Ramsgate’s new town council has been officially created, with the sealing of the statutory order by Thanet council.

For legal reasons, the order refers to a parish council, but the new parish council can decide to call itself a town council with a town mayor, if it wishes to do so.

The new council will be made up of 16 members, with seven wards, which will be the same as the existing district wards and with the same name. Central Harbour, Eastcliff and Northwood wards will be represented by three members each, while Newington, Nethercourt and Sir Moses Montefiore will have two members each and Pegwell will have one.

Elections will be held on Thursday, June 4, which is the same day as the Kent County Council and European Elections, with the new council taking office on Monday, June 8.

The Charter Trustees for Ramsgate, who have represented the town’s civic dignity since the dissolution of the old Borough in 1974, will themselves be dissolved on June 8.

Under the statutory order, the town mayor will continue in office until the new council appoints a successor.

Thanet council officers will manage the transition to the new council and also statutory allotments at Chilton Lane and Jackey Bakers Recreation Ground, until such time as the new council decides how it wishes them to be managed.

Chief executive Richard Samuel said: “All the arrangements are now in place, ahead of the elections taking place at the beginning of June. It’s taken a long time to get to this stage, particularly as we have had new government legislation to negotiate during the time we’ve been working towards this, but now the order for the town council has been sealed and we now look forward to seeing a good turnout in June’s elections.”