The number of MPs in the county is to increase by one at the next election, with voters deciding who they want to represent them in 18 constituencies.

A review by the Boundary Commission for England has recommended changes in order to comply with rules that state each constituency must have between 69,724 and 77,062 registered voters, as recorded in March 2020.

The shake-up has led to varying changes in some seats in Kent but they are broadly in line with the final proposals recommended by the Boundary Commission late last year.

The commission has stuck by its biggest change, advising there should be an entirely new seat, called the Weald of Kent.

This would take in some parts of the Maidstone and Weald constituency and some of Ashford.

The new seat already sparked controversy, when the local Conservative association declined an application by the Ashford MP Damian Green, who as the incumbent MP was able to apply first to be its candidate.

It would incorporate Tenterden, Benenden, Cranbrook and two wards that were in Ashford, Staplehurst and Charing and Downs West wards.

The Ashford seat will now be split between two constituencies rather than three. This means that the Charing, Downs North and Downs West wards will be in the Weald of Kent seat rather than Faversham and Mid-Kent.

The new constituency impacts on the existing Maidstone and Weald seat held by Tory Helen Grant MP, which would lose some of its rural villages such as Headcorn, Marden and Yalding and be renamed Maidstone and Malling.

The commission says the proposed Weald of Kent constituency was “largely well received, with comments highlighting the strengths of a constituency with a rural focus”.

The two constituencies that were in Thanet will now be split into seats called Herne Bay and Sandwich, formerly North Thanet, represented by Sir Roger Gale.

Meanwhile while the seat currently represented by Conservative Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet, will become East Thanet.