To enable the Cabinet to consider the recommendation made to it by the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee in respect of the funding of the Community Governance Review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands.

RESOLVED that the recommendation made by the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee be noted and that the response of the Leader of the Council thereto be endorsed.

Members were informed that the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee (“the Committee”) at its meeting held on 17 June 2025 had scrutinised the arrangements for a Community Governance Review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands.

The Lead Scrutiny Officer (Keith Simmons) had introduced the item and a precis of his contributions to the meeting was as set out hereunder.

•    reminded Members of the motion approved at the Full Council meeting held on 17 September 2025 (minute 50 referred);

•    at its meeting on 26 November 2024 (Minutes 75), Council had approved the requested report, including draft Terms of Reference, indicative costings assessed at that stage and proposals to establish the Committee as the body that would oversee Community Governance Review matters;

•    since the approval (on 26 November 2024) the draft terms of reference had been updated;

•    reported that there had recently been a meeting held for all District Councillors in the review area to discuss the proposed review;

•    meetings had been held of the Clacton Town Board and Tendring Together;

•    there had been a stall held at the Sports Conference in May 2025 for organisations involved in sport and activity provision in the District (including the review area);

•    reminded Members that despite the reference to minimal levels of support, for, say, a proposed Town Council not having been explicitly mentioned in the 2007 Act or statutory guidance mentioned in the report, they had been included as reassurance to the public that the exercise was not predetermined and that their say mattered;

•    relayed the importance of community input when considering community governance matters; and

•    made Members aware of the oversight role the Committee would undertake upon approval of the community governance review.

The Committee then asked questions around affordability and pricing of Council Tax for residents. Members were informed of the figures laid out in the report showing the average cost of Band D Council Tax charges of Parish Councils in Tendring.

It was also explained that the circulation of a consultation document for the review area was not possible as part of the Council Tax Bills as those were sent to all households across the District (and not just the review area).  The Committee had also discussed the likely question from residents in the review area about what the impact on their Council Tax level of any decision would be to, say, establish a Town Council.  While such a question was obvious, the answer was very difficult to predict given that Council Tax levels were made up of precepts from the County Council, District Council, Police and Fire Commissioner and no decisions had been made as to those precepts for 2027/28 (the year any new Town Council would take effect if that was the final determination).  In addition, any Town Council precept itself might reflect costs that could relate to items currently covered in Special Expenses and so one element of Council Tax could go down while another element could go up.  However, in the first year of any new Town Council, the precept would be set by this Council and so there was, in the future (if such a Town Council was established) this Council would be in a position to determine the impact referred to in the discussion.

The Committee had resolved to recommend to Cabinet that the funding for the community governance review be increased to £68,000 (from £48,000) based on the revised costings for the review work, the inclusion of up to £10,000 of support through the Society of Local Council Clerks and provision of £5,000 contingency.

It was noted that the revised costings included Royal Mail increasing its charges on 7 April 2025 (of between 2.4 – 3.0%). The revised costings had increased the overall cost of, inter alia, written communications to households on the CGR by £5,000 from £48,000 to £53,000. This increase plus the £10,000 support and the £5,000 contingency provision had meant that the overall budget had increased by £20,000 from £48,000 to £68,000.

Cabinet had before it the formal response of the Leader of the Council to the Committee’s recommendations as follows:-

“I’m grateful for the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s consideration of the preparations for the Community Governance Review of Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands.  I’m also pleased to see that review commence and that efforts across a range of different communication channels are taking the message of the review to our residents in that area.  That message is simple; it is time to have your say on whether a Town Council or Town Councils should be established.  In submitting the motion last September that initiated this whole process I was clear that all I wanted to do was give the public that opportunity to have their say.  It is a big area of the District, with 40% of the whole population of the District.   Consulting them properly involves cost.  The initial calculations for the cost, carried out last year, suggested that it would be about £48,000.  Since then, a range of prices have gone up including those of Royal Mail.   We predicted that this would be the case and asked officers to reassess the costs before the start of the review earlier this month.  That reassessment happed and the revised costs suggested that rather than £48,000, the cost was now £53,000.  However, back in 2024, officers hadn’t begun to talk to organisations such as the Society of Local Council Clerks and so had not identified the opportunity to use their expertise to inform the process, provide a voice separate from this Council (should that be beneficial) and add value to the review overall.  A draw down arrangement with them capped at £10,000 would appear reasonable.  They then become a resource that we can immediately tap in to and to the extent that we need to.  Finally, given that prices have risen already from late 2024 to now it is financially prudent to include a £5,000 contingency for the period of the review which will continue into 2026.  The reviewed costs, the draw down arrangement and the inclusion of a contingency therefore comes to the £68,000 proposed by the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  On this basis, I support the recommendation from that Committee and seek Cabinet’s approval of the increased budget of £68,000 for this review.”

Having duly considered the recommendation of the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee:-

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

RESOLVED that the recommendation made by the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee be noted and that the response of the Leader of the Council thereto be endorsed.