Meet the Council’s new Leader

Published: Tuesday, 18th November 2025

Cllr Kevin Maskell became Sevenoaks District Council’s new Leader on Tuesday 18 November 2025.

Cllr Maskell, who has lived in Westerham for over 40 years, was elected to the Council in May 2007 to represent the Westerham & Crockham Hill Ward.

He brings a wealth of leadership experience having previously held the Cabinet portfolios for Housing and Health in 2020 then Finance & Investment in 2023. He will continue to be responsible for Finance & Investment with the other Cabinet roles remaining unchanged.

For more than 30 years, Cllr Maskell worked in education as a teacher then as a senior manager in secondary schools and a sixth-form college in London. He advised the Further Education Development Agency and the National Council for Vocational Education on the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications.

After gaining an MA in Management and Leadership, he worked at Kingston University as a Strategic Project Director then as a Strategic and Financial Director for a private company. These roles involved supporting 38 schools, coordinating eight Further Education Colleges and 10 universities to increase university access for young people.

Cllr Maskell is now a Governor and Trustee for a local school specialising in Language Development Disorder, and a Director and Trustee for an organisation working on national policy and research development in neurodiversity.

Cllr Maskell says: “It is a huge honour and a privilege to be Leader of the Council. These are exciting times with many major projects underway.

“I am fortunate to have a talented and highly capable Cabinet. Together, we will work to deliver the Council’s ambitions for regeneration and economic development whilst providing high-quality services and the best possible value for money.

“From April, we will introduce new waste collections to help our residents recycle more of their waste, benefitting the environment and saving taxpayers’ money by reducing disposal costs.

“We are working with rural landowners to preserve and enhance biodiversity for future generations, and our new Local Plan will ensure more planning decisions are retained locally, rather than handed over to national Planning Inspectors.

“Another area of focus is meeting the challenges and opportunities of Local Government Reorganisation and its smooth transition.

“I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor Cllr Roddy Hogarth who reached out to communities across the District and fought hard for their interests.”

Cllr Kevin Maskell was elected Leader at the Council Meeting on Tuesday 18 November 2025.