The leaders of Medway Council and Kent County Council have written to the government to express an interest in joining the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP).

It comes after a KCC meeting yesterday when the cabinet unanimously agreed to request, along with Medway’s unitary authority, to be included in the programme and to seek permission to postpone the KCC elections in May.

The government wants to simplify the way local councils are run and hand down more powers and responsibilities to communities.

Under the proposals there would be a directly elected mayor and all 14 councils in Kent would be abolished and replaced by a small number of much larger unitary authorities.

A mayor could be in place in Kent by May 2026 and polls taking place for the unitaries a year later or in 2028.

The government deadline for the devolution priority list application is today (January 10).

Cllr Vince Maple, leader of Medway Council, said: “I am pleased to confirm that I have today co-signed a joint letter with Cllr Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council, to Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, formally requesting that the Kent and Medway region is part of the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme.

“We are confident this presents a positive opportunity to deliver significant benefits for the nearly two million residents and businesses of Kent and Medway.

“I welcome the collaborative and constructive approach adopted with our colleagues at Kent County Council and the district and borough councils and will continue to work closely with them in the coming years to shape the future of local government in the region.

“Should we be included in the Priority Programme, there is a clear commitment from both government and Medway Council to involve you in public consultation and keep you informed every step of the way.

“I very much look forward to hearing the outcome of our approach to government and to moving into the next important chapter in our history.”

Cllr Roger Gough told KCC members yesterday: “Devolution - that is what will bring us the powers, that is what will bring us the funding, that is what will bring us the national voice and that is what we should focus on.”

In his statement Cllr Maple added: “These are tough times for timescales to make sure we are getting everything into government as quickly as possible but of course we are not keeping anything away from the day job.

“It's important that your voice and your council is playing their part as we move forward for this exciting but challenging process when it comes to the issue of local government reorganisation and devolution.”

Kent hopes to be given increased powers and more money to provide better services to the tax-payer.

But the plans have come under fire from some.

During yesterday’s meeting Cranbrook Conservative Cllr Sean Holden launched an excoriating attack on the direction of travel facing the council if it is accepted on the DPP.

He said: “These London-style mayors are elective dictatorships. Labour’s plans to cancel May’s elections symbolise the democratic shortfall of that system.”