To approve as a correct record the minutes of Cabinet held on 12 February and 24 February 2025.

The minutes of the cabinet meetings held on 12 February and 24 February 2025 were approved as a correct record.

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no items of urgent business. The Leader indicated that he would be hearing the Great Essex Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation items first. The Leader stated that he will allow any non-executive member present to speak for 4 minutes on these items. The Leader confirmed that under Rules 2.21 to 2.23 in the Cabinet Rules (Chapter 3, Part 2) of the constitution, the Leader has the power to decide who speaks at a cabinet meeting and for how long. The Leader also highlighted that it is an executive decision but in the spirit of being open it is right to hear the views of those across the chamber.

No interests were declared.

There were no statements by the leader.

There were no briefings on policy, budget or other issues.

No petitions were submitted by members of the public.

No questions were submitted from non-executive members.

No matters were referred to cabinet by an overview and scrutiny committee save for the briefing note on the Waste Policy which will be considered when that substantive item is dealt with.

The Leader noted that a list of delegated decisions taken since the last meeting was in the agenda.

The Leader requested comments from Non-Executive Members first.

Councillor G Coxshall stated that both parties agreed that devolution is a good thing and will present lots of opportunities. He commented that he is very mindful of the opportunities Thurrock can get out of skills, strategic transport links and spatial planning and his biggest concern is ensuring Thurrock gets the best deal. Thurrock needs to be ambitious, it has fantastic ports in Essex and he would not want Thurrock to lose the great opportunities it has with the freeport and skills academy.

Councillor N Speight read out a pre-prepared speech on behalf of the NPAIC members.

Thank-you for the opportunity to comment during this evening’s debate.

I am speaking on behalf of my group colleagues who have approved this statement, though they reserve the right to speak individually.

Together with fellow members of the council’s member devolution & LGR working group, I recently sat in a useful briefing on this evening’s agenda.

However, though it was a helpful and informative session, I left it with a sense of fait accompli and with a sense that Thurrock’s forthcoming participation in wider debate was, at best, pallid and unimaginative.

I was also disappointed to be briefed on Thurrock’s official contribution to a consultation over the development of a county-wide Mayor’s office. That document is available to read as an appendix to this evening’s documentation and the overwhelming gist is ‘strongly agrees’. I will concur that I think most elected members recognise the inevitability of the creation of this office, but I do not feel that over the seven specified answers, concerns from Thurrock are truly represented.

The council ‘strongly’ agrees with the delivery of benefits, governance arrangements, economic geographical support and social outcomes.

To be fair, the council does say in its response that it strongly backs: “proposed governance arrangements for the Mayoral Combined County Authority and that no one existing upper tier authority area can, on its own, direct policy and allocation of resource across the whole of Greater Essex”

It’s one of the few specifics that is singled out. While I have no issue about that statement, the paucity of detail – and what happens in the interim to Thurrock’s best interest concerns myself and colleagues.

The council also agrees a mayor will support the interests and needs of local communities and reflect local identities? Well, the nearest thing we have had to a county mayor is a police and crime commissioner over recent years and very few people I know think that Thurrock is a better place for his influence.

The council also thinks a mayor will improve the local natural environment. I suspect north and mid Essex will emerge a lot better off than Thames riverside boroughs.

Cllr Kent, has said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Thurrock to become part of something bigger, and to help shape a future that is right for local people. They deserve better than the failures of the past, and I  ...  view the full minutes text for item 162.

Councillor G Coxshall stated that he came into this process annoyed as he found about the plan as it had been published by another Local Authority. Councillor G Coxshall commented that he would have liked to see more detail and noted that Norfolk and Suffolk had provided modelling for authorities which Thurrock has not done yet. Councillor G Coxshall stated that he detests the idea of 5 Local Authorities. Historically, Thurrock has had a low rate of council tax and he would like to see work completed on what is the right level based on evidence. Councillor G Coxshall requested that the final proposal is brought to Full Council so all 49 members can vote.

Councillor N Speight read for a pre-prepared statement:

“With the creation of a mayoral role and a much larger unitary authority set to follow, the gap between ‘grass roots’ and the power base will inevitably grow. There will be fewer locally-based councillors with a voice at the table and less of an opportunity for local voices to be heard. I have spoken critically in this piece but I would like to make a constructive suggestion to end. There are currently around 10,000 community, neighbourhood, parish and town councils in place in England run under the eye of the National Association of Parish Councils. The activities fall into three categories: delivering some local services to meet local needs, giving the community a voice and representation, and improving the quality of life and community wellbeing. These councils run numerous services, depending on their council size. These include delivering services (such as allotments, car parks, celebrations and festivals, community buses, litter bins, parks and open spaces, public toilets and street lights), improving the quality of life with community projects and services, suitable housing, setting up dementia-friendly groups, solar panels, tackling loneliness and youth projects, and giving the community a locally heard voice on planning matters. I would suggest, some, if not all of those functions, could help increase the effectiveness of local governance and assist the mayoral office and the unitary authority. We therefore have precedent and we do not need to reinvent the rule book. In Thurrock we have a network of Forums, which could perhaps take on some of these roles. There is an opportunity for Thurrock Council to consider how to create a ‘first tier’. It would mean allocating a small precept to each local group but it would be a sign that this council still values local communities and their voice. I would urge the decision-makers in our executive to give thought to supporting a first tier in the future proposals put forward. May be, in this instance it will be a case of ‘smaller is better’.

Councillor J Halden stated that Thurrock needs to recruit a proper delivery unit on this so we can negotiate up with the Government. Councillor J Halden also supported reports going to Full Council as he was of the view it was unlikely by the time  ...  view the full minutes text for item 163.

Councillor G Byrne in his capacity as Chair of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee introduced the item and stated that he had no doubt that cabinet would welcome the report. Back in June 2025 the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended parking outside schools and S106 money as its projects. Thanks to the determination of the task and finish group there is now a way forward.

Councillor Massey as Chair of the Task and Finish group introduced the report.

“I am very pleased as Chair to present the School Parking Task and Finish Group report for cabinet this evening.

The group bought together following a motion at full council October 2023 and with cross-party member support, the T&G group in addition with internal meetings with officers have also had meetings with various different stakeholders.

We felt it was important to get various views and experiences from a good selection of the Thurrock community. This included a Q&A session with the Thurrock’s Youth Cabinet who got to express as young people, their experiences while attending school.

Excellent feedback from Thurrock Council’s road safety lead who shared in a lot of detail her role and good & bad practices she has witnessed. Members also took the time to attend various local schools at school movement times to see these practices both good and bad.

A joint meeting was also held with colleagues on People O&S Childhood Obesity Task and Finish Group, many issues and ideas were discussed including the importance of exercise like walking to school with the tackling of childhood obesity through various initiatives.

An online and paper public survey/questionnaire was carried out, this has been a great aid to the members and the various teams involved with toolkit. This helped ensure the work was led by residents and in a short period of time we had a really good response in terms of numbers and responses. more details on results can be found in appendix 2 of the agenda pack.  

We feel the toolkit at appendix 1 of the agenda pack has been a really useful exercise and gives many options going forward where we can make a difference on this important issue for residents, school staff and pupils. Nav and his team have done an excellent job highlighting different ways bad parking can be challenged with the potential financial side it may occur. Which as members we fully appreciate and recognise how important this is to the authority.

Some of the no cost options are campaigns around car sharing, car parking charter putting the onus on the parents on how to park. Secondly, we have drop of zones which could be implemented.

Lower costs options would overlap the people Task & Finish group would be the park and stride, walking bus & learning to ride a bike. This option would help get cars away from the schools all while giving the child exercise while walking to school.

Also based on public and stakeholder feedback are the inclusion  ...  view the full minutes text for item 164.

Councillor Speight in his role as Chair of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee introduced the item and stated that Councillor Rigby as Chair of the Task and Finish group had done an excellent job and noted that the report was a well researched document and a starting point. Councillor Speight stated that the report is for the executive to help them lay down directions to improve the short-term health of people in the borough. There is an element of cost and there is an opportunity for S106 money to come into play.  Councillor Speight stated that he was proud of what the group had achieved.

Councillor Rigby as Chair of the Task and Finish Group introduced the report and explained that there will be a new Healthy Weight Strategy. Weight management is a complex issue and early intervention is vital. Councillor Rigby stated that she hoped cabinet would endorse the recommendations.

Councillor Hooper as Portfolio Holder for Adults and Health stated that he would be looking to take the recommendations forward as much as possible. The Healthy Weight Strategy should be going to the Health and Wellbeing Board in May and will hopefully be brought to cabinet in June. It is not possible to action all the recommendations in the council and they can only influence some of them.

Councillor J Kent added a recommendation that officers are to bring a report back to cabinet with an action plan. This was unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED:

2.1 Cabinet endorsed the recommendations in the report

2.2 Officers are to bring back a report to cabinet with an action plan to show how it is being rolled out

Councillor Worrall introduced the report and stated that she was pleased to present the second report on the Council’s Performance Management and Assurance Framework, covering the third quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. The Commissioners highlighted in their recently published report, this framework is a crucial part of our commitment to doing things differently and doing things better. It demonstrates our continued focus on improving transparency, accountability, and delivery for the residents of Thurrock.

Following feedback from our first set of reporting in Quarter 2, a number of key improvements have been made, including:

• Responding to comments from Corporate Overview and Scrutiny, services have continued to review the targets set to ensure they align with our expectations on behalf of residents.
• We have established an internal officer board to provide supportive challenge and drive continuous improvement.
• Scrutiny Committees have identified additional areas for more in-depth analysis. As a result, we have seen a more detailed briefing on the recycling metric presented to Place Scrutiny, and officers are working towards a more outcomes-focused approach for future reports.

Councillor Worral explained that for both Milestones and Metrics, we are largely on track or within tolerance and acknowledged that a quarter of the metrics and a small percentage of milestones are currently off track. The 14 red-rated metrics span all three priorities of the Corporate Plan, and the full report, included in appendix 1, provides a detailed breakdown of the actions being taken by services to address these challenges.

Councillor Worral summarised that whilst there is always more work to do, she is confident that the report demonstrates an overall positive direction of travel in meeting the strategic objectives set out in the Corporate Plan.

Councillor V Holloway stated that the amber for her portfolio is likely to be turning green as figures come in later this month.

Councillor Morris Cook stated that she had a couple of ambers, there had been a delay with the communities in action but for the right reasons and the report will be going to cabinet in June. Councillor Morris Cook stated that the ‘Ask the Council’ events had been successful, there have been two already and the next one will be in Tilbury.  She stated that the administration want to build trust and accountability.

Councillor Muldowney stated that it was a useful document to help keep them on track. Councillor Muldowney stated that in relation to the red for agency staff this remained a challenge and local government reorganisation was having a dampening effect. Councillor Muldowney highlighted that audit and risk management was making good progress but this did stall due to a staff members departure but they now had a good interim in place.

Councillor L Watson stated that they were working at pace to clear the backlog and are now having conversations with developers to steer them through the process. The Place Strategy is amber, it is in draft and will go to Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee first and then on to cabinet.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 166.

Councillor Worrall introduced the second report on the Improvement and Recovery outcomes and success criteria, covering the period up to the end of December.

‘This report is part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and to ensuring that we continue to demonstrate progress in our recovery journey.

Together with the Performance Report we have just discussed, this document forms part of our assessment of the impact we are having and the improvements we are embedding.

The detail in appendix 1 highlights key developments since the first report. I am pleased to report that a number of success criteria previously rated as Amber have now progressed to Green, including:

• The completion of the Annual Governance Statements;
• Strengthened oversight of our companies and partnerships; and
• A continued focus on collective accountability for our finances.

However, there is one area that has moved from Green to Amber—our commitment to conducting regular Corporate Peer Challenges and other external assessments. I want to make it absolutely clear that this does not indicate any reduction in our commitment. Rather, it reflects the need for further planning and consideration, particularly in light of the ongoing discussions around Local Government Reorganisation, which we will be addressing later in this meeting.

Looking ahead, we will also be considering how best to support the Commissioners in their Best Value Assessment of the Council, as requested by the Minister of State.

It is important to acknowledge that while we have made significant progress since the start of the intervention, there is still much to do. We remain steadfast in our commitment to embedding the improvements we have made and ensuring that the progress achieved so far is sustained in the long term.

Councillor J Kent stated that the report will go on to Full Council to be fully debated.

RESOLVED:

1.1          Cabinet noted the progress made on the Council’s improvement and recovery.

1.2          Cabinet referred this report to Full Council for the consideration of all Members.

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in

Councillor V Holloway stated that the policy brings together existing documents.

Councillor Muldowney stated that she was delighted to see the introduction of the Missed Bin Policy.

Councillor J Kent stated that there were 6 million collections last year and therefore it was not surprising some were missed.

RESOLVED:

2.1 Cabinet considered the Waste and Recycling policy attached to this report and recommended that it be included in Thurrock Council’s policy framework

2.2 Cabinet reviewed and agreed the two additional sections, missed collections and collections from private and unadopted roads, not specifically covered in existing agreed policies and documents

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call

Councillor V Holloway introduced the report.

Councillor Muldowney expressed concern that jet patching didn’t last and requested assurance that repairs would last.

Councillor V Holloway responded that there were budget restraints.

RESOLVED:

2.1 Cabinet approved the prioritisation and programme utilising the annual capital funding allocation from the DfT. This funding is allocated to enable Thurrock Council to deliver identified policy improvements, infrastructure and service provision within Thurrock in the 2025/26 financial year.

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in

Councillor J Kent raised standing orders at 21.20 to continue the meeting after 21.30 for an additional 10 minutes.

Councillor Muldowney introduced the report.

Councillor J Kent commented that it was a significant achievement that they would be bringing the budget in-line.

RESOLVED:

1.1          Cabinet noted and commented on the council’s operating budget and forecast overspend position as at quarter 3 of £0.991m, representing a reduction of £1.731m on the position presented at quarter 2, (as presented in Section 4.1 of this report).

1.2          Cabinet noted and commented on the council’s overall position and forecast overspend position at quarter 3 of £0.157m, representing a reduction of £1.739m on the position presented at quarter 2, (as presented in Section 4.1 of this report).

1.3          Cabinet noted and commented on the projected use of reserves at quarter 3, (as presented in Section 4.14 and Appendices 1 and 2 of this report).

1.4          Cabinet noted and commented on the progress made on delivery against the savings target for 2024/25, (as presented in Section 4.15 and Appendix 3 of this report).

1.5          Cabinet noted and commented on the anticipated slippage on the General Fund Capital Program of £7.123m and expected £5.5m release of funding on the HRA Capital Program, (as presented in Section 4.16 and Appendices 4 and 5 of this report).

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in

Councillor L Watson introduced the report.

There were no questions or comments from members,

RESOLVED:

2.1 Cabinet agreed that Thurrock Council enter an Interim Transition Arrangement as described in Appendix 1 and paragraphs 4.11-4.13 of this report for SELEP to ensure the continuation and completion of the agreed SELEP legacy schemes ahead of the formation of a joint committee/ Partnership Board.

2.2 Cabinet delegated completion of the Formal Transition Agreement to the Executive Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Good Growth, Executive Director of Corporate Services and Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer

2.3 Cabinet delegated agreement and completion of any other interim agreements required for decision making regarding legacy agreements as set out in paragraph 4.16 ahead of the formation of a Joint Committee/Partnership board to the Executive Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Good Growth, Executive Director for Corporate Services and Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer.

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in

Councillor J Kent reminded members and officers that there were two exempt appendices and therefore if officers wished to discuss their contents they would need to enter a closed session.

Councillor Muldowney introduced the report and stated that the report was seeking approval for one asset to be placed on the market and sold.

There were no comments or questions from members.

RESOLVED:

2.1Cabinet agreed to dispose of the asset known as Land at Warren Lane, Grays.

2.2In respect of Land at Warren Lane, Grays Cabinet delegated authority to agree the terms of disposal to the Chief Financial Officer S.151 in consultation with the Leader.

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision  is subject to call-in