Devolution: Medway council leader promises people's voices will be heard during process
It's after Devolution was given the go ahead on Friday
The leader of the Medway council has promised that local people will still be heard under new changes to local government.
It's after Vince Maple, and the leader of the Kent County Council, Roger Gough, approved Devolution. It means by next year the county should have a mayor and be divided into Unitary authorities by 2027.
Vince says this move will improve services: "People often say Medway council is big enough to be important but small enough to care. For us, we will become a slightly expanded unitary authority but other parts of Kent will absolutely have the chance to deliver good public services in efficient way while still having that local representation.
On asking the government to write off the council's debt, Vince said: "It's one of the key points, which is why I think this process will take time because there are loads of practical questions around finances, staffing, IT equipment, process and we need to get all of those in place, baring in mind you are bringing in the workings of 14 different councils.
"They'll be some which do it the same ways and same which do it the opposite and this will be a challenging and difficult process."