LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH ACT 2007

The Maidstone Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026

Made on 14 July 2026, coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

Maidstone Borough Council (“the council”), in accordance with section 82 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (“the 2007 Act”), has undertaken a community governance review and made recommendations dated 29 April 2026.

The council determined to give effect to those recommendations and, in accordance with section 93 of the 2007 Act, has consulted with the local government electors and other interested persons and has had regard to the need to secure that community governance reflects the identities and interests of the community and is effective and convenient.

The council, in accordance with section 100 of the 2007 Act, has had regard to guidance issued under that section.

The council makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 86, 87, 98(3), 98(4), 98(6) and 240(10) of the 2007 Act.

1. Citation and commencement

(1) This Order may be cited as the Maidstone Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026.

(2) Subject to subparagraphs (3) and (4) below, this Order comes into force on 1 April 2027.

(3) Article 9 shall come into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027.

(4) For the purposes of:

• (a) this article;
• (b) article 5; and
• (c) proceedings preliminary or relating to the elections of parish councillors for the parish of Maidstone, to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027;

This Order shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

2. Interpretation

In this Order:

• “borough” means the borough of Maidstone;
• “map” means the map marked “Map referred to in the Maidstone Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026” specified at Schedule 4 and deposited in accordance with section 96(4) of the 2007 Act and any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number;
• “new parish” means the parish constituted by article 4;
• “ordinary day of election of councillors” has the meaning given by section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983;
• “registration officer” means an officer appointed for the purpose of, and in accordance with, section 8 of the Representation of the People Act 1983; and
• “shadow authority” means a temporary body established in advance of the formal creation of a new local authority (or parish council), composed of specified existing elected members, which exercises preparatory or transitional functions until the newly elected authority takes office.

3. Effect of Order

This Order has effect subject to any agreement under section 99 (agreements about incidental matters) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 relevant to any provision of this Order.

4. Constitution of a new parish

(1) A new parish, comprising the area outlined on the map at Schedule 4, shall be constituted within the borough.

(2) The name of the new parish shall be Maidstone.

(3) The new parish shall have the alternative style of town.

5. Calculation of budget requirement

For the purposes of regulation 3 of the Local Government Finance (New Parishes) (England) Regulations 2008 there is specified in relation to the parish of Maidstone the sum of £780,000.00.

6. Parish council for the parish of Maidstone

(1) There shall be a parish council for the parish of Maidstone.

(2) The name of that council shall be Maidstone Town Council.

7. Elections for the parish of Maidstone

(1) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Maidstone shall be held on the ordinary day of elections of councillors in May 2027.

(2) The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027 for the parish of Maidstone shall be four years.

8. Number of parish councillors for the parish of Maidstone

The number of councillors to be elected for the parish of Maidstone shall be twenty-two (22).

9. Wards of the parish of Maidstone and numbers of parish councillors

(1) The parish of Maidstone shall be divided into ten (10) wards which shall be named as specified in column 1 of Schedule 1.

(2) Each ward shall comprise the area of the borough as specified in column 2 of Schedule 1.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be the number as specified in column 3 of Schedule 1.

10. Annual meeting of parish council

The annual meeting of the new parish council in 2027 shall be convened by the Chief Executive of the Maidstone Borough Council. The meeting shall take place no later than 14 days after the day on which the councillors elected to the new parish council take office.

11. Electoral register

The registration officer for the borough shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.

12. Transfer of land, property, rights and liabilities

The land, property, rights and liabilities described in Schedule 2 shall transfer from the council to the Maidstone Town Council on the date specified in column 4 of those Schedules, including any associated rights and obligations.

13. Transitional provision

Until the councillors elected to the council of the new parish of Maidstone at the elections to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027 come into office, the new parish shall be represented by a Shadow Authority.

The Shadow Authority shall comprise such number of persons as is specified in column 2 of Schedule 3 in relation to each borough ward, being persons who immediately before 1 April 2027 are elected members of the council for those borough wards.

14. Order date

1 April 2027 is the order date for the purposes of the Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008.

Sealed with the seal of the council on the 14th day of July 2026.

Authorised Signatory

Title of Signatory

Schedule one - wards of the parish of Maidstone

Schedule two - initial asset transfer of allotments from The Council to Maidstone Town Council

Schedule three -  transitional provision

Schedule four - map referred to in the Maidstone Borough Council (reorganisation of community governance) Order 2026

For more information about the map and the areas involved, please download the full Sealed Order document.