Kent’s Planning Authorities
The county of Kent consists of 12 Local Planning Authorities (district and borough councils), Kent County Council, Medway Unitary Authority, two significant Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Ebbsfleet with its own devolved planning and development responsibility.
Each is responsible for its regional planning administration, and all are stakeholders to the Kent Design Guide.
Hover over any Local Authority area on the map to your right for their planning snapshot.
Go to the Kent’s Planning Authorities navigation bar to read more.
Medway
Our ambition is to realise Medway’s full potential, as a place to be proud of by delivering high quality development. Medway’s history, countryside, and the river provide a rich context for future development to compliment.
Medway Council ensures development contributes positively and celebrates a contemporary River Medway while being respectful of its natural and historic environments. We seek communities that are thoughtfully integrated and where the benefits of investment can be shared by everyone.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Medway.
Gravesham
Situated on the southern banks of the River Thames and stretching southwards to the crest of the North Downs, Gravesham is a diverse mix of urban and rural areas with a historic riverside Town Centre and rural villages set in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Gravesham Borough Council is the plan and decision-making authority for the Borough, except for that part of the Borough that lies within the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, where they are responsible for decision-making.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Gravesham.
Dartford
Dartford Borough has seen major changes in recent years with a modernised economy and new vibrancy achieved through the re-use of brownfield land (land that was previously built on). Developments such as Bluewater, Crossways Business Park, The Bridge and Ingress Park have had a positive regenerative effect and raised the benchmark for quality in the Borough.
Dartford Borough Council is also leading on the refurbishment of the town centre’s public spaces, by improving the pedestrian environment and encouraging high quality redevelopment.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Dartford.
Ebbsfleet Garden City
Ebbsfleet is being planned and designed to grow out of the chalk quarries and industrial heritage of northern Kent, becoming the UK’s first 21st century Garden City.
Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) was established by Government in 2015 to deliver the Garden City, by enhancing the ambition, quality and pace of development.
EDC is the plan determining authority for Ebbsfleet, and provides a comprehensive design management service to deliver best practice.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Ebbsfleet.
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks District is a popular place to live because of its high quality landscapes and rich historic built environment preserving a rural character, despite its proximity to London.
Sevenoaks District Council’s vision is to strive to meet housing and employment needs, without comprising the natural environment. One of the key objectives in achieving this is the promotion of well-designed places so that each new development conserves or enhances the quality, character and distinctiveness of the local area.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Sevenoaks.
Tonbridge & Malling
High quality, well designed development can enhance the identity of an area and have a positive impact on the lives of local people and visitors to Tonbridge & Malling Borough.
The River Medway has shaped growth across the Borough and it remains a key priority to ensure new developments respond positively to the river frontage and its tributaries. Good design should be at the heart of new development and we understand that early engagement plays a crucial role in making this happen.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Tonbridge and Malling.
Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells Borough is a beautiful and historic local authority area in the south west of Kent, with outstanding countryside and attractive towns and villages with distinct character.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council aspires to enable sustainable growth that supports a prosperous, well and inclusive borough that respects its attributes and invites good quality design in new developments, continuing and enhancing its status as an attractive place to live, work and visit.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Tunbridge Wells.
Maidstone
Our vision is to develop a vibrant, prosperous, urban and rural community at the heart of Kent where everyone can realise their potential.
The goal of Maidstone Borough Council is to deliver its services in an efficient and equitable manner while ensuring there are plans for the economic prosperity of all our people.
We will achieve our ambitions through good stewardship and an awareness of the long-term impact of the choices we make today on residents decades from now.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities navigation bar for more about Maidstone.
Swale
Swale Borough Council considers that high quality urban, landscape, and building design enables healthy and happy lifestyles within sustainable communities for its residents and businesses.
We plan and build differently, carefully, beautifully and with a greater conscience for what we are creating for future generations.
Swale is responding positively to the climate change challenge by delivering sustainable growth for its communities.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities navigation bar to read more about Swale.
Ashford
Ashford’s story is one of innovation – it is everywhere. We recognise the role good planning and placemaking play in capitalising on our highly accessible location through bold investment and a proactive attitude, to create a thriving place to work, live and do business.
As part of its wider inward investment, Ashford Borough Council has directly invested millions into the town centre. As a well-connected, forward thinking Borough we out-perform our competitors with an ongoing vision for growth driven by investment in high quality places.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu or visit AshfordFor for more information.
Canterbury
Canterbury City Council promotes high quality design and inclusive, well-connected and sustainable development, which respects and enhances local character and the rich historic and natural environment of the district.
The Council is committed to working positively with applicants and communities to achieve well-designed homes, buildings and places.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities navigation bar to read more about Canterbury.
Folkestone & Hythe
The most southern local authority in Kent, Folkestone & Hythe district stretches from the Folkestone and Hythe urban area in the northeast, to the Romney Marshes, and down to Dungeness, the most southerly point in Kent.
The District has a rich ecological heritage containing a large part of the Kent Downs AONB as well as the Dungeness National Nature Reserve.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Folkestone and Hythe.
Dover
Dover District is located on Kent’s east coast on the English Channel. There are two main urban areas: Dover town and Deal in the east. Dover District enjoys spectacular coastlines including Kent’s only stretches of Heritage Coast and an extensive area of chalk grassland AONB.
Dover has a particularly significant historical heritage including the Dover Castle complex and the medieval town of Sandwich. Dover’s emerging new Local Plan aims to support and strengthen our natural and built assets through thoughtful expansion and good design.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Dover.
Thanet
Thanet is located at the most easterly point of Kent and is surrounded by the sea on three sides. The district has a distinctive coastal character and a rich heritage comprising Victorian terraces, Regency squares and attractive art deco properties along the seafront.
The recently adopted Local Plan 2020 identifies a significant level of new housing and seeks to ensure that new development is sustainable and built to the highest quality whilst respecting its historic environment.
- See the Kent’s Planning Authorities menu to read more about Thanet.
