Southend-on-Sea City Council

Last updated

Southend-on-Sea City Council
Southend-on-Sea City Council logo.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Ron Woodley,
Independent
since 9 May 2024
Daniel Cowan,
Labour
since 20 May 2024
Colin Ansell
since 5 February 2024
Structure
Seats51 councillors
United Kingdom Southend-on-Sea City Council 2024 amended.svg
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Labour (19)
  "Independent Group" (5)
  Liberal Democrats (4)
Other parties (23)
  Conservative (16)
  Reform UK (2)
  Green (2)
  Non-Aligned Independent (3)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Southend - Civic Centre.jpg
Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER
Website
www.southend.gov.uk

Southend-on-Sea City Council is the local authority of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Southend has had an elected local authority since 1866, which has been reformed several times. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Essex County Council

Contents

The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Since 2024 it has been led by a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors. It is based at Southend Civic Centre.

History

Southend's first elected council was a local board, which held its first meeting on 29 August 1866. [1] Prior to that the town was administered by the vestry for the wider parish of Prittlewell. The local board district was enlarged in 1877 to cover the whole parish of Prittlewell. [2]

In 1892 the town was made a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Southend-on-Sea', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. The borough boundaries were enlarged on several occasions, notably absorbing Southchurch in 1897, Leigh-on-Sea in 1913, and Shoeburyness and North Shoebury in 1933. By 1914 the borough was considered large enough to provide its own county-level functions, and so it was made a county borough, independent from Essex County Council. [3]

The powers of the council were substantially reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. Southend's boundaries remained the same, but it was redesignated as a non-metropolitan district, with Essex County Council once more providing county-level services. Southend retained its borough status, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Southend's series of mayors dating back to 1892. [4]

Southend regained its independence from Essex County Council on 1 April 1998 when it was made a unitary authority. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county called Southend-on-Sea covering the same area as the district, but with no separate county council. Instead, the existing borough council assumed the functions that legislation assigns to county councils, making it a unitary authority. This therefore had the effect of restoring the borough council to the powers it had held when Southend was a county borough prior to 1974. [5] Southend-on-Sea remains part of the ceremonial county of Essex for the purposes of lieutenancy. [6]

On 26 January 2022 letters patent were issued granting city status to the borough, allowing the council to change its name to Southend-on-Sea City Council. [7]

Governance

Southend-on-Sea City Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. There is one civil parish within the city at Leigh-on-Sea, which forms an additional tier of local government for that area; the rest of the city is unparished. [8]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Following the 2024 election a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors was formed to run the council, led by Labour councillor Daniel Cowan. [9] [10]

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: [11] [12]

Lower-tier non-metropolitan district

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1987
No overall control 1987–1990
Conservative 1990–1994
No overall control 1994–1998

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1998–2000
Conservative 2000–2012
No overall control 2012–2013
Conservative 2013–2014
No overall control 2014–2017
Conservative 2017–2019
No overall control 2019–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Southend-on-Sea, usually being held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been: [13]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Howard Briggs Conservative 20 Feb 200312 May 2005
Anna Waite Conservative 12 May 20057 May 2006
Murray Foster Conservative 18 May 20066 May 2007
Nigel Holdcroft Conservative 17 May 200725 May 2014
Ron Woodley Independent 5 Jun 201419 May 2016
John Lamb Conservative 19 May 20169 May 2019
Tony Cox Conservative 9 May 20193 Jun 2019
Ian Gilbert Labour 3 Jun 2019May 2022
Stephen George Labour 19 May 202218 May 2023
Tony Cox Conservative 18 May 202320 May 2024
Daniel Cowan Labour 20 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2024 election, a subsequent by-election in July 2024, and two independent councillors joining Reform UK in August 2024, the composition of the council was: [14] [15]

PartyCouncillors
Labour 19
Conservative 16
"Independent Group"5
Liberal Democrats 4
Green 2
Reform UK 2
Non-Aligned3
Total51

Five of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with Labour and the Liberal Democrats. [16] The remaining 3 independent councillors sit as 'non-aligned' councillors (i.e. individually). The next election is due in 2026. [17]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2001, the council has comprised 51 councillors representing 17 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. [18] The next election in 2026 will be held under new boundaries. [19]

Premises

The council is based at Southend Civic Centre on Victoria Avenue. [20] The building was designed by borough architect, Patrick Burridge, and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 31 October 1967. [21]

Performance

In 2007, Southend Borough Council was criticised as one of the worst financially managed local authorities in England by the Audit Commission report for 2006/7, one of three to gain only one of four stars, the others being Liverpool and the Isles of Scilly. [22]

In March 2012, Southend Borough Council was awarded the title of 'Council of the Year 2012' by the Local Government Chronicle. [23]

Arms

Coat of arms of Southend-on-Sea City Council
Arms-southend.jpg
Notes
Originally granted to Southend-on-Sea County Borough Council on 1 & 2 January 1915. Transferred to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council on 21 May 1974. [24]
Crest
Issuant out of a mural crown Gules the mast of a ship proper flying therefrom a flag Argent charged with a cross throughout Gules.
Escutcheon
Azure on a pile Argent between on the dexter an anchor erect on the sinister a grid-iron and in base a trefoil slipped Or a flower vase issuing therefrom a spray of lilies Proper.
Supporters
On the dexter side a mediaeval fisherman holding a net with his exterior hand all Proper and on the sinister side a Cluniac monk Proper holding in the dexter hand a book Gules and in the exterior hand a staff also Proper.
Motto
Per Mare Per Ecclesiam (Through The Sea Through The Church)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Point</span> Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

Castle Point is a local government district with borough status in south Essex, England, lying around 30 miles (48 km) east of London. The borough comprises the towns of South Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley on the mainland, and the adjoining Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary, which is connected to the mainland by bridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Basildon</span> Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

The Borough of Basildon is a local government district with borough status in Essex, England. It is named after its largest town, Basildon, where the council is based. The borough also includes the towns of Billericay and Wickford and surrounding rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochford District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after one of its main settlements, Rochford, where the council is based. The largest town in the district is Rayleigh. Other places in the district include Hockley, Ashingdon, Great Wakering, Canewdon and Hullbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Brentwood</span> District in Essex, England

The Borough of Brentwood is a local government district with borough status in Essex, England. The borough is named after its main town of Brentwood, where the council is based; it includes several villages and the surrounding rural area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southend East and Rochford (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Southend East and Rochford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Bayo Alaba, a member of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southend West and Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

Southend West and Leigh is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. In the 2024 general election the seat was won by David Burton-Sampson for Labour. It was previously held by Anna Firth who won the 2022 by-election, following the murder of the incumbent MP, David Amess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Borough of Southend on Sea</span>

Southend-on-Sea is a local government district around the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. Its origin was a local board formed for the parish of St John the Baptist, which had been split off from Prittlewell for ecclesiastical purposes in 1842. It was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1892. In 1889, when Essex County Council was formed, Southend-on-Sea was within the administrative county of Essex. However, through expansion in area and population by 1914 it was split off from the administrative county as a county borough. The local authority was Southend Local Board from 1886 and Southend Corporation from 1892. The corporation changed the name of the town from Southend to Southend-on-Sea in 1893. In 1974 the county borough was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district with the same boundaries and some powers were transferred to Essex County Council. On 1 April it became a unitary authority area thus independent of Essex County Council again but still in the ceremonial county of Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Keynes City Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Milton Keynes City Council is the local authority for the City of Milton Keynes, a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England. The council was established in 1974 as Milton Keynes Borough Council. Since 1997 it has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent of Buckinghamshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essex County Council</span> English principal local authority in the East of England

Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and has been under Conservative majority control since 2001. The council meets at County Hall in the centre of Chelmsford. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoke-on-Trent City Council</span>

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the local authority of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Staffordshire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swindon Borough Council</span>

Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was renamed Swindon Borough Council and became a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Wiltshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

Southend-on-Sea City Council, formerly known as Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, is the local authority for the unitary authority of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipswich Borough Council</span> English local authority

Ipswich Borough Council is the local authority for Ipswich, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Suffolk, England. It is the second tier of a two-tier system, fulfilling functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning, with Suffolk County Council providing county council services such as transport, education and social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby City Council</span> Local government unitary authority for Derby, England

Derby City Council is the local authority for the city of Derby, in the ceremonial county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands region of England. Derby has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

The 2006 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medway Council</span> Local authority of Medway in Kent, England

Medway Council is the local authority of Medway, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Kent County Council. The council was created on 1 April 1998 and replaced Rochester-upon-Medway City Council and Gillingham Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth City Council</span> Unitary local authority for Plymouth, Devon

Plymouth City Council is the local authority for the city of Plymouth, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. Plymouth has had a council since 1439, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Devon County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thurrock Council</span> Local authority in England

Thurrock Council is the local authority for the borough of Thurrock in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association. The council is based in Grays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Gloucestershire Council</span>

South Gloucestershire Council is the local authority of South Gloucestershire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England, covering an area to the north of the city of Bristol. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Gloucestershire County Council. Since 2017 the council has been a member of the West of England Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is the local authority for Redcar and Cleveland, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council was created in 1974 as Langbaurgh Borough Council and was a lower-tier authority until 1996 when it was renamed and became a unitary authority, taking over county-level functions from the abolished Cleveland County Council.

References

  1. "Southend". Chelmsford Chronicle. 31 August 1866. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  2. Yearsley, Ian (2016). Southend in 50 buildings. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN   9781445651897 . Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  3. "Southend on Sea Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  4. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. "The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1996/1875, retrieved 26 May 2023
  6. "Lieutenancies Act 1997: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1997 c. 23 (sch.1), retrieved 29 May 2024
  7. "Southend: Prince Charles presents city status document to Essex resort". BBC News. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  8. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  9. "Joint administration agreement between the Labour, Independent and Liberal Democrat groups of Southend-on-City City Council". Southend-on-Sea City Council. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  10. Knight, Matt (21 May 2024). "Labour take control to lead coalition in Southend". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  11. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  12. "Southend-On-Sea". BBC News Online . 19 April 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  13. "Council minutes". Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  14. "Election results 2023 – Election results – Southend-on-Sea City Counc…". 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023.
  15. Sexton, Christine (17 May 2023). "Southend Labour councillor now sitting as non-aligned". Southend Echo. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  16. "Your councillors by party". Southend-on-Sea City Council. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  17. "Southend-on-Sea". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  18. "The Borough of Southend-on-Sea (Electoral Changes) Order 2000", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2000/1487, retrieved 20 July 2024
  19. https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/election-cycle-survey-2023#:~:text=In%202024%2C%20the%20Local%20Government,to%20vote%20in%20each%20ward.
  20. "Contact us". Southend-on-Sea City Council. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  21. "Southend Civic Centre". Modern Mooch. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  22. Laura Smith (30 January 2008). "Echo News - Official: Council is wasting our cash" . Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  23. Uncited (14 March 2012). "Southend Council wins council of the year at Local Government Chronicle awards" . Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  24. "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by LGC Council of the Year
2012
Succeeded by