Swale could have more councils by the time of the next borough elections.

Up to five new parish and two new town councils have been suggested as part of a community governance review for Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

A report of the findings will be discussed by full council at Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, next Wednesday.

If agreed, the council will have a year to carry out a public consultation – asking residents, businesses, local politicians and existing parish and town councils what they want.

Any new councils created will be formed by 2015. Cllr Mike Whiting, Swale’s newly-appointed cabinet member for localism, has fought for a review since 2011.

He said: “I believe that parish and town councils are some of the basic building blocks of democracy in our society.

“Major parts of the borough are not parished and I have been on a bit of a mission to put that right since I first raised this in my report to Sittingbourne Local Engagement Forum in 2011.

“Faversham and Queenborough have town councils, and I think it is right that people in Sittingbourne and Sheerness have the opportunity to be represented in the same way.

“Similarly, almost every village in the borough has a parish council, but the urban communities and some new developments do not.

“Parish councils play a formal role in planning matters and provide a real voice for their communities.”