Council scorecard
Dover District Council
- Type
- district
- Population
- ~114k
- Council website
- www.dover.gov.uk
Scorecard
Methodology published 2026-05-18. Pending cells reflect data collection in progress, not methodology uncertainty — they will populate as the underlying data is gathered.
Refuse collection
Missed bin reports, recycling rates, complaint resolution time
Partial Metric 1 score reflecting recycling rate (component 2 of 4, 30% weight) only; the three other components (missed-bin reports per 100k, complaint resolution time, service consistency) remain pending data ingest. Dover 2023-24 recycling rate 47.3% — above the Kent average (41.7%) and the England average (~44%). Strong recycling component performance.
as of 2024 · source
Complaints handling
Volume, response times, LGSCO upheld findings
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
FOI response
Average response time, refusal/exemption rate, compliance with 20-day statutory deadline
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Financial health & budget discipline
Revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgment, council tax positioning + trajectory vs national
Partial Metric 4 score reflecting council tax positioning (component 5 of 6) only; the five other components (revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgement, multi-year tax trajectory) remain pending data ingest. Dover District Council's 2026-27 budget statement (March 2026) describes the district precept as the lowest in East Kent, with a 2.98% (£6.57) increase. Verifiable strong positioning within the east-Kent district sub-group.
as of 2026-03 · source
Transparency
Open data publication, councillor expenses, contract register, committee paper publication
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Planning
Application approval ratios, appeal-overturn rate, determination time vs statutory targets
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Education & children's services
SEND/EHCP statutory processing, SEND tribunal LA-loss rate, children's services Ofsted rating, school transport delivery (county + unitary only)
Education and children's services are not a district/borough function. The county council (or, for Medway, the unitary authority) holds this remit.
Safeguarding & LADO
LADO referral handling, multi-agency safeguarding (MASH) timeliness, Section 47 enquiry compliance, independent safeguarding audit findings (county + unitary only)
Safeguarding is the statutory function of the county council or unitary authority via the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) and multi-agency safeguarding hub.
Manifesto delivery (Trust)
KLN tracks what the controlling party promised at the most recent election vs what was actually delivered. KEPT/PARTIAL/BROKEN/PENDING/OUT_OF_SCOPE categorisation.
Trust score: 1 judged pledges + 3 categorised public issues, averaged.
as of 2026-05-21
Top public issues for Dover residents
This is editorial assessment, not a metric score. Each issue carries an alignment tag — ALIGNED (council in step with residents), MIXED (some action falls short), COUNTERACTING (council against residents on this), or SILENT (no clear position). KLN-curated. Council positions added verbatim where provided. Right-of-reply opens with initial publication.
- 🟡Mixed
Asylum seeker accommodation pressure
Dover is the UK's primary Channel-port arrival point. Residents express concern about scale + concentration of asylum-seeker accommodation locally.
Council position
DDC and KCC have called for fairer national dispersal of asylum-seeker accommodation. DDC supports lobbying for redistribution.
KLN assessment
Statements oppose, operational action limited. DDC accepts statutory Home Office placements (legally required) and has not used available planning + statutory consultee levers in a way that has changed the scale or concentration. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED.
- 🟡Mixed
Port of Dover 2050 — jobs + investment
Port of Dover 2050 plan offers potential skilled-job creation but requires DDC engagement on planning + skills.
Council position
DDC engaging with Port of Dover 2050 initiative; supports plan delivery.
KLN assessment
Engagement is taking place — that is action. Job creation + investment outcomes measured on a longer horizon; not yet reviewable. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED.
- 🟡Mixed
Housing + cost-of-living crisis
Dover residents face cost-of-living pressure + housing supply issues. Labour's 2023 election framed both as immediate priorities.
Council position
Labour 2023 commitment to develop a detailed housing + cost-of-living plan.
KLN assessment
Plan commitment + intent are statements; published plan + measurable scheme delivery are the action evidence. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED until delivery is reviewable.
How this scorecard works
Each metric is scored 0-100 and banded A through F. We do NOT aggregate to a single overall ranking — combining unrelated performance areas would mislead. See the methodology page for full details, thresholds, and data sources.
Spot an error or have data we should add for Dover? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.