In accordance with the provisions of Section 3(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair was occupied by the retiring Chairman, Councillor Bill Davidson, until his successor became entitled to act as Chairman.

The Council is asked to note any apologies for absence received from Members.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Bray, Bush, Davis, Fowler, Kotz, Platt and Thompson.

The Council is asked to note any announcements made by the retiring Chairman of the Council.

The Chairman reminded Members that details of his recent engagements had been circulated to them prior to the commencement of this meeting.

Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Council will elect its Chairman for the 2026/2027 Municipal Year.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson and seconded by Councillor I J Hendersonthat Councillor Oxley be elected Chairman of the Council.

On being put to the vote it was:-

RESOLVED that, pursuant to Section 3(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, Councillor Oxley be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2026/2027 municipal year.

Members gave a round of applause to Councillor Oxley on her election.

Councillor Oxley was thereupon invested with the badge and Chain of Office and made a Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

The Chairman then made a short speech along the following lines:-

·      thanked Members for their support;

·      had done some amazing things in her life but this was a real honour;

·      would announce her chosen charities at the next full Council meeting;

·      Reverend David Lower would continue as her Vicar for the time being;

·      gave a massive well done to Councillor Davidson and his wife, Tracy, an amazing double act;

·      Councillor Davidson had been an amazing ambassador for the District with wonderful feedback from the public;

·      would be a big act to follow;

·      will miss pre-meets with Councillor Davidson and his repertoire of amazing stories.

Members gave Councillor Oxley further rounds of applause.

Councillor Oxley then invested Councillor Davidson with the Past Chairman’s Badge.

Councillor Davidson then responded with a statement along the following lines:-

·      truly been an honour and a privilege to represent this Council and the residents of Tendring District;

·      grateful to those Councillors who placed their trust in him;

·      sincere thanks and appreciation given to Ian Davidson, Lisa Hastings and Keith Simmons for their invaluable advice, guidance and continual support;

·      heartfelt thanks to Reverend David Lower for his prayers at full Council meetings and for presiding at civic events such as the Remembrance Day Service;

·      sincere thanks to Maddie and the entire Leadership Support Team for their professionalism, dedication and exceptional support;

·      recognised Councillor Mark Stephenson and Councillor Ivan Henderson for their faith in him and for proposing him for the role of Chairman last year;

·      gave proud respect to Councillor Casey for his dedication and commitment to Armed Forces Veterans and to the Clacton Royal British Legion;

·      to all Councillors thanks for their support, encouragement and willingness to welcome him into their communities and afford him the privilege of seeing many previously unknown to him parts of the District and the dedicated volunteers and community groups;

·      thanked Councillors and local businesses who had generously sponsored the Pride of Tendring Awards and who had supported his three chosen charities at the Pride of Tendring Awards which would make a real difference;

·      must ensure that the District’s voice is heard and its identity protected throughout the LGR transition;

·      wished Councillor Oxley every success and a truly fantastic year but cautioned that it would go by very quickly.

Members gave another round of applause.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor M E Stephenson) and Councillors Harris, Casey, I J Henderson, Ferguson, Guglielmi and Scott all congratulated Councillor Oxley on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Council will appoint its Vice-Chairman for the 2026/2027 Municipal Year.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephensonand seconded by Councillor Chapman BEM that Councillor Guglielmi be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council.

It was then moved by Councillor Scott and seconded by Councillor Bensilum that Councillor Wiggins be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council.

The vote on the appointment of the Vice-Chairman of the Council resulted as follows:-

It was therefore RESOLVED that, pursuant to Section 5(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, Councillor Guglielmibe appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2026/2027 municipal year.

Members gave a round of applause to Councillor Guglielmi on his appointment.

Councillor Guglielmiwas thereupon invested with the Vice-Chairman’s Badge of Office and made a Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Councillor Guglielmi thanked Members for this great honour. He felt that Members across the Council always conducted themselves impeccably and he gave thanks to Lisa Hastings who had installed that ethos of mutual respect. He had had a flavour of this role previously when his wife Val, had been Chairman of the Council. He agreed that you do get to go to places that you would never go otherwise. It’s an honour to attend such community gatherings and acknowledged that the whole county relied on voluntary service to deliver the services residents depended upon. He undertook to discharge his duties to the best of his abilities for the best possible outcome.

Members then gave a further round of applause.

Council is asked to note any announcements made by the Chairman of the Council.

There were no announcements made by the Chairman of the Council on this occasion.

Council is asked to note any announcements made by the Chief Executive.

There were no announcements made by the Chief Executive on this occasion.

The Council will receive the annual State of the Tendring District Statement from the Leader of the Council.

The Leader of the Council made the annual State of the Tendring District Statement as follows:-

“Good evening, Chairman, and fellow Councillors.

I want to start tonight with a simple question.

What does it actually feel like to live in Tendring right now?

Not the statistics. Not the strategies. Just the honest, everyday experience of being a resident in this District.

That is what this Council exists for. Not the paperwork, not the processes, not the politics. The people. And everything I want to say tonight comes back to that.

I should say at the outset that there is so much happening across this District that no ten minute speech could ever do it full justice. Tonight is a snapshot, not the whole picture. It is my tradition to keep this address focused and relatively brief, and I intend to do that again this evening.

First, let me say. This Council’s financial position remains sound. I set that out in detail in February’s budget speech, and I am pleased to confirm to this chamber tonight that that remains the case. That is why you will not hear much more about finances this evening. The position is secure, and that gives us the platform to get on with the job.

A job that, like every council across the country, we are doing under real pressure. Rising demand, shrinking resources, genuine uncertainty about the future. We are not immune to any of that. What I can tell you is that we have refused to hide behind it. We have kept going. We have kept delivering. And Tendring is in a stronger place because of it.

Let me tell you what that looks like in practice.

It looks like families who nearly lost their homes, but did not, because we reached them in time. Our new Housing Strategy is built on one belief: that getting to people early, before a difficult situation becomes a crisis, is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. It saves lives from unravelling. It saves money. It keeps communities stable.

It looks like every household in this District getting a better waste service, not a worse one. We were expected by many to cut collections to three weekly. We did not. We listened to residents, kept the two weekly cycle, and added kerbside glass collections on top. That is what listening looks like.

It looks like town centres with working CCTV, streets that feel safer, and crime levels that are coming down. We completed our CCTV upgrade in Clacton this year and the results are already being felt.

It looks like people getting out more. Moving more. Living better. Activity levels across Tendring have risen by more than seven per cent to a record high, while inactivity has fallen to its lowest level ever. We are now in line with the national average, having lagged behind for years. The conditions we have created, the facilities we have invested in, the opportunities we  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Council will formally note the size of membership of the Council’s Committees and Sub-Committees as follows:-

Committee/Sub-Committee                                                     No. of Members

Audit Committee                                                                     (7)

Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee      (9)

Human Resources & Council Tax Committee                       (7)

Licensing and Registration Committee                                  (10)

Planning Committee                                                               (9)

Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee                               (9)

Resources & Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee        (9) 

Standards Committee                                                             (7)

Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee                             (5)

TCB Garden Community Joint Committee                            (3)

Town & Parish Councils Standards Sub-Committee             (3)

NOTE: The membership of the Tendring / Colchester Border Garden Community Joint Committee includes one Executive member who is appointed by the Leader of the Council.

Council formally noted the size of membership of the Council’s Committees and Sub-Committees as follows:-

Committee/Sub-Committee                                                     No. of Members

Audit Committee                                                                     (7)

Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee      (9)

Human Resources & Council Tax Committee                       (7)

Licensing and Registration Committee                                  (10)

Planning Committee                                                               (9)

Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee                               (9)

Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee    (9) 

Standards Committee                                                             (7)

Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee                             (5)

TCB Garden Community Joint Committee                             (3) 

Town & Parish Councils Standards Sub-Committee             (3)

Council was aware that the membership of the Tendring / Colchester Borders Garden Community Joint Committee included one Executive member who was appointed by the Leader of the Council.

Following a meeting of Group Leaders held to discuss and decide the matter, Council is requested to approve the allocation to the political groups formed on Tendring District Council of seats on those bodies that are subject to the Rules of Political Proportionality (Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989).

In accordance with the wishes expressed by Group Leaders, Council will also appoint Members to serve on those bodies that are subject to the Rules of Political Proportionality (Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989).

(THIS REPORT IS “TO FOLLOW”)

Council considered a comprehensive report prepared by Officers, which detailed the legislative requirements, principles and necessary procedural steps, regarding the allocation to the political groups formed on Tendring District Council of seats on those bodies that were subject to the Rules of Political Proportionality (i.e. Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989).

Council also considered a Schedule of Members that it was proposed by political Group Leaders should serve on each of the Council’s bodies, which were subject to the Rules of Political Proportionality (Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989).

Members were aware that there were unallocated seats on the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee and the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee, which Full Council would need to consider.

Having duly considered the information contained in the report and the appendix thereto:-

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywood and:-

RESOLVED that –

(a)     the review of the allocation of places on relevant Committees, as set out in Table 2 above in so far as it sets out the total number of seats on all those Committees to be allocated to political groups represented on the Council, (principle (c) of the “Principles”), be approved;

(b)     subject to resolution (c) below, the number of seats on each relevant Committee to be allocated to political groups such that, for each group, their proportion of seats on individual Committees is proportionate to their overall membership on the Council (principles (c) and (d) of the “Principles”) be as set out in Table 9 below:

Table 9

(c)     the following changes to the allocations set out in Table 9 above be approved (the relevant allocations are shown ‘*’ in Table 9 above):

(1)     the Labour Group having no seats on the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee (instead of one), three seats on the Licensing & Registration Committee (instead of two) and two seats on the Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee (instead of one);

(2)     the Independent Group having two seats on the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee (instead of one), no seats on the Licensing & Registration Committee (instead of one) and no seats on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Except for the Tendring / Colchester Border Garden Community Joint Committee and the Town and Parish Councils Standards Sub-Committee, Council will formally elect the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the bodies listed under Agenda Item 8 above.

NOTE:  Article 6.02(ii) of the Council’s Constitution states, inter alia, that the elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee must be Members appointed to that Committee who, normally, are also members of a Political Group that is unrepresented on the Council’s Cabinet.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor I J Henderson and:

RESOLVED that the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the following Committees and Sub-Committee be and are elected respectively for the 2026/2027 municipal year as follows:

It was then moved by Councillor Amos, seconded by Councillor Fairleyand:-

RESOLVEDthat Councillor P B Honeywood be elected Chairman of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2026/2027 Municipal Year.

It was then moved by Councillor P B Honeywood and seconded by Councillor Fairley and:-

RESOLVED that Councillor Amos be elected Vice-Chairman of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2026/2027 municipal year.

Council is requested to –

(1)     formally approve the proposed changes to Council Procedure Rule 34.5 (Substitute Members of the Premises/Personal Licences Sub-Committee); and

(2)     in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (xi), formally reaffirm the Council’s current Constitution (as duly amended).

Annual Council considered a report of the Monitoring Officer (A.2) which requested Members to –

(1)     formally approve the proposed changes to Council Procedure Rule 34.5 (Substitute Members of the Premises/Personal Licences Sub-Committee); and

(2)     in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (xi), formally reaffirm the Council’s current Constitution (as duly amended).

It was reported that, at its formal meeting held on 20 March 2026 (minute 124 referred), Cabinet had considered the recommendation made to it by the Licensing and Registration Committee in relation to the cessation of the requirement for a fourth (or Standby) Member at meetings of the Premises/Personal Licences Sub-Committee in the light of recent operational experiences.

Cabinet had resolved: “that it is recommended to Full Council that Council Procedure Rule 34.5 be amended to remove the requirement for a fourth (or Standby) Member to be present at every meeting of the Premises/Personal Licences Sub-Committee.”

In addition, Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (xi) required the annual meeting of the Council to reaffirm the Council’s Constitution.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywoodand:-

RESOLVED that –

(a)     Part 4 (Council Procedure Rules) of the Council’s Constitution be amended to reflect the proposed changes to Council Procedure Rule 34.5, as set out in the Appendix attached hereto this report (A.2); and

(b)     the Council’s Constitution, as duly amended, be reaffirmed.

Council will consider the proposed programme of meetings for the 2026/27 Municipal Year.

Annual Council considered a proposed timetable of meetings of the Council and its Committees for the 2026/2027 municipal year.

The timetable of meetings also included dates for All Members’ Briefings and Councillor Development sessions, to assist Members in keeping their diaries up to date.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor I J Henderson and:-

RESOLVED that -

(a)     the timetable of meetings of the Council and its Committees, as set out in the Appendix to item A.3 of the Reference from Cabinet, be approved; and

(b)     the proposed dates for Cabinet meetings, All Members’ Briefings and Councillor Development sessions et cetera be noted.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (xiii) the Council will appoint up to four Members, with each Member being a Member Authority Representative to serve on/at the General Assembly of the Local Government Association.

NOTES:          

(1)     The General Assembly is a relatively short meeting that is held during the LGA’s Annual Conference.

(2)     The General Assembly is an in person only meeting.

(3)     Two of the Members appointed must be the Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council. Up to two further names can be put forward to Council by the Leader of the Council, following consultation with Group Leaders.

(4)     At last year’s Annual Meeting of the Council, in addition to the Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillors Fairley and Guglielmi were appointed to represent Tendring District Council as Member Authority Representatives at the General Assembly of the Local Government Association.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (xiii) the Council was requested to appoint up to four Members, with each Member being a Member Authority Representative to serve on/at the General Assembly of the Local Government Association. Council was aware that two of the Members appointed must be the Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywood and:-

RESOLVED that, in addition to the Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Guglielmi be appointed to represent Tendring District Council as Member Authority Representatives at the General Assembly of the Local Government Association.