To inform Council of the outcome of a review of the allocation of seats to political groups carried out in accordance with Section 15(1) (e) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Regulation 17(b) and (d) of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

Council was aware that, following Councillor Bush’s and Councillor Thompson’s decisions on 21 and 17 January 2025 respectively to leave the Tendring Independents political group and to join the Reform UK political group and also following the By-Election held on 6 February 2025 in The Bentleys & Frating Ward, a review of the allocation of seats to political groups on relevant Committees and Sub-Committees had needed to be carried out in accordance with Section 15(1) (e) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Regulation 17(c) of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

Council, with the assistance of the contents of the Chief Executive’s report (A.8), formally conducted the review referred to above.

Members had had circulated to them prior to the commencement of the meeting an amended Appendix 1 to the report A.8. That Appendix had been amended to reflect the wishes of the Leader of the Conservative Group in respect of his Group’s nominations in relation to the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee.

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

RESOLVED that –

(a)     Council confirms that the political balance rules shall not be applied to the Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community Joint Committee and the Town & Parish Councils Standards Sub-Committee;

(b)     Council approves 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”);

(c)     Council approves, subject to the subsequent consideration of (d) 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”):

Table 8

(d)     That the following changes to the allocations set out in Table 8 above be approved (the relevant allocations are shown ‘*’ in Table 8):

(1)     the Labour Group to have two seats on the Human Resources & Council Tax Committee (instead of one), two seats on the Licensing and Registration Committee (instead of one) and no seat on the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee (instead of one);

(2)   the Conservative Group to have two seats on the Audit Committee (instead of one), three seats on the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee (instead of two), one seat on the Planning Committee (instead of two), and three seats on the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee (instead of two);

(3)   the Reform UK Group to have no seat on the Audit Committee (instead of one), two seats on the Planning Committee (instead of one), and two seats on the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee (instead of one);

(5)   the Independent Group to have no seat on the Licensing and Registration Committee (instead of one) and no seat on the Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee (instead of one); and

(6)   the Liberal Democrats Group to have no seat on the Human Resources & Council Tax Committee (instead of one).

(e)     Council endorses and approves, in so far as it reflects the earlier decisions on this matter, the appointment of Members to serve on the relevant Committees et cetera, as set out in the amended Appendix 1 to this report.

It was then moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor I J Hendersonand:-

RESOLVED that the unallocated seats on the Licensing and Registration Committee, the Planning Policy & Local Plan Committee, the Planning Committee and the Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee be left vacant at this time.