Basildon Conservatives remain in power with only minor changes

The Conservative Order Paper, confirming the Cabinet and leadership of committees, has been passed by Full Council

Cllr Andrew Baggott (Con, Burstead), Leader of Basildon Conservatives, has formally been re-appointed Leader of Basildon Council and renewed his Administration following the Conservative victory at the local elections earlier this month. At the Annual Meeting of Basildon Council on Thursday, the Conservative Group published their Order Paper, confirming re-appointments to Cabinet and the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the scrutiny and regulatory committees of the Council. At a later Extraordinary Meeting, Councillor Baggott also presented the 2023-27 Corporate Plan, outlining the Administration's strategic vision for the next 4 years.

Councillor Baggott has confirmed the current Cabinet team are remaining in place with only minor changes to portfolios and will be focused on continued delivery of the Administration's objectives over the coming municipal year. The Order Paper also confirmed the allocation of seats to committees and appointments to outside bodies.

Cllrs Baggott, Blake and Sullivan

Councillor Baggott remains Leader of the Council and will also serve as Cabinet Member for Public Order & Safer Communities, continuing to take direct responsibility for oversight of community safety, tackling anti-social behaviour and liaising with Essex Police, as well as overall corporate strategy. Assisting him, as ever, will be his able deputy and ward colleague Cllr Kevin Blake (Con, Burstead) as Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment, Carbon Reduction & Waste Enforcement, responsible for waste services, street cleansing and environmental health. Cllr Stuart Sullivan (Con, Billericay East) remains Cabinet Member for Resources & Commercial, continuing his strong stewardship of the borough's finances.

Cllrs Hedley and Sargent

Cllr Anthony Hedley (Con, Billericay West), formerly Cabinet Member for Economic Growth & Business Development, takes on a slightly amended brief as Cabinet Member for Business Engagement, Skills & Procurement Oversight as the Administration seeks to drive the skills agenda and maximise efficiency in the way in which the Council procures contracts. Cllr Terri Sargent (Con, Crouch) continues as Cabinet Member for Communities, responsible for our community centres and halls and community groups.

Cllrs Moore and Schrader 

Cllr Richard Moore (Con, Burstead) returns as Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Infrastructure & Planning Enforcement, continuing to have primary responsibility for planning policy, neighbourhood planning and infrastructure delivery and now with added responsibility for planning enforcement. His main focus, following the withdrawal of the previously submitted Local Plan, will remain the production of a new Local Plan in close consultation with residents. Cllr Andrew Schrader (Con, Billericay East) remains Cabinet Member for Housing & Estate Renewal, responsible for housing, property services and the flagship Safe & Sound programme of estate improvements.

Cllrs Henry and Rimmer

Cllrs Jeff Henry (Con, Laindon Park) remains Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, Leisure, Arts & Culture, responsible for leisure and sporting facilities, arts and heritage and the ongoing rollout of our play area improvements, while Cllr Craig Rimmer (Con, Pitsea South-East) will be Cabinet Member for Economic Stimulus & Tourism, seeking to lay the ground work to maximise the Borough's potential as a business and leisure destination, maintaining his overall responsibility for town centres and regeneration. 

Overseeing the work of the Administration will be three scrutiny committees covering the different services areas - divided into Place, People and Prosperity. The Place Scrutiny Committee will be chaired by Cllr Dr Sam Gascoyne (Con, Pitsea North-West), the People Scrutiny Committee by Cllr Stuart Terson (Con, Pitsea North-West) and the Prosperity Scrutiny Committee by Cllr Peter Holliman (Con, Wickford North). The overall work of the scrutiny function will continue to be co-ordinated by the Overview and Scrutiny Commission, chaired by Cllr Kevin Wingfield (Con, Laindon Park). These scrutiny committees include councillors from all parties and act as a 'critical friend' to the Administration and present robust challenge where necessary.

Of the four regulatory committees, Cllr Carole Morris (Con, Wickford North) will continue to chair the Planning Committee; Cllr Danny Lawrence (Con, Billericay West) will likewise chair the Licensing Committee and Cllr Gary Canham (Con, Pitsea South-East) the increasingly vital Audit and Risk Committee. Cllr Don Morris (Con, Wickford Castledon) will chair the Staffing and General Purposes Committee while the Joint Standards Committee will be chaired by Cllr Davida Ademuyiwa (Con, St Martin's).  All committees are composed of councillors in accordance with political proportionality, depending on their respective group's strength on the Council. Opposition parties have been assigned seats on the various committees and will be making their own appointments in due course.

The Order Paper also makes the following appoints to outside bodies:

• A127 Task Force - Councillor Moore
• Basildon Borough Citizens' Advice Bureau Ltd - Councillor Ademuyiwa
• Basildon Bus & Rail Forum (newly combined) - Cllrs Allen, Jeffery, Mackenzie, D. Morris & Rimmer
• Basildon Business Group - Councillor Hedley
• Basildon Civil/Military Partnership Board - Cllrs D. Morris & Terson
• Basildon Community Transport Services - Councillor Sargent
• Basildon Dementia Action Alliance - Councillor Henry
• Basildon Health and Well-Being Partnership - Councillor Henry
• Basildon Heritage - Councillor Lawrence
• Basildon Side By Side - Cllrs Hedley & Sargent
• Basildon Taxi and Private Hire Consultative Forum - Cllrs Allen, Baggott, D. Morris, Schrader & Wingfield
• Basildon Youth Strategy Group - Councillor Sargent
• Billericay Town Team (Business Improvement Feasibility) - Councillor Hedley
• District Councils Health and Well-Being Forum - Councillor Henry
• District Councils Network - Councillor Baggott
• East of England Assembly of Council Leaders - Councillor Baggott
• East of England Local Government Association - Councillor Moore
• Essex Child and Family Well-Being Advisory Board - Councillor Terson
• Essex Civilian/Military Partnership Board and Armed Forces Champion - Cllr D. Morris
• Essex Coastal Forum - Councillor Moore
• Essex Flood Partnership Board - Councillor Moore
• Essex Planning Member Group - Councillor Moore
• Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel - Councillor Hedley with Councillor Ademuyiwa as substitute
• Essex Waste Group & Patrol - Cllr Carol Morris
• Essex Waste Partnership Board - Councillor Blake
• Local Councils' Liaison Group - Cllrs Moore, Myers & Sargent
• Local Government Association - Councillor Blake
• Local Government Information Unit - Councillor Blake
• Mayor of London - London Plan - Wider South East Political Steering Group - Councillor Moore
• Norsey Wood Society - Cllrs Dadds & Hedley
• Opportunity South Essex Partnership - Councillor Hedley
• Patient and Community Reference Group for Basildon and Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group - Councillor Sargent
• PATROL (Parking & Regulation Order Outside London) - Councillor Rimmer
• Pitsea Waste Management Centre - Public Liaison Group - Councillor Rimmer
• South Essex Active Travel Sponsoring Board - Councillor Rimmer
• South Essex Joint Strategic Plan Members Group - Councillor Moore
• South Essex Children's Partnership Board - Councillor Sargent
• Superfast Essex Steering Group - Councillor Rimmer
• Transport East Forum - Councillor Rimmer
• Veolia Pitsea Marshes Trust - Councillor Terson
• Essex Countywide Traveller Unit Joint Committee - Councillor Jeffery
• South Essex Parking Partnership Joint Committee - Cllr Carole Morris
• Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) Joint Committee - Councillor Baggott with Councillor Blake as substitute
• UK Shared Prosperity Board - Councillor Hedley
• Wickford Town Team (Business Improvement Feasibility) - Cllr Don Morris