Editing Sandwich, Kent (section)

==Governance==

[[File:Sandwich Kent Rathaus.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sandwich Guildhall]]]]
The [[Parish councils of England|town and parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. It comprises sixteen town councillors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sandwichtowncouncil.gov.uk/council/councillors.htm|title=Sandwich Town Council: List of Councillors|website=www.sandwichtowncouncil.gov.uk|access-date=31 October 2019|archive-date=31 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031125708/https://www.sandwichtowncouncil.gov.uk/council/councillors.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and [[Neighbourhood Watch (UK)|neighbourhood watch]] groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

The town falls within the [[non-metropolitan district]] of [[Dover District|Dover]]. The district council is responsible for [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]] and [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]] and [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]].

[[Kent County Council]] is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[police|policing]] and  [[fire service]]s, [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning.

It is also part of a [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], and at the general election in 2024 became part of the [[Herne Bay and Sandwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/cgi-bin/calcwork.pl?seat=Thanet%20South|title=Thanet South: New Boundaries Calculation|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=6 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716025024/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/cgi-bin/calcwork.pl?seat=Thanet%20South|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> It elects one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) by the [[first past the post]] system of election.

===Twin towns===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}
Sandwich is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*[[Sandwich, Massachusetts]] in the United States
*[[Honfleur]] in France<ref name="Archant twinning 3">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|access-date=20 July 2013|archive-date=5 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref><ref name="Honfleur twinnings">{{cite web| url = http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4#tabs3| title = National Commission for Decentralised cooperation| access-date = 26 December 2013| work = Délégation pour l’Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères)| language = fr| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20131127063207/http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4#tabs3| archive-date = 27 November 2013| df = dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Ronse]] in Belgium
*[[Sonsbeck]] in Germany