Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. It is named after its largest town, the port town of Dover. The council is based in Whitfield on the outskirts of Dover. The district also covers the towns of Deal, Sandwich and Walmer as well as the surrounding rural areas.
The district borders Thanet District to the north, the City of Canterbury to the west, and Folkestone and Hythe District to the south-west. To the south and east, it faces the Strait of Dover.
History The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, all of which were abolished at the same time: Deal Municipal Borough Dover Municipal Borough Dover Rural District Eastry Rural District (except five parishes which went to Thanet) Sandwich Municipal Borough The new district was named Dover after its largest town.
Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Kent, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new East Kent unitary authority.
Governance
Dover District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Kent County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.
Political control Following the 2023 election, the council was under Labour majority control. They subsequently lost their majority following changes of allegiance in January 2025, leaving the council under no overall control.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: (Put "Dover" in search box to see specific results.) Party in control Years 1974–1991 1991–1995 1995–1999 1999–2007 2007–2023 2023–2025 2025–present
Leadership The leaders of the council (formally the chair of the policy and resources committee prior to 2001) have been:
Councillor Party From To Alexander Greenway-Stanley 1974 1976 Raymond Norley 1976 1977 Alexander Greenway-Stanley 1977 1978 Gwladys Payne 1978 1986 Graham Forster 1986 Sep 1986 Paul Watkins Sep 1986 1989 George Tyler 1989 Oct 1989 Christopher Smith Oct 1989 1992 Paul Watkins 1992 Dec 1993 Tony Sansum Dec 1993 Nov 1995 Terry Birkett Nov 1995 1998 Reg Hansell Nov 1998 1999 Terry Birkett 1999 2001 Peter Wells 2001 2003 Paul Watkins 14 May 2003 30 Sep 2017 Keith Morris 18 Oct 2017 14 Oct 2019 Trevor Bartlett 30 Oct 2019 May 2023 Kevin Mills 17 May 2023
Composition Following the 2023 election, and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:
Party Councillors 14 12 6Total 32 Three of the independent councillors form the "Independent Group".
Premises The council's main offices are at the White Cliffs Business park in the parish of Whitfield, to the north of the town of Dover itself.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 32 councillors representing 17 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
Geography The northern boundary of the district is the River Stour; on its western side is the district of Canterbury; to the south the parish of Capel-le-Ferne; and to the east the Straits of Dover. The southern part of the latter is the point where the North Downs meets the sea, at the White Cliffs of Dover. Further north along the coast, from Deal onwards, the land is at sea level, where the River Stour enters the sea by a circuitous route. It is here, on the sand-dunes, that the Royal St George's Golf Club, founded in 1887, and of international repute, is situated.
In the district are industrial remains of the erstwhile Kent coalfield, situated around Tilmanstone and Betteshanger. Half of the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel is under British Sovereignty and thus part of the district.
Parishes
There are 35 civil parishes covering the whole district. The parish councils of Deal, Dover, Sandwich and Walmer take the style "town council".
Alkham Ash Aylesham Capel-le-Ferne Deal (town) Denton with Wootton Dover (town) Eastry Eythorne Goodnestone Great Mongeham Guston Hougham Without Langdon Lydden Nonington Northbourne Preston Ringwould with Kingsdown Ripple River Sandwich (town) Shepherdswell with Coldred Sholden St Margaret's at Cliffe Staple Stourmouth Sutton Temple Ewell Tilmanstone Walmer (town) Whitfield Wingham Woodnesborough Worth
Communications Deal Timeball is a Victorian maritime Greenwich Mean Time signal located on the roof of a waterfront four-storey tower. It was established in 1855 by the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy in collaboration with Charles V. Walker.
Crossing Dover district are the Roman roads of Watling Street and that leading from Richborough. Today the main road, the A2, closely follows Watling Street to Dover.
References
External links Dover District Council website Parish listing Deal High Street winner of the Telegraph's first High Street of the Year award Kent coalfield history Dover pictorial website Dover Community Radio (DCR)