Shape how communities govern themselves
Published
Thursday 18 December, 2025
Updated
Thursday 18 December, 2025
Swale Borough Council is launching a major review of town and parish councils across the borough and wants local views on how Swale’s neighbourhoods govern themselves.
The community governance review (CGR) wants to get people’s feedback on several potential changes to town and parish councils.
These range from possible options including boundary and name changes, creating a new town council for Sittingbourne to establishing one parish council for the whole Isle of Sheppey.
Currently, Swale has 34 parish councils and three town councils. However, some areas, including parts of Sittingbourne, do not have this local tier of government.
The council wants views on several specific options and alternatives:
Sittingbourne
- creating a Sittingbourne Town Council to cover areas that currently have no parish council
- creating separate, smaller parish councils for these areas instead
- moving boundaries of existing parish councils to include these areas
- changing the boundary of Iwade Parish Council
Isle of Sheppey
- merging all existing town and parish councils and the non-parished area of Halfway into one single parish council for the Isle of Sheppey
- creating a new Halfway Parish Council, or absorbing Halfway into an existing council
- renaming Warden Parish Council to Warden Bay Parish Council
Faversham
- extending the Watling Ward boundary
- transferring an area south of the M2 to Sheldwich Parish Council
- adding an extra councillor for Priory Ward
- splitting the current Watling Ward into two wards, East and West with three councillors each
Cllr Tim Gibson, chair of Swale Borough Council’s Policy and Resources Committee, said:
“When done right parish and town councils benefit local communities. They give residents a direct voice in local affairs and provide flexibility on how funding is spent.
“But we want to make it clear: having these new councils won’t be free, and if set up there will be an additional charge on your council tax bill.
“That is why it is incredibly important for us to hear from you; we only want to implement changes if that is what people truly want.
“Please take a few minutes to have your say - these possible options are not set in stone, and you can help us shape the future of parish and town councils in Swale.”
You can read more on these proposals and have your say by filling in the council’s short consultation, before the deadline of 9 February 2026.
The council will use this feedback from the consultation to create draft recommendations.
A second consultation will then take place, asking for people’s views on the specific recommendations.
Full council will make a final decision next year, based on all the feedback received.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please email CGR@swale.gov.uk.
