Reform bid to delay local government revamp refused

A REQUEST by the new Reform UK leadership at Kent County Council for a delay to the first stage of local government reorganisation has been turned down.

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Council leader Cllr Linden Kemkaran revealed last week that she has been verbally given a “hard no” from the minister driving the changes.

Cllr Kemkaran argued that the November 28 deadline was “almost impossible” to meet, and asked for it to be extended until the end of March, but Local Government Minister Jim McMahon MP refused her request.

Under devolution plans the county's 12 district and borough councils, as well as the county council and Medway Council, will effectively abolish themselves and be replaced by a smaller number of much larger unitary bodies.

Kent may also get an elected mayor as party of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's “Devolution Revolution”.

Council leaders are being asked to come up with a plan on how Kent will look in the future.