Splitting Kent would be disaster says KCC leader
Five authorities are considering joining forces to create a ‘super council’ – a move that could herald the break-up of Kent County Council.
But the leader of Maidstone Borough Council has dismissed suggestions it is one of those looking for independence from the county’s current system of government.
In east Kent, Canterbury, Dover, Ashford, Shepway and Thanet are considering becoming a combined or unitary authority.
Unitary councils deliver all services themselves, rather than splitting functions between the county council and the 12 existing boroughs and districts.
It is being discussed because of the governments devolution plans for town halls – aimed at giving more power to local people – rather than Whitehall.
It also emerged Medway council is in talks with Maidstone, Dartford and Gravesham councils about options for linking together to find new ways of providing functions.
Paul Carter, KCC leader, said splitting Kent into different councils would be a massive disaster, a waste of time and warned Kent could not get ‘bogged down’ in the distraction of a radical shake-up.
He added: “The great counties of this country should not be broken up. County governance working with other public sector partners and boroughs and districts has the ability to deliver transformation.”
KCC’s functions include social services, road maintenance, street lights, libraries and recycling and schools – but the government announced all schools will become academies by 2020 – free of local authority control.
Cllr Fran Wilson, leader of Maidstone council, said there was no suggestion a partnership of Maidstone and north Kent authorities would push for a unitary status of its own.
She added: “Frankly I am disappointed at the way Cllr Carter has set hares running when, as far as I am aware, all councils indicated a Kent-wide strategic authority is a good idea. This does not however mean a Kent unitary authority.”
Since 2008 Maidstone has shared certain functions including human resources, IT and legal services with Swale Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
If a new unitary authority is created in east Kent it would effectively break away from the two-tier set of up of KCC, plus borough and district councils existing for more than 100 years.
It could herald the most significant reorganisation since the creation of a new unitary authority in Medway in 1996.