft Statement seeks to ensure all decisions are taken while considering four main guiding principles. These are putting Kent residents first, reforming Kent County Council, supporting residents who need help and building better communities.

You have until 20 October to complete the survey. The feedback will be collated and analysed ahead of the final draft of the document being presented to a meeting of the full County Council on 6 November.

You can find out more and read the full document, which includes an introduction from Leader of KCC Linden Kemkaran, here: https://www.kent.gov.uk/strategicstatement

At the same time, KCC wants to hear from Kent residents about Government plans for local government reorganisation, known as LGR, and what’s important to them in how council services are run.

Government ministers want local councils in Kent and Medway and across the country to deliver the services they provide in a different way.

In the biggest shake up of local government in almost 50 years, central Government plans to merge councils across the area and create unitary authorities.

Under the current system, KCC delivers services like education, social services and roads, and district or borough councils deliver others like emptying your bins and providing council housing.

In the proposed new system unitary councils would deliver all council services in one area.

All 14 of the councils in Kent are looking at the options and will need to present business cases to Government by 28 November, after which time it will make a decision. Those new unitary councils could start delivering services from April 2028.

KCC is working on presenting its preferred one unitary authority model and wants to hear from residents about what is important to them so those views can be included in the proposal.

A full report on the survey findings will be published alongside the proposed LGR business case when it is presented at the Cabinet meeting ahead of the Government deadline of 28 November.

You have until 26 October to respond.

More here:

• https://www.kent.gov.uk/lgrengagement
• Letter to Kent Leaders sets out single unitary council proposal - News & Features - Kent County Council

Source: Kent County Council