Medway Council

What Medway Council does

Medway Council is a statutory unitary local government authority in Kent, England, serving approximately 280,000 residents across 3 parliamentary constituencies and 24 wards covering the towns of Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham, Strood, and Hoo St Werburgh. Established in 1999, the council operates with a workforce of 5,001–10,000 from its Gun Wharf headquarters in Chatham and a distributed network of libraries, community hubs, sports centres, and the Medway Register Office. Its core technology footprint is modest: a Jadu CMS-powered public website (medway.gov.uk), a GIS-based address search using National Land and Property Gazetteer and National Street Gazetteer datasets, and the proprietary Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) tool used to proactively identify households eligible for unclaimed benefits such as Pension Credit.

The council delivers the full range of mandatory local-authority services — council tax administration, housing (including social housing and the newly created One Medway Lettings private-landlord matching service), children's and adult social care, school admissions, planning, waste and recycling, environmental health, electoral services, and births/deaths/ceremonies — alongside discretionary programmes such as MedwayGo (free holiday activities and food), A Better Medway (public health), Medway Adult Education, and 8 council-run sports centres. Revenue is not commercially disclosed; funding flows from council tax, central government grants (including the £15.5 million+ Household Support Fund deployed to date), National Lottery Heritage Fund grants, Sport England Place Partnership funding, and unit-priced fees for services such as Open Register sales, library printing, bulky waste collection, and ceremony bookings. The council has no traditional ownership structure, is governed by elected councillors led by Cllr Vince Maple, and has no parent company or external shareholders.

Strategically, Medway is positioning itself around culture-led regeneration and housing growth: the Docking Station creative production centre (a partnership with the University of Kent and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, opening early 2027) sits alongside a draft Local Plan targeting 24,540 new homes by 2041, a £42 million temporary-accommodation investment programme, a BAE Systems land-lease deal to support Rochester facility upgrades, and a Local Government Reorganisation proposal seeking four new unitary authorities across Kent and Medway. The council maintains a broad partnership ecosystem (nearly 30 charities via Medway Food Partnership, plus Sport England, LTA, NHS, RSPCA, National Lottery Heritage Fund) and pursues recognitions such as Fair Tax Mark certification, Armed Forces Covenant Gold, Money Guiders Partner of the Year, and Ofsted 'Good' for Children's Services.

Name

Medway Council

Legal name

Medway Council

Website

https://medway.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Medway Council is a unitary local government authority in Kent, England, delivering statutory services (council tax, housing, social care, planning, waste, education) and discretionary programmes to approximately 280,000 residents across 3 constituencies and 24 wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs (925110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Public sector administration
• Social care services
• Waste management services
• Housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Medway Council is a unitary local government authority delivering statutory and community services to approximately 280,000 residents across the Medway towns in Kent, England. Its service portfolio includes council tax and benefits administration, social housing, children's and adult social care, planning and licensing, waste and recycling collection, leisure facilities, libraries, school admissions, highways and parking, environmental health, births/deaths registration, and economic regeneration programmes.

Product overview

Medway Council provides a comprehensive range of local government services to residents of Kent, England. The council operates a multi-service digital platform offering core administrative functions including council tax and benefits, housing services, planning applications, and waste management. Key service programmes include MedwayGo (free holiday activities for children), A Better Medway (public health initiatives), Medway Adult Education (lifelong learning), and sports/leisure facilities. The council has invested in community programmes such as the Money Guiders financial support initiative, Repair Café sustainability sessions, and One Medway Lettings housing service. The council is also undertaking major regeneration projects including the Docking Station creative production centre and various sports facility improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A Better Medway: Health and wellbeing initiative providing advice and support for healthy living, mental wellbeing, substance misuse support, stop smoking services, and active lifestyle programs
• Child-Friendly Medway
• MedwayGo
• One Medway Lettings
• Medway Adult Education
• Active Kent & Medway
• Medway Development Company (MDC)
• Medway Food Partnership

Products and services

• MedwayGo Free government-funded holiday activity and food programme providing free activities and healthy meals for children on benefit-related free school meals during school holidays, with free spaces for looked-after children, children from military families, and children with SEND needs.
• Medway Adult Education Adult education service offering courses in heritage arts, crafts, woodworking, sewing, and other creative skills, available at Rochester Community Hub and Library on a subscription billing basis.
• A Better Medway Health and wellbeing programme offering free services including stop smoking support, mental wellbeing resources, family weight management, healthy child services, substance misuse support, and social prescribing for Medway residents.
• Sports Centres Council-run sports facilities including Medway Park Sports Centre, Hoo Sports Centre, Cozenton Park Sports Centre with swimming pool, Strood Sports Centre, and The Strand Lido and Leisure Park, with memberships available online.
• Medway Libraries Network of libraries and community hubs across Medway offering free computer/internet access, events, councillor surgeries, and 121 sessions for welfare and benefits access, operating under a Library Customer Charter.
• One Medway Lettings Council-run lettings service matching private landlords to council tenants, fully managing properties for up to five years with rent guarantee to help households move from temporary accommodation.
• Money Guiders Programme Free training programme for council staff providing core skills to give non-regulated money guidance to residents, with over 130 registered Money Guiders at Medway Council and Partner of the Year recognition in 2024.
• Repair Café Monthly community sessions offering free repair services for clothing, electrical goods, clocks, bikes, and woodwork, run by expert volunteers to promote sustainable living and community resilience.
• Medway Archives Centre Archives service preserving Medway's historical records, located at 32 Bryant Road, Strood, ME2 3EP, open Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-4pm.
• Medway Register Office Appointment-only statutory registration service at Northgate, Rochester, ME1 1LS for births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, and other ceremonies.
• Waste and Recycling Collection Statutory kerbside waste and recycling collection service including scheduled bin collections, bulky item collection (fee-based), and household waste and recycling centre visit booking across Medway.
• Council Tax and Benefits Administration Administration of council tax billing, payments, reductions, exemptions and disregards, alongside housing benefit and other means-tested benefits for Medway residents.
• Housing Services Social housing application, council rent collection, housing options and homelessness prevention, housing benefit, housing repairs, and tenancy management for council tenants.
• Planning and Building Control

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £15.5 million distributed through Household Support Fund to support residents through cost-of-living crisis
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NeuConnectminorOthers · 14 November 2025Medway leadership toured the NeuConnect converter station site at Isle of Grain as the £2.4 billion first GB-Germany electricity link continues construction progress. Medway Council engagement with the project as a major local infrastructure development.
• Medway Development Company (MDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025Five-year celebration of urban improvement and transformation led by Medway Development Company. Council works with MDC on regeneration projects across Medway including town centre development.
• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2025Sport England providing Place Partnership Investment to Active Kent & Medway, benefiting Medway and Swale. Combined investment of more than £877,000 secured to transform 62 grass football pitches across 17 sites. Partnership supports grassroots sport infrastructure in Medway.
• Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025Medway Council and LTA partnership to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts in Chatham and Gillingham. Local park tennis courts being renovated under this partnership.
• Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2024Partnership through the Money Guiders programme providing free training for council staff to give non-regulated money guidance to residents. Training covers signposting, factual information, and in-depth money conversations. More than 130 registered Money Guiders at Medway Council. Council won Money Guiders Partner of the Year Award 2024.
• University of KentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2024Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to drive Medway's social, economic and cultural development. Partnership to support and encourage new business, boost existing businesses and skills development for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) over 5-10 years. Central to the vision is the Docking Station creative production centre. The University provides academic expertise and research capability alongside council and Historic Dockyard Trust.
• Chatham Historic Dockyard TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2024MOU signed alongside University of Kent to drive Medway's social, economic and cultural development. Partnership focuses on cultural and creative industries development including the Docking Station project at The Historic Dockyard Chatham. Trust provides heritage assets and operational expertise for creative production centre development.
• Medway Food Partnership (nearly 30 charities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of approximately 30 charities working together to tackle food insecurity in Medway. Helped an estimated 25,000 residents with food parcels and hot meals each month. Recently awarded the Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award.
• Kent PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operations with Kent Police including Closure Order placed on properties, joint taxi licensing compliance operations, and partnership on the Clear, Hold, Build scheme to target crime and antisocial behaviour. Partnership represents ongoing law enforcement collaboration.
• BAE SystemscoreOthersMedway Council agreed to lease land to BAE Systems to support its multi-million pound upgrade to its Rochester facilities. Cabinet approved plans in March 2025. Strategic land arrangement supporting significant private sector investment in Medway.
• Kent County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose liaison on cross-border development spanning Gravesham and Strood, coordinated planning for Maidstone's Lidsing Garden Community proposals, joint Local Government Reorganisation proposals for Kent and Medway, and devolution discussions. Multiple ongoing collaborative planning and governance initiatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Kent County Council: Two-tier county authority geographically surrounding Medway. Medway is a unitary carved out of Kent, so KCC remains Medway's closest structural counterpart and a mandatory partner on transport, devolution and cross-border planning issues including Lidsing Garden Community proposals.
• Gravesham Borough Council: Smaller district council bordering Medway across the Thames, sharing licensing, waste and cross-border planning responsibilities. Medway's licensing team notably still routes enquiries via Gravesham's licensing email address, evidencing operational coordination typical of neighbouring UK councils.
• Brighton & Hove City Council: Mid-sized South East unitary authority serving a comparable coastal/urban population (~290,000 residents) with a similar mix of housing, planning and regeneration pressures. Operates the same statutory framework under the Local Government Act and Localism Act 2011.
• Southampton City Council: Solent-region unitary authority of comparable population scale and port-city economic base. Faces similar demographic, housing-demand and central-government funding dynamics as Medway and is often used as a benchmarking peer in unitary-authority analysis.
• Portsmouth City Council: Densely populated coastal unitary authority on the Solent, with overlapping regeneration, heritage and housing-portfolio challenges. Both authorities are mid-tier South East unitaries contending with similar cost-of-living and social-care demand pressures.
• Plymouth City Council: Large coastal unitary authority serving a similar-sized population with significant regeneration, heritage (historic dockyard analogue), and social-housing portfolios. Useful comparable for understanding Medway's regeneration and infrastructure investment strategy.
• Derby City Council: Mid-sized Midlands unitary authority of comparable population scale. Provides a useful peer benchmark for adult social-care cost management, council-tax base composition, and Section 114 / financial-resilience trajectories relevant to Medway.
• Torbay Council: Smaller unitary coastal authority that, like Medway, has faced scrutiny over financial sustainability and council housing stock. Useful comparator for assessing capital-receipt dependency and adult-social-care financial resilience in smaller English unitaries.

Others

• Medway Development Company: Council-led urban regeneration vehicle celebrating five years of town-centre improvement work in partnership with Medway Council. An ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor, illustrative of the local-authority development-company model used across England.
• Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust: Heritage charity operating The Historic Dockyard Chatham and a core MOU partner alongside the University of Kent on the Docking Station creative production centre. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a statutory peer, but central to Medway's cultural-economy strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/medway_council
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/medwaycouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/medwaycouncilupdates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medway-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medway Council