Power and procedure at Medway Council
Plus a surge in new HMO applications, a £1.4m Rainham house, next week's council business, what’s on locally and the weekend’s sport
Last night’s Medway Council meeting combined strong words about civility with votes that reinforced tighter control over who can raise issues in the chamber. We lead today with what that tells us about power and procedure at the council, alongside a roundup of the week’s key stories, what’s coming up next, new planning applications, a £1.4m Rainham property, local events and the weekend’s sport.
Power and procedure at Medway Council
Last night's Medway Council meeting, which spoke forcefully about civility and democratic norms, ended with councillors voting to keep tighter controls on who can formally raise issues in the chamber.
Across the evening, councillors unanimously condemned intimidation and violence directed at elected members elsewhere in Kent. Later, the same meeting rejected efforts to loosen internal rules that restrict smaller political groups from bringing motions to full council.
The contrast was not subtle. Medway is comfortable talking about democracy. It is far more cautious about how widely it is shared.
A united front, briefly
The clearest point of agreement came with a motion condemning intimidation and violence following disruption at a recent Swale Borough Council meeting.
The motion, brought by council leader Vince Maple, was seconded by Conservative leader of the opposition George Perfect. Both spoke about safety, civility, and the right of councillors to carry out their roles without fear.
That unity wobbled when Reform councillor Robbie Lammas moved an amendment seeking to explicitly include verbal abuse within the definition of intimidation.
Lammas cited examples where Reform members had been verbally abused in public, including an allegation that a Labour councillor had previously called him a 'fascist' during a meeting. Labour councillor Louwella Prenter asked him to withdraw the claim, saying it had not been proven. He refused. Cllr Maple shook his head as Lammas suggested the leader had acknowledged such behaviour.
Independent councillor Chris Spalding supported the amendment, referring to his own experience of verbal abuse by a Reform chair. Maple rejected the change, arguing that the wording already covered such behaviour.
Labour and Conservatives combined to vote the amendment down. The original motion then passed unanimously.
Who sets the agenda
The most politically significant decision of the night came later, with far less agreement.
Independent Group councillor Elizabeth Turpin brought a motion opposing recent rule changes that prevent smaller political groups from submitting motions to many full council meetings.
Under the new system, the administration and opposition can bring motions regularly, but smaller groups could go through an entire year without ever being able to submit one.
Cllr Michael Pearce, also of the Independent Group, described the situation as “absolute hypocrisy,” pointing to Labour’s long history of relying on motions while in opposition.
Cllr Lammas moved another amendment, inserting a legal opinion suggesting the restrictions could be unlawful. He said Reform had paid for a barrister’s advice themselves.
What followed was less a legal discussion than a display of political theatre.
Lammas compared Cllr Maple to Keir Starmer, complained about the removal of flags, accused the administration of putting senior officers in a difficult position, and concluded by declaring that “the people of these towns deserve Reform,” prompting laughter from Labour benches.
Labour councillors responded in kind. One pointed out Lammas’ limited attendance record on committees. Cllr Perfect added that Lammas might understand proceedings better if he had bothered to attend group meetings before defecting.
Eventually, the monitoring officer was asked to clarify the legal position. He said he agreed with part of the opinion, but not most of it.
The amendment was voted down, with Labour and Conservatives aligned.
The substantive motion followed the same pattern. Labour and Conservatives voted against. Only Reform, the Independent Group and Cllr Spalding voted in favour.
Smaller groups will continue to be excluded from bringing motions to many Medway Council meetings.
School Streets and frustration
If the democracy debate exposed how power is structured, the School Streets motion showed how it is exercised.
Conservative councillor Andrew Lawrence called for a review of the scheme following a court ruling against signage outside Burnt Oak Primary School in Gillingham. He raised concerns about enforcement, legality and residents being fined for accessing their own homes.
He accused portfolio holder Alex Paterson of arrogance and of refusing to engage even briefly on the issue.
Labour councillors defended the scheme by citing environmental and health benefits, largely avoiding the specific questions raised about signage, enforcement and process.
Conservative councillor Barry Kemp said complaints had not slowed since the scheme’s introduction and claimed driving behaviour had not changed. Labour dismissed that as untrue. Evidence, Paterson said, would come in March.
The debate deteriorated quickly.
Points of order were raised repeatedly. Lammas asked the Mayor to explain what a point of order was. At one point, Perfect remarked that a Conservative councillor could not speak because Paterson “can’t sit for a few seconds.”
Cllr Spalding raised concerns about drivers being fined during school holidays, when restrictions were not meant to apply.
“Only an idiot wouldn’t see the problems that this scheme is causing,” Cllr Lawrence said as he wrapped up his comments.
Labour managed to vote down the motion, despite every other group on the council voting in favour.
Process over politics
Other constitutional changes passed with little resistance, including formalising arrangements that direct more questions to Cabinet rather than full council. Even opposition groups acknowledged these changes could improve clarity.
But taken together, the evening painted a clear picture.
Agenda-setting is increasingly controlled. Formal challenges are rationed. Discontent surfaces through amendments, procedural skirmishes and increasingly theatrical exchanges.
None of this is unusual in local government. What made last night notable was how openly these dynamics played out in a meeting framed around democratic values.
The bottom line
Medway Council was unequivocal in condemning intimidation and violence against elected members. That vote was unanimous and sincere.
But the same meeting reinforced a system in which fewer councillors are allowed to formally raise issues, scrutiny is increasingly procedural, and frustration is managed rather than resolved.
The council insists this is about efficiency and order, while critics say it is about control.
The question now is whether that management strengthens democracy or simply makes it harder to challenge those already holding the floor.
You can watch the full Medway Council meeting from last night here:
Council matters
Meetings next week:
- Tuesday: Audit Committee will review the Risk Strategy, the Treasury Management Strategy and receive updates on Counter Fraud and Internal Audits.
- Wednesday: Employment Matters Committee meets to discuss the pay policy for 2026/27, negotiations with council staff, and organisational change.
- Thursday: Business Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee gathers to look at the draft budget and the One Medway Council Plan.
New planning applications:
- Applications for new HMOs keep coming, with new plans this week on Pretoria Road, St George's Road, Marlborough Road, Windmill Road, and Shottenden Road in Gillingham, and Grove Road in Strood.
- Proposals have been submitted to convert and extend a house on Woodlands Road in Gillingham into a care home.
- In Grain, plans have been put forward to remove the 15m phone mast on St James' Playing Field, and replace it with a 20m one.
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In brief
🖥️ A major IT outage hit GP surgeries across Medway this week.
👩🏫 A disabled former lecturer at MidKent College has been awarded a £177,000 payout after she was forced out of the role following false racism allegations.
🚑 A man has been seriously injured after 'falling from height' at Rochester Castle.
🚔 Kent Police will be enforcing a dispersal order around Chatham Dockside from 6pm this evening until 6pm on Sunday. The move follows recent bouts of antisocial behaviour in the area.
🚌 No rail services will serve the mainline Medway stations on Sunday while engineering works are carried out. Rail replacement buses will operate between Rainham and Strood/Sole Street.
🎾 Avenue Tennis in Gillingham has been taken over by David Lloyd Clubs. The site says there won't be any changes for now.
🍻 The Kings Head pub in Rochester will now be allowed to stay open until 2am on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
🛍️ The Little Shop, a new shop selling gifts, cards, souvenirs, crafts, and locally made items, is set to open in the former Get Ready Comics shop on Rochester High Street.
⚽ After a referee was injured at Gillingham FC's match last weekend, a qualified fan from the crowd stepped in to fill the role.
Property of the week
This Grade II listed house on Moor Street in Rainham is on the market for £1.4m and is notable less for its finish than for its sheer scale. The detached property spans nearly 5,700 sq ft and includes 10 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a self-contained annexe, making it one of the largest homes currently for sale in Medway. Set on a plot of around 0.6 acres behind walled gardens, it sits close to Rainham town centre while offering a rare level of space in Medway. It is also a reminder that parts of Medway’s housing market now operate at a very different level to the rest.
Events this week
🎸 Fri 23 Jan - The Worry People + Spider Baby + Miffed + Make Way // Packed lineup of four noisy bands. The Ship, Gillingham. Free.
🏳️🌈 Sat 24 Jan - LGBT+ refugee fundraiser // Live music headlined by queer punk band Lunacy, raising money for queer refugees of South Sudan. Poco Loco, Chatham. Tickets £5.
Sport this weekend
⚽ Chatham Town host Billericay Town on Saturday, as the Chats attempt to close the gap to the dominant Folkestone Invicta in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
⚽ Chatham Town Women play London Bees in the FA Women's National League at home on Sunday.
🏒 It's a busy weekend for the Invicta Dynamos, who are away to Slough Jets on Saturday in a league match before welcoming Streatham Redhawks to Planet Ice for a cup match on Sunday.
⚽ Gillingham FC are away to struggling Harrogate Town on Saturday in League 2 as the Gills try to turn their form around.
