Council scorecard
Swale Borough Council
- Type
- borough
- Population
- ~152k
- Council website
- swale.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. Swale 2023-24 recycling rate 41.2% — slightly below the Kent average (41.7%) and the England average (~44%).
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. Swale BC district precept 2026-27: £212.76 (rise 2.96%). Mid-pack positioning within the Kent district tier. Total Band D approximately £2,356 incl. KCC + KPCC + KFRS shares.
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 Swale 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
Service provision on the Isle of Sheppey
Sheppey residents express concerns about service equity vs mainland Swale (Sittingbourne, Faversham) — health, transport, refuse.
Council position
Rainbow coalition cabinet representation across coalition partners; specific Sheppey-focused strategy under review.
KLN assessment
Mixed: cross-party coalition is broadly aligned with residents' service-equity demand but specific Sheppey-focused delivery measurable outcomes pending.
- 🟡Mixed
Faversham creek + flood risk
Faversham + Oare Marshes face flooding pressure; residents expect coordinated EA + council response.
Council position
Swale BC statutory consultee on EA-led schemes; lobbies for funding.
KLN assessment
Mixed: constrained authority; EA-led decisions dominate. Advocacy is the channel.
- 🟡Mixed
Cost-of-living support
Swale residents have been hit by cost-of-living pressure; expectations of council schemes (warm spaces, hardship funds) are high.
Council position
Coalition cabinet has committed to cost-of-living crisis response programmes.
KLN assessment
Commitment in intent; specific scheme delivery + uptake data 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 Swale? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.