Swale is a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

with

borough status Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, si ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, England. The council is based in

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to th ...

, the borough's largest town. The borough also contains the towns of

Faversham Faversham () is a market town in Kent, England, from Sittingbourne, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great ...

Queenborough Queenborough is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England. Queenborough is south of Sheerness. It grew as a port near the Thames Estuary at the westward entrance to the Swale where it joins the River ...

and

Sheerness Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...

, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. It includes the

Isle of Sheppey The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the districts of England, local government district of Borough ...

and is named after

The Swale The Swale is a tidal channel of the Thames estuary that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the rest of Kent. On its banks is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Sittingbourne to Whitstable in Kent. It is also ...

, the narrow channel which separates Sheppey from the mainland part of the borough. Some southern parts of the borough lie within the

Kent Downs The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Boroug ...

, a designated

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...

. The borough borders the

Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

unitary authority area to the west, the

Borough of Maidstone The Borough of Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. It is named after its largest settlement of Maidstone, the county town of Kent, which is also where the council is based. The borough also includes sur ...

to the south-west, the

Borough of Ashford The Borough of Ashford is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Kent, England. It is named after its largest town, Ashford, Kent, Ashford, where the council is based. Th ...

to the south-east, and the

City of Canterbury Canterbury (), also known as the City of Canterbury, is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Canterbury, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of ...

to the east. Under proposed reorganisation in either April 2027 or 2028 the borough will face abolition and will join with one or more adjoining councils to form a new Unitary Authority. Details of such proposals are expected in Autumn 2025.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

covering the area of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: *

Municipal Borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

Queenborough-in-Sheppey Queenborough-in-Sheppey was a municipal borough in Kent, England from 1968 to 1974. It contained the parish of Queenborough in Sheppey. It was created on 1 April 1968 by a merger of the Municipal Borough of Queenborough with Sheerness Urban Di ...

Municipal Borough (which covered the whole Isle of Sheppey) *

Sittingbourne and Milton Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to the ...

Urban District An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...

*Swale Rural District The new district was named Swale, after the waterway which divides the mainland part of the district from the Isle of Sheppey. The district was awarded borough status on 20 January 1978, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

Governance

Swale Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by

Kent County Council Kent County Council is a county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Kent in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the Unitary authorities of England, unitary auth ...

. Most of the borough is also covered by

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

es, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control

The council has been under

no overall control In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom no overall control (NOC; ) is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, comparable to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for elec ...

since 2019. Following the 2023 election a coalition of Labour, local party the Swale Independents, the Greens and an independent councillor formed the council's administration. The coalition separated in December 2024, since when the council has been led by a minority Labour administration. The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: (Put "Swale" in search box to see specific results.)

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Swale is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

. The leaders since 2002 have been:

Composition

Following the 2023 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2025, the composition of the council was: The next elections are due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 47

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

s representing 24

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Premises

The council is based at Swale House on East Street in Sittingbourne.

Economy

Swale is a mainly rural borough, containing a high proportion of the UK's apple, pear, cherry and plum orchards (the North Kent Fruit Belt), as well as many of its remaining hop gardens. Faversham has the

Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame is an English independent brewery which has been based in the market town of Faversham, Kent, for over 300 years. While 1698 is the brewery's official established date, town records show that commercial brewing has occurred on the ...

brewery. Founded in 1698 it is claimed to be oldest brewery in the UK.

is a busy port and previously produced steel. Sittingbourne has a variety of smaller industrial sites.

Transport

The

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England, running from Dover and London in the southeast, via St Albans to Wroxeter. The road crosses the River Thames at London and was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the M ...

passed through the area, as witness the straightness of the A2 main road, now by-passed by the M2 motorway. There are two railway lines in Swale: the

Chatham Main Line The Chatham Main Line is a railway line in England that links London VictoriaQuail Map 5 – England South ages 2–13Sept 2002 (Retrieved 14 December 2011) and Dover Priory / Ramsgate, travelling via Medway (of which the town of Chatham is ...

and the Sheerness line, which meet at . Two adjoining bridges across The Swale link the Isle of Sheppey to the mainland:

Kingsferry Bridge The Kingsferry Bridge is a combined road and railway vertical-lift bridge which connects the Isle of Sheppey to mainland Kent in South East England. The seven-span bridge has a central lifting span which allows ships to pass. Opened in 1860, the ...

and the

Sheppey Crossing The Sheppey Crossing is a bridge which carries the A249 road across the Swale (a tidal strait of the Thames Estuary), linking the Isle of Sheppey with the mainland of Kent. The four-lane crossing measures 21.5 m (71 feet) in width, at a height ...

. In 2022, the council implemented a low-emission car club in the town of Faversham, in partnership with car sharing company Hiyacar. After a successful first year, the council expanded the Swale Car Club offering to the town of Sittingbourne.

Media

In terms of television, Swale is served by

BBC South East BBC South East is the BBC English region serving Kent, East Sussex (including the City of Brighton and Hove), parts of West Sussex and Surrey. The BBC region was created in September 2001 by the joining of the Heathfield transmitter (former ...

and

ITV Meridian ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at midnight on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned ...

(East) broadcasting from the Bluebell Hill transmitter. Local radio stations are: *

BBC Radio Kent BBC Radio Kent is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Kent. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at The Great Hall in Royal Tunbridge Wells. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audie ...

on 96.7 FM *

Heart South Heart South is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts to the south and south east of England. The station launched on 3 June 2019 as a result of a merger between four sister stations: H ...

on 103.1 FM *SFM Radio (for

) on 106.9 FM * BRFM 95.6 FM on 95.6 FM and

Sheppey FM 92.2 Sheppey FM 92.2 is an English community radio station and training centre on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. History The building was designed by Alison Thomas in 1830. The station began as an internet radio, internet station in 2012, and was a ...

on 92.2 FM (for the

) Local newspapers are '' Sittingbourne News Extra'', yourswale, and ''

Sheerness Times Guardian The ''Sheerness Times Guardian'' is a weekly newspaper serving the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group KM Media Group is a multimedia company in the county of Kent, England which originated as the publisher of the Kent Messe ...

'' that serves the Isle of Sheppey.

Parishes

Most of the borough is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Faversham, Queenborough and Sheerness take the style "town council". The former Sittingbourne and Milton Urban District is an

unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...

, as is the

Halfway Houses A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...

area on Sheppey, being the only part of the pre-1974 borough of Queenborough-in-Sheppey not to have been subsequently added to a parish. *

Bapchild Bapchild is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England, about two miles inside of Sittingbourne. It lies on the old Roman road (Watling Street) now the A2, and according to the 2001 census, the parish had a population o ...

* Bobbing * Borden * Boughton-under-Blean *

Bredgar Bredgar is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swale, Kent, England. Location The village lies to the southwest of Sittingbourne on the road between Tunstall and Hollingbourne (previously the B2163). The M2 motorway crosses the paris ...

* Doddington *

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

Eastchurch Eastchurch is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Sheppey, in the English county of Kent, two miles east of Minster, Swale, Minster. The village website claims the area has "a history steeped in stories of piracy and smugglers". Aviation ...

* Eastling *

(town) *

Graveney Graveney is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Graveney with Goodnestone, in the Swale district, in Kent, England. It is located between Faversham and Whitstable. The main part of the village is located along the intersect ...

with Goodnestone *

Hartlip __NOTOC__ Hartlip is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale, Kent, England. Parish estimated population in 1991 was 680, and in 2011, 746. In 2001 there were 566 registered voters. The name Hartlip derives from the Old English '' ...

Hernhill Hernhill is a village and civil parish between Faversham and Canterbury in southeast England. The parish includes the hamlets of Crockham, Dargate, The Fostall, Lamberhurst, Oakwell, Staple Street, Thread, Waterham and Wey Street. Churches Du ...

Iwade Iwade is a village and civil parish north of the town of Sittingbourne in the English county of Kent. History Iwade was established in the late Medieval period, when it was a settlement linking Watling Street to the coast via Key Street (a ...

* Leysdown *

Lower Halstow Lower Halstow is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England. The village is northwest of Sittingbourne on the banks of the Medway Estuary. It lies north of Newington on the A2 Roman road. The 2011 census recorded the ...

* Luddenham *

Lynsted Lynsted is a village in Lynsted with Kingsdown civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The village is situated south of the A2 road between Faversham and Sittingbourne and the nearest M2 junction is Faversham three miles east. L ...

with Kingsdown *

Milstead Milstead is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale in Kent, England. It is surrounded by the villages of Frinsted, Wichling, Doddington and Lynsted in Kent, England. It is the southernmost parish in the Sittingbourne area, and i ...

Minster-on-Sea Minster-on-Sea is a civil parish in the English county of Kent. It is on the Isle of Sheppey and thus forms part of the borough of Swale. It was created on 1 April 2003. In 2021 it had a population of 17,392. The main populated area is the sea ...

* Newington * Newnham *

Norton, Buckland and Stone Norton, Buckland and Stone is a small rural civil parish east of Teynham and west of the centre of Faversham in the borough of Swale, Kent, England. It is bypassed by the M2 to the south and traverses the historic A2, on the route of the R ...

* Oare *

Ospringe Ospringe is a village and area of Faversham in the English county of Kent. It is also the name of a civil parish, which since 1935 has not included the village of Ospringe. The village lies on the Roman road Watling Street (nowadays the A2 ...

(town) *

Rodmersham Rodmersham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swale in the north of the English county of Kent. It is just under south of Bapchild on the A2 road and south-east of the town of Sittingbourne. Rodmersham Green, which forms the bulk ...

Selling Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

(town) * Sheldwich, Badlesmere and Leaveland * Stalisfield *

Teynham Teynham ( ) is a small village and civil parish in the borough of Swale in Kent, England. The parish lies between the towns of Sittingbourne and Faversham, immediately north of the A2 road, and includes the hamlet of Conyer on an inlet of the ...

Throwley Throwley is an English village south of Faversham in the Borough of Swale in Kent. The name is recorded in the Domesday Book as Trevelai, which corresponds with a Brittonic origin, where "trev" means a settlement or farm house and "elai" typica ...

* Tonge * Tunstall *

Upchurch Upchurch is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Swale, Swale district of Kent, England. It is situated about north of the A2 road (Great Britain), A2 road, between Rainham, Kent, Rainham and Sittingbourne. ...

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically ident ...

Mayors

For the council's first four years it had a chairman rather than a mayor. The chairmen were: * 1974-75 R. D. Sharrock * 1975-76 K. H. Burbidge * 1976-78 R. W. Barnicott From the grant of borough status in January 1978 onwards the chairman of the council has taken the title of mayor. The mayors have been:

Honorary Freemen of the Borough

* 1978 D. Allen * 1982 D. M. Elvy * 1986

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved popularity as part ...

* 2004 Gerald David Thomsett * 2004 Peter James Salmon * 2018

Stephen Mark Brown Stephen Mark Brown is an American opera tenor. He has sung with Luciano Pavarotti on the television program "Pavarotti Plus," and has sung at La Scala. In 2005, Brown was described as "emerging as one of today's leading tenors in the French and It ...

* 2021 Peter Morgan * 2021 Robin Castle

References

External links

Bored In Swale - an information site listing activities for the youth in Swale.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swale, Borough of Non-metropolitan districts of Kent Boroughs in England