Kent County Council’s new Reform UK leadership has requested a four-month extension to an “almost impossible” deadline for the reorganisation of local government.

Under the government’s plans, Kent is set to see the largest shakeup since current authorities were created in 1974.

Currently under the ‘two-tier’ system, the county has 12 district and borough councils, which split responsibility for public services with the overarching KCC.

For example, district and borough councils are responsible for getting bins collected, but the county council is responsible for disposing of the waste by running tips.

Medway Council is an entirely separate unitary authority, and runs all of its services itself.

However, under the new plans, all of these councils will be abolished entirely, and Kent is set to be split into three or four large unitary authorities.

These will also pool some limited overall powers into a “combined authority” covering the whole county, which will be led by a directly elected mayor of Kent and Medway.

Kent’s 14 local authorities were told in March they had to agree on the model for how the county will look by this winter.

But the new county council leader, Cllr Linden Kemkaran, has asked the government today for more time.

“I do not consider my new Reform KCC administration bound by the interim plan proposals submitted by Kent councils and approved by my immediate predecessor,” she wrote.

That report from March detailed the different possible ways the county could be carved up into new councils, providing four models.

Her letter continued: “I appreciate the need for my new administration to have constructive discussions with district, borough and unitary council leaders across Kent and Medway to understand their position and thinking.

“This will take time and is a natural consequence of the outcome of the local elections which was not, I believe, fully factored in when the deadline for submissions was set for November 28.

“Appropriate engagement with residents on future local government structures in a county region of almost 1.9 million people is a huge undertaking, and to do it meaningfully will require time over the summer and early autumn to influence each council’s position, which makes the deadline of November 28 almost impossible to meet.

“I would therefore request you extend the date for the submission of full business cases for local government reorganisation in Kent and Medway to no earlier than March 31, 2026.

“If we are to rebuild public trust in our politics and political institutions, such important matters should be taken forward transparently and honestly with the residents we serve.”

Some councils are going to be reformed sooner than others, and in February the previous Tory administration of KCC was notified it would not be in the first tranche.

However, Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition, Cllr Antony Hook, is not convinced now is the time to change the schedule.

“The main thing is that we make it a much more democratic process,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

“I think we should try to press on and make what progress we can by November and if an extension is needed, perhaps October or November is the time to request it.

“Requesting it now looks quite premature, and people will suspect they’re trying to kick the can down the road.”

“There needs to be a series of events to involve the public and see if it’s something they want.

“It’s about transparency and accountability that’s the main thing that needs to change, the timetable is secondary.”

It’s early days for the Reform administration at KCC, but as yet they have not announced the creation of a new committee to discuss and decide on matters pertaining to the shake-up.

But as the largest opposition party, the Lib Dems chair the scrutiny committee.

“If the council refuses to create a local government reorganisation committee, then we will put it on the agenda of every scrutiny committee to make sure it’s discussed in public,” Cllr Hook added.