Council and democracy

Councillor Hebb provided an update on the future management of funds by the Mucking Charitable Trust which was a charity that managed an endowment set up in 2011 to fund the costs of running the Thameside Nature Park in Mucking for a planned period of 99 years. That in September 2018, the trustees of the Mucking Charitable Trust proposed to pass the responsibility for safeguarding the restricted funds of the Mucking Charitable Trust to the directors of Thameside Nature Park Limited the charitable company responsible for managing the Thameside Nature Park but not the Visitors Centre housed within the Park. It was further proposed by the trustees of Mucking Charitable Trust that once the responsibility for safeguarding the funds and the transfer of the balance of funds, all in compliance with the rules of the Charity Commission, had been made to Thameside Nature Park Limited the Mucking Charitable Trust would be wound up and some of the present trustees of Mucking Charitable Trust would join the board of Thameside Nature Park Limited.  The view that amalgamating the effort would be beneficial for both parties. However, after months of endeavour on the part of the trustees for Mucking Charitable Trust the negotiations had not been successful, and consequently, the trustees of Mucking Charitable Trust decided in November 2020 to not pursue this at the current time, although remained open to future possibilities if they arose. After the closure of negotiations and in recognition of common practice within charities, the trustees of the Mucking Charitable Trust took the opportunity to review the make-up of their trustee board. As a result of that review, which was carried out at the end of November 2020, the trustees of the Mucking Charitable Trust decided to move the responsibilities and duties for the Chair of the Mucking Charitable Trust by appointing a paid-for trust company, Brachers Trust Corporation Limited, with this new arrangement beginning on 1 January 2021, and four out of the five current trustees of Mucking Charitable Trust would remain.

The key change was the Mucking Charitable Trust would now be chaired by a professional body, which would ensure best practice in line with the ever-changing requirements of the Charities Act and would work alongside the lay trustees who would continue to pursue the wishes of local people in all matters. Following completion of the changes the Mucking Charitable Trust was in good shape and in line with the original endowment and was ready to continue to provide financially support to the Thameside Nature Park Limited for many years to come.

Councillor Redsell provided members with an update as a member on the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel that a lot of good work had been achieved such as £20 million Class A drugs and £1.8 million in cash had been seized in Essex under the serious crime directorate which was part of an international operation and trained Police Officers would be coming through into the community.

Councillor Coxshall provided members with an update on projects that would be coming through the Grays Town Board and Tilbury Board. Two new jetties with electric clippers into central London and into Kent; Youth Centre would be built into Tilbury; in Grays a riverside activity centre; bringing back two new beaches in Tilbury and Grays; revamp of Grays Beach Park into a new play centre and updated cafe; a new outside entertainment centre; development work on Tilbury Fort; £25 million for each town with the bids being submitted in February and hopefully finding out by the summer if the Council can forward on business cases.