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

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor I J Henderson (Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Regeneration & Tourism).

To confirm and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Cabinet held on Friday 25 September 2026.

It was moved by Councillor Stephenson, seconded by Councillor Baker and:-

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet, held on Friday 25 September 2026, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests or Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made by Members on this occasion.

The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by the Leader of the Council.

Special Urgency – Council’s Insurance Arrangements

The Leader of the Council made the following announcement:-

“At the recent meeting of Council on 13^th October, I presented a report for Council to note that the “Special Urgency” procedure rule was recently relied upon, to make a decision to modify the Council’s existing insurance arrangements, based upon information set out within the Officer’s report and Appendix demonstrating the reasons for the proposal.

The Chairman of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, agreed for the special urgency provisions to be relied upon and that the “call-in” procedure would not apply, as it was reasonable in all its circumstances that any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interests.

The modification was to extend the contract for a period of one year to 30 September 2027 and to make the necessary arrangements to implement the decision and to undertake a full competitive procurement exercise as soon as reasonably practicable.

Whilst this has already been reported to all Members, I am required by the Constitution to make a public statement at the next formal meeting of the Cabinet.  The report to Council set out the reasons in more detail and is available on the Council’s website.”

The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by Members of the Cabinet.

Connect Tendring

The Portfolio Holder for Arts, Culture & Heritage (Councillor Scott) made the following statement:-

“Earlier this year, we launched ‘Connect Tendring - Where Culture and Community Meet’, a new creative and cultural newsletter designed to connect artists, organisations, educators and residents with opportunities across the district. I am pleased to report that it already has around 450 subscribers. The latest edition was distributed this week and included highlights from Arts Council England's recent visit to Tendring, a call for artists to respond to exciting public art opportunities on the seafront micro venue, information on wider funding opportunities, updates from the Creative Teachers Network, and details of Arts Council England's new National Portfolio Investment Programme for 2028 to 2033.

Following their visit to Tendring, Arts Council England highlighted that National Lottery Project Grants investment in Tendring has increased six-fold, from £85,000 in 2020/21 to more than £505,000 in 2025/26, which alongside the launch of Creative Tendring, represents a significant achievement and demonstrates the growing strength of our creative sector and the impact of partnership working across the district.

I would like to encourage fellow Councillors to sign up to Connect Tendring. If you would like to receive future editions, you can do so via the newsletter sign up page on the Tendring District Council website. This growing engagement is a real positive for Tendring, and I look forward to seeing the sector continue to flourish.”

Waste and Recycling Service

The Portfolio Holder for Environment & ICT (Councillor Smith) made the following statement:-

“I would just like to take a moment to recognise the successful introduction of an important improvement to our waste and recycling service.

Over recent weeks, we have seen the rollout of around 70,000 additional green recycling boxes across Tendring, followed by the introduction of our expanded kerbside recycling service from 5 October.

Residents can now recycle glass bottles and jars, alongside a wider range of materials, directly from their homes, making recycling easier and more convenient.

The move from distributing those boxes to successfully collecting the additional recycling from households is an important milestone. During the first two weeks of the new service, we collected more than double the weight of material from green boxes than we were collecting previously.

That is a really encouraging start and demonstrates that residents are making good use of the expanded service.

We should also recognise the scale of what has been achieved. Introducing such a significant change to waste and recycling services across tens of thousands of households is a considerable logistical exercise, involving everything from planning and communications to distributing containers and putting the new collection arrangements into operation.

So, on behalf of Cabinet, I would like to place on record our thanks to our officers and the teams at Veolia for the tremendous amount of work that has gone into delivering this important improvement for our residents.

The successful introduction of kerbside glass collection is a very positive milestone for our new waste contract. Most importantly, it is making  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

There are no matters referred to the Cabinet by the Council on this occasion.

There were no matters referred to the Cabinet by Full Council on this occasion.

There are no matters referred to the Cabinet by a Committee on this occasion.

There were no matters referred to the Cabinet by a Committee on this occasion.

There are no matters referred to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council on this occasion.

There were no matters referred to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council on this occasion.

To provide a general update and overview of the Council’s financial position against the 2026/27 budget as at the end of June 2026 and looking ahead to 2027/28 and beyond.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)        notes the Council’s in-year financial position at the end of July 2026;

(b)        approves the proposed adjustments to the 2026/27 budget as set out in Appendix 1H and:

(i)         requests Officers to review the potential on-going impact from 2027/28 and beyond where necessary as part of developing the forecast and detailed estimates for further consideration by Cabinet later in the year;

(ii)        that in respect of the budget adjustment of £0.540m in 2026/27 relating to Housing Capacity / Restructure, acknowledges and supports the underlying principle / approach set out within this report and requests Officers to provide the necessary updates within future financial performance and budget reports;

(iii)       agrees to accept the £0.270m of grant funding awarded to this Council from the Government’s Playground Fund along with its initial allocation set out within this report and agrees a delegation to the Corporate Director Operations and Delivery, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Public Realm, to confirm or amend the proposed allocations via the application of the requirements set out in the associated MOU and/or in consultation with MHCLG as may be necessary.

(iv)       that in respect of the budget adjustment of £0.100m in 2026/27 relating to the Investment in Public Conveniences as set out within Appendix 1H, approves a delegation to the Corporate Director Operations and Delivery in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Community Safety to allocate / prioritise the total funding available within the scheme across the various sites;

(v)        that in respect of the budget adjustment of £0.400m in 2026/27 relating to project delivery capacity as set out within Appendix 1H, approves a delegation to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance, to allocate this funding as necessary; and

(vi)       that in respect of the reallocation of funding within the existing CRP2 schemes, approves a delegation to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism to undertake any necessary governance activities within the Council’s existing CRP 2 framework and processes. 

(c)        notes the updated context to the financial forecast from 2027/28 as set out in this report and requests Officers, in consultation with Portfolio Holders to develop the financial forecast alongside the delivery of the Council’s priorities; and

(d)        invites the views of the Resources and Service Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the information set out in this report along with the Council’s wider financial position as part of its work programme for the year.

It was reported that the regular financial performance reports had presented the overall financial position of the Council by bringing together in-year budget monitoring information and timely updates on the development of the forecast and had been split over two distinct sections as set out in the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.1). In terms of the in-year position, the report had covered the first four months of 2026/27.

Section 1 – In-year financial position as at the end of July 2026

Members were informed that a number of adjustments had been made to the 2026/27 budget as part of the development of the detailed estimates approved by Full Council in February 2026.

The financial position at the end of July 2026 was reported as being broadly in line with the underlying budgetary position, with no major adverse issues having emerged. A limited number of budgets remained subject to ongoing monitoring and review, with further updates to be provided through future quarterly financial performance reports.

A limited number of items requiring action had been identified and were detailed within Appendix 1H. Any longer-term financial implications arising from those matters would be considered as part of the development of the financial forecast, with the necessary delegations included within the recommendations.

The General Fund Revenue Account was reported as being £3.669m underspent against the profiled budget at the end of July 2026. Members were advised that this position continued to reflect, in part, the timing of expenditure across a number of budgets and the timing of Government reimbursement to the Council for the cost of meeting housing benefit claims.

It was acknowledged that expenditure and income trends could continue to emerge during the remainder of the financial year and would be reflected in future financial performance reports as appropriate.

In respect of the Housing Revenue Account, capital programme, collection performance and treasury activity, no other major issues had been identified at that stage, apart from those matters detailed elsewhere within the report.

Section 2 – Updated Long-Term Financial Forecast

Members were reminded that, from 2026/27, the Council had adopted a two-year financial planning approach. This, together with key priorities and the proactive management of cost pressures and business plans, provided an integrated approach covering the period leading up to 1 April 2028, which had originally been proposed as the vesting day for the new Unitary Authority under the Government’s original timetable for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

The financial plans considered by Full Council in February 2026 had also established an in-principle/notional approach to meeting the Council’s obligations to the incoming Unitary Council, with the underlying principles and further details set out within Section 2 of the report.

Following the Government’s announcement on 7 September 2026 that it would pause and review its current LGR programme, a significant degree of uncertainty had been introduced into the financial forecasting arrangements of affected councils.

Notwithstanding that uncertainty, Members were advised that the Council’s two-year financial planning approach continued to provide a positive basis from which to consider  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To present to Cabinet the Housing Competence and Conduct Policy for consideration and adoption.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

1)    formally adopts the Housing Competence and Conduct Policy as set out in Appendix A to the report (A.2), for implementation;

2)    authorises the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery) to make future updates or amendments to the policy, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder responsible Housing; and

3)    requires that this policy is reviewed annually during the implementation of the Competence and Conduct Action Plan and no later than October 2027, unless an earlier review is required in response to tenant feedback.

It was reported that the Housing Competence and Conduct Policy had been built upon the strong services already delivered by housing staff and provided a consistent framework to ensure that employees and relevant service providers had the knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required to deliver high-quality landlord services. The policy embedded the Chartered Institute of Housing Professional Standards and a Housing Code of Conduct for Staff.

Cabinet was informed that the policy would support the development of a competent and professional workforce, supporting improved decision-making and more consistent service delivery, improved tenant experiences and outcomes, and effective governance. The provision of appropriate evidence would provide assurance that the required standards were being maintained.

The policy covered workforce planning, recruitment, induction, learning and development, professional qualifications, appraisal, performance management and tenant oversight. Tenant feedback had been incorporated into the final version of the policy, with tenants being treated respectfully, being listened to, receiving an empathetic response and being kept informed identified as the key themes. The full tenant feedback on the policy was available on the Council’s website.

The Code of Conduct appended to the policy was subject to tenant scrutiny and consultation. It was reported that the consultation would close on 28 October 2026 and that any feedback received would be incorporated into the policy in accordance with the delegated power referred to in recommendation 2 of the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations.

The policy also supported compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Competence and Conduct Standard and associated qualification requirements. Implementation would be monitored through the Competence and Conduct Action Plan, which would provide assurance that development needs were addressed, professional standards were maintained and continuous improvement was embedded across the Council’s landlord services.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Planning made the following statement at the meeting:-

"Leader, I am pleased to introduce the Housing Competence and Conduct Policy to Cabinet for adoption today.

In September 2025, the Secretary of State gave the Regulator of Social Housing a direction to set a standard for registered housing providers relating to the competence and conduct of relevant individuals, known as the Competence and Conduct standard.

The Competence and Conduct Standard require registered providers to take appropriate steps to secure that those of their services providers’ staff who are relevant individuals have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience, and exhibit the behaviours needed, for the relevant services provided by those individuals.

The full details of what is required under this standard, and the outcomes, is shown on Pages 82 & 83 of the Agenda.

The policy in front of Cabinet shows how this Council will assure the competence, qualifications, conduct and development of everyone who delivers or oversees our landlord services.

Tenants are at the centre of everything this Council does and they should receive services that are safe, respectful, fair and consistent.

The Policy also provides a clear framework for workforce planning, recruitment, induction, training, professional qualifications, appraisal, performance management and oversight of contractors and service providers.

Consultation has been undertaken with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

There are no items submitted to the Cabinet by Management Team on this occasion.

There were no formal items submitted to the Cabinet by the Management Team on this occasion.