To approve the following measures as the second stage of the formation of the Clacton Town Board (a necessary Board as part of the Long Term Plan for Towns Programme for Clacton-on-Sea.

(1) That membership of the Board shall be comprised of the Chairman of the Board (previously appointed) and the following (or their duly designated alternate):
• Giles Watling, MP
• Cllr Mark Stephenson, Tendring District Council
• Cllr Ivan Henderson, Tendring District Council
• Cllr Lesley Wagland, Essex County Council
• Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner for Essex Police Area
• Sharon Alexander, Community & Voluntary Services Tendring
• Billy Ball, Clacton Tourism Group
• Craig Newnes, McDonalds local business
• Laura Taylor Green, Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care Board
• Dr Emily Murray, University of Essex
• Rob Mitchell-Gears, Westcliffe Theatre
• A nominee from Tendring Education Strategic Board

(2) that the appointments in (1) above be for an initial term of one-year to support the development of a long-term vision and three-year investment plan as part of the Future of Towns Programme for Clacton;

(3) that the draft Terms of Reference for the Clacton Town Board be as set out in the attachment to this decision; and

(4) that Tendring District Council be appointed Secretary to the Board.

This decision follows:
(1) Cabinet on 15 December 2023 (Minute 65 refers) to delegate the forming of the Towns Board, and acceptance of its Terms of Reference, to the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Regeneration & Tourism;
(2) The Deputy Leader & Portfolio for Economic Growth, Regeneration & Tourism’s decision on 29 February 2023 to appoint George Kieffer as the independent chairman of the Clacton Town Board for a term of one year.

Government has agreed a ten-year endowment-style fund, with £20 million of funding and support to give Clacton (and other Towns) a long term certainty to deliver projects over multiple years. The funding requires an investment plan overseen by a Clacton Town Board.

As set out in the Government guidance, the appointed independent chair should engage with the local authority to consider appointments for the remainder of the Town Board.

The Town Board, supported by the local authority, will develop a single long term plan to be submitted to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Government guidance states that the Board must include:
• The relevant local MP
• One councillor from each tier of local government (and that total number of elected representatives should be limited to promote community leadership)
• A senior representative from the police (it is expected that this will be the Police and Crime Commissioner or senior alternative)

To not appoint the Town Board was considered and discounted as to do so would have deprived Clacton-on-Sea of the funding stream over the next 10 years. Likewise, alternative appointments were considered and discounted as they would not have been in accordance with Government requirements for key appointees to the Board.