Protecting Canterbury’s city status is “top priority”, say councillors

Protecting Canterbury’s status as Kent’s only city and the roles of the Lord Mayor and Sheriff is the top priority if councils are reorganised, according to a cross-party working group of councillors.

In a report to be considered by Canterbury City Council’s General Purposes Committee and then Full Council when they meet on Wednesday 16 September, the working group recommends putting the creation of a town council for Canterbury on hold for now and instead appointing what are known as Charter Trustees to make sure we retain control of the city’s destiny.

Charter Trustees, formed of already-elected councillors, are there to protect city status and administer the work of the Lord Mayor and Sheriff.

A small charge, or precept, of between 4p per week to 20p per week will be added to Council Tax bills in Canterbury to cover the costs. The final amount would be determined by the Charter Trustees themselves.

This follows guidance from the government and legal advice sought from an eminent barrister to avoid the mistakes made in Rochester during local government reorganisation in 1998 when it lost city status and has not regained it since.

The report says: “Canterbury has been a city since time immemorial and was granted a city charter establishing the mayoralty and civic governance of the city by King Henry VI in 1448.

“The Sheriff of Canterbury is associated with the 1461 charter of King Edward IV, through which Canterbury acquired separate county status.

“In 1974, city status was granted to Canterbury City Council for the entire district by Letters Patent.

“In 1988, further Letters Patent grants the Mayor of Canterbury the title of Lord Mayor.”

Time immemorial means beyond legal memory which started in 1189.

In July 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government advised that: “With regard to city status in particular, this is conferred by the Monarch and applies to a defined locality and arrangements need to be put in place to ensure that this status is preserved.

“In cases where the existing local authority structure no longer aligns with the area originally granted city status, Charter Trustees are the usual legislative solution used in these circumstances and may be established for unparished areas.

“These trustees can hold historic property, such as charters or insignia, on behalf of the whole area.”

The working group, which strongly feels the residents of Canterbury should be given a choice on whether they want a town council, recommends the Leader of the Council Cllr Alan Baldock writes to the Secretary of State to urge the government to: “…establish a clear mechanism by which a Community Governance Review for the Canterbury city area can be completed, including the creation of a parish council if supported by residents, while also preserving Canterbury’s city status, Lord Mayoralty and associated civic traditions and the council works with other similarly affected councils to jointly promote this aim with the government.”

Councils across Kent and Medway were in the process of being reorganised after the government decided to create four unitary councils.

These are councils that deliver all the services currently provided by district and borough councils like Canterbury City Council and those provided by Kent County Council.

But the Secretary of State Angela Rayner announced yesterday (Monday 7 September) she is pausing the process and decisions made by ministers in July would be reviewed.

Ministers had decided Canterbury City Council, Dover District Council and Thanet District Council along with services from Kent County Council would come together to create East Kent Council which would have come into existence on 1 April 2028.

That process prompted city councillors to instigate what is known as a Community Governance Review to look at whether the unparished areas of Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable should have town councils.

The council carried out a first round of consultation from 7 May to 5 July this year.

Following that feedback, the working group is recommending the council holds a further consultation to ask for the public’s view on the creation of:

• a town council for Herne Bay
• a community council covering the centre of Whitstable
• a town council for Tankerton
• a parish council for Seasalter

For areas that already have a parish council, the working group is proposing some targeted changes including:

• grouping Barham with Kingston
• extending and warding Blean
• creating a new Chestfield and Swalecliffe parish
• expanding and renaming Chislet as Chislet and Reculver and grouping it with Hoath
• making a minor boundary change between Fordwich and Sturry
• amending the Herne and Broomfield boundary and councillor numbers
• increasing councillor numbers for Lower Hardres and Nackington
• removing the parish wards in Thanington

The General Purposes Committee and Full Council will meet on Wednesday 16 September at the Guildhall, St Peter’s Place, Canterbury, from 6pm.

Published: 8 September 2026