Your council
Canterbury: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Canterbury City Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, South East; within the county of KEN. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Kent County Council.
Council website · Publication scheme
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by Canterbury for 2026–27: £254.43 of a £2,419.33 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 1 opened (1 academy converter), 2 closed (1 closure, 1 academy converter)
- Fairlight Glen Independent Special School — closed; reason recorded: closure, 17 July 2026
- Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 May 2026
- Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 June 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | none budgeted |
| Highways and transport services | −£5.3 million |
| Children's social care | none budgeted |
| Adult social care | none budgeted |
| Public health | none budgeted |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £2.3 million |
| Cultural and related services | £7.5 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £12.5 million |
| Planning and development services | £3.0 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £5.4 million |
| Other services | £5.9 million |
| Total service expenditure | £31.2 million |
Canterbury in numbers
- Total population
- 162,100 people
- Median age
- 41 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £24,464
- Gross median weekly pay
- £570
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 24.1%
- Claimant Count
- 3.2%
- Average house price
- £337,454
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 9.2 affordability ratio
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 3.7 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 75.0%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 162.2 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 6,070 number of enterprises
Who runs the council
39 seats in 2026. Run by: a coalition or arrangement of Labour and Liberal Democrats.
Councillors by party: Labour Party 18, Conservative and Unionist 8, Liberal Democrats 8, Green Party (E&W) 4, Independent / Other 1.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 39 councillors, by ward
- Connie Nolan (Labour Party) — Barton
- Pat Edwards (Labour Party) — Barton
- Paul Prentice (Labour Party) — Barton
- Ian Stockley (Conservative and Unionist) — Beltinge
- Jeanette Stockley (Conservative and Unionist) — Beltinge
- Alex Ricketts (Liberal Democrats) — Blean Forest
- Dan Smith (Liberal Democrats) — Blean Forest
- Steph Jupe (Liberal Democrats) — Blean Forest
- Alister Brady (Labour Party) — Chartham & Stone Street
- Mike Bland (Labour Party) — Chartham & Stone Street
- James Flanagan (Liberal Democrats) — Chestfield
- Peter Old (Liberal Democrats) — Chestfield
- Chris Cornell (Labour Party) — Gorrell
- Clare Turnbull (Green Party (E&W)) — Gorrell
- Stuart Heaver (Green Party (E&W)) — Gorrell
- Dan Watkins (Conservative and Unionist) — Greenhill
- Grace Paget (Conservative and Unionist) — Herne & Broomfield
- Robert Jones (Conservative and Unionist) — Herne & Broomfield
- David Thomas (Conservative and Unionist) — Heron
- Liz Harvey (Conservative and Unionist) — Heron
- Tom Mellish (Labour Party) — Heron
- Lee Castle (Liberal Democrats) — Little Stour & Adisham
- Mike Sole (Liberal Democrats) — Nailbourne
- Alan Baldock (Labour Party) — Northgate
- Jean Butcher (Labour Party) — Northgate
- Rachel Carnac (Conservative and Unionist) — Reculver
- Charlotte Cornell (Labour Party) — Seasalter
- Naomi Smith (Labour Party) — Seasalter
- Beth Forrester (Labour Party) — St Stephen's
- Mel Dawkins (Labour Party) — St Stephen's
- Harry McKenzie (Labour Party) — Sturry
- Keji Moses (Labour Party) — Sturry
- Keith Bothwell (Green Party (E&W)) — Swalecliffe
- Simon Warley (Labour Party) — Tankerton
- Andrew Harvey (Independent / Other) — West Bay
- Michael Dixey (Liberal Democrats) — Westgate
- Pip Hazelton (Labour Party) — Westgate
- Dane Buckman (Labour Party) — Wincheap
- Peter Campbell (Green Party (E&W)) — Wincheap