Swale Borough Council is inviting residents and businesses to comment on its Draft Local Plan until 21 September 2026, while confirming that Swale will join a new middle Kent unitary council from April 2028.
Residents and businesses in Swale have until 5pm on 21 September 2026 to have their say on the borough’s Draft Local Plan — the document that decides what gets built, where, and on what terms for years to come. This is the Regulation 19 stage, the formal pre-submission phase before the plan goes to a government inspector for examination. At the same time, the council’s August business newsletter confirmed that Swale is set to join a brand-new middle Kent council alongside Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe, with all four new Kent and Medway authorities coming into existence in April 2028.
The government’s decision followed a consultation that drew around 3,000 responses. Ministers chose option 4B, carving Kent and Medway into four unitary council areas covering north, west, middle and east Kent. A unitary council scraps the current two-tier system — where borough and county councils divide responsibilities between them — replacing it with a single authority handling everything from planning to social care.
On the Local Plan itself, comments can be made on its vision, objectives, strategic policies, site allocation policies and development management policies. Supporting documents include the Sustainability Appraisal, the Habitats Regulations Assessment and an evidence base. The consultation opened on 10 August 2026.
Two business support offers also featured in the newsletter. Kent businesses can apply for free one-to-one mentoring through the Kent and Medway Growth Hub’s Enhanced Business Support Programme — known as Recover, Pivot & Scale — with help tailored to a business’s own goals. And employers keen to take on young people can join a free webinar on the government’s Youth Guarantee, a scheme to help young people into employment, apprenticeships and training, hosted by East Kent Colleges Group on Friday 18 September from 11am to midday. It’ll cover available funding and apprenticeship incentives.
Key information
- Local Plan consultation closes: 21 September 2026 at 5pm
- Documents to read: Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and supporting evidence base, available via Swale Borough Council
- Youth Guarantee webinar: Friday 18 September, 11am–12 midday, hosted by East Kent Colleges Group — free to employers
- Free business mentoring: available to eligible Kent businesses through the Kent and Medway Growth Hub’s Recover, Pivot & Scale programme
All responses to the Local Plan will be considered before it goes forward for independent examination.
Swale Local Plan consultation opens as council reorganisation plans confirmed Quiz
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