Medway councillor brands Kent LGR timetable ‘rushed and unworkable’ at Full Council

A Medway councillor used Thursday’s Full Council meeting to tear strips off the government’s Kent and Medway reorganisation timetable. Councillor Spalding didn’t mince words — calling it “rushed, clearly inadequate and unworkable” before asking Leader Vince Maple whether he agreed it should be delayed.

The challenge came during Members’ Questions on 23 April 2026. Spalding’s Question C laid out the brutal arithmetic: announcement of the chosen option before summer recess on 16 July 2026, new authorities live by 1 April 2028, elections on 6 May 2027.

The eight-and-a-half-month problem

Here’s where it gets tight.

For a 6 May 2027 election, formal notices must be published by Monday 29 March 2027 at the latest. That leaves roughly eight and a half months between announcing the new authorities and the legal deadline. In that window — and Spalding was forensic about this — the Electoral Commission has to complete full ward-and-division boundary reorganisation, including consultation. Kent and Medway have to build entirely new electoral registers. Polling districts, polling places, council tax arrangements. The lot.

The 2019-2021 comparison

Spalding had done his homework. When Medway moved from 55 councillors in 22 wards to today’s 59 councillors across 24 wards, the review began in December 2019 and wrapped up in March 2021. Fifteen months. But that wasn’t the end of it — Parliament didn’t approve the changes until September 2021, another six months on, via The Medway (Electoral Changes) Order 2021. Implementation didn’t come until May 2023.

Total time from start to ballot box? Nearly three years. The current LGR timetable wants to squeeze equivalent work into a fraction of that.

“There was a thorough and thorough review over time followed by a significant and adequate period of time for Medway to enact the changes at a sensible pace, which also no doubt had cost saving considerations therein. The current proposed timetable appears rushed, clearly inadequate and unworkable.”

His question demanded the Leader agree the timetable should be amended — “to primarily ensure adequate and transparent consultation, as well as allow sufficient time to enact any changes at minimal cost to the taxpayers, permitting the electorate of Medway to give their verdict at the ballot box on this Labour administration”.

Context: a live question for KLN’s investigation

The timing wasn’t accidental. Kent Local News published Part 1 of its investigation into how Kent and Medway reorganisation was sold to residents the same day. That report revealed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government held no legal rationale, no consultation records and no impact assessment behind claims that councils were required to submit reorganisation proposals. Earlier reporting tracked the government’s moves to overturn House of Lords safeguards on the Devolution Bill.

Spalding’s question relies on publicly stated government planning assumptions. Officials have been working to the 1 April 2028 live date and 6 May 2027 shadow-authority elections. Ministers haven’t committed to any slippage yet.

What happens next

Members’ Questions at Medway get a verbal response at the meeting, then a written one in the published minutes. Kent Local News will update this article when the Leader’s answer appears in the draft minutes from 23 April 2026. The full text of Thursday’s five questions is in the Council’s Members’ Questions appendix.

Source post on X — @medway_council, Members’ Questions 23 April 2026