Further to the decision taken at its meeting held on 17 September 2024 (Minute 50 refers), to enable Council to consider proposals for a community governance review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands and to enable Council to determine:-

(a)    whether to proceed with such a review; and

(b)    the timetable for a review and the resourcing of such a review.

Council considered a report of the Chief Executive (A.6) which sought to provide it with the information it had requested at the last meeting of the Council (Minute 50 of 17 September 2024 referred in respect of a possible community governance review of the unparished areas of the District.  Council had requested: “that proposals for a community governance review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick be prepared and submitted to the next ordinary meeting of the Council to enable Council to determine whether to proceed with such a review, the timetable for a review and the resourcing of such a review.”

The Chief Executive’s report therefore set out proposals for Council to consider in respect of a possible community governance review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands. Those proposals were in the form of draft Terms of Reference for such a review (which themselves included a timetable for such a review) and possible costs to be incurred in undertaking such a review.  If Council was minded to proceed with a community governance review there would need to be a recommendation to Cabinet to authorise the necessary expenditure to facilitate that review.  This was set out as one of the recommendations in the Chief Executive’s report for Members’ consideration.

Appendix A to the Chief Executive’s report set out the draft Terms of Reference for the possible Community Governance Review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands and Appendix B thereto set out a proposed amendment to the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Terms of Reference which would, if approved, enable that Committee to undertake functions relating to the making of recommendations to Council on the review pursuant to Sections 87 to 92 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

In addition to Councillor M E Stephenson, Councillors Griffiths, Scott, Thompson, P B Honeywood, Bray, Baker, Guglielmi, Amos, Land, Calver and Talbot spoke during the debate on this matter.

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

RESOLVED that Council -

(a)    being minded to see a community governance review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick proceed;

(b)    hereby determines the following:-

(i)      that the draft Terms of Reference for the community governance review, as set out at Appendix A to report A.6, be approved as the basis for that review;

(ii)     that the Chief Executive be authorised to adjust the Terms of Reference approved in (b)(i) above to finally be published to reflect the current position as known on 1 July 2024 in relation to matters such as the 2025/26 Parish Precepts and consequential Band D Council Tax amount in each area of the District;

(iii)   that, subject to (iv) below, Cabinet be requested to include within the recommended budget for 2025/26 the minimum sum of £48.4K to fund consultation and other expenses in respect of the community governance review and thereby authorise Officers to incur expenditure to undertake the review following approval of the budget;

(iv)   that Officers be requested to monitor the anticipated costs to deliver the review, including postage charges; to update the likely cost of the review; and to inform Cabinet to enable the sum in (c) above to be updated as necessary;

(c)    that the terms of reference for the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee be expanded, as set out in Appendix B to report A.6, to include a reference power to consider and oversee community governance reviewsand to submit a final recommendation to Council following the conclusion of the review (including any proposal to discontinue the review in any particular part of the review area based on responses received);

(d)    that Council approves the delegation of functions for community governance reviews, as set out in Table 1, within this report (A.6), to be included within Part 3(X), Schedule 2 Non-Executive functions for Full Council; and

(e)    that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the necessary changes to the Constitution to implement the Council’s decision.