BASILDON Council has decided to introduce a new decision-making process, delivering ultimate power into the hands of a few councillors, rather than a series of committees.

At its full meeting this week a majority of councillors agreed to replace the committee system of governance for with a leader and cabinet model. It is just five years since the council voted to switch to the committee system having previously been run by a cabinet.

The new form of governance sees the introduction of a cabinet – a group of nine councillors who collectively be responsible for the majority of the council's functions with each cabinet Member being responsible and accountable for a portfolio of council activity and specific services.

A list of the nine cabinet members and their respective portfolios can be found below.

Under the new model, committees will continue to cover the council's non-executive functions, including planning applications, licensing arrangements as well scrutiny of the Cabinet.

These committees and their respective chairs are listed below.

At Thursday's meeting, councillors also agreed the appointment of the Leader of the Council who has subsequently appointed a Deputy Leader, as well as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Basildon. Finally, appointments for Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor were also agreed.

The Labour group has accused the Conservative-run administration, which took control of the council in 2021, of giving themselves a 29 per cent pay rise, as cabinet members are paid extra allowances.

According to a council report, the budget for special responsibility allowances was £130,000 per year under the old system, but this has now increased to £178,000

The Conservatives denied special responsibility allowances constitute 'a pay rise' and are arguing the new cabinet system is a more efficient system of governance which allows the council to make decisions more quickly.

Council leader Cllr Andrew Baggott said rates are set by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which will likely review the new system after it has been adopted.

He said: "We have laboured under the unwieldy and very, very unhappy committee system now for five years.

"We've seen the effects on the public of not being able to make decisions easily, on not being able to get rapid decisions made when times are hard".

Later he said: "The word 'pay rise' was used two times by Cllr Kerry Smith and three times by Cllr Maryam Yaqub, totally failing to understand that we don't get paid, we don't get a salary, we get an allowance and there's a fundamental difference."

New Labour group leader Cllr Yaqub claimed the administration would be going against IRP recommendations, despite claims to the contrary by Cllr Baggott.

She said: "You are going against their recommendation tonight. You are giving yourself a 29 per cent pay rise and forming a cabinet costing the taxpayer a total of £178,000 to meet just seven times in the entire year."

Labour and independent councillors say the committee system is more transparent, and gives the opposition a chance to contribute to decision making. 

Under this system, decisions were debated and voted on by committees made up of cross party councillors, before going to full council for final approval.

But the Conservatives say the committee system takes too much time and that the cabinet system will allow the council to make decisions faster, to the benefit of residents.

Under the cabinet system, the council is held to account via scrutiny committees, but some councillors feel this is ineffective as it deals with issues after they have already happened, rather than before policies have been approved.

Independent group leader Cllr Smith said: "Scrutiny, the horse has bolted, it's the other side of the field and it's long gone. That's what happens when you take something to scrutiny."

Leader of Wickford Independents David Harrison also said scrutiny committees had been chaired by opposition councillors in the past, whereas Conservatives had been appointed to chair them this year.

Cllr Andrew Baggott, talks through the changes in this interview with Gateway FM's Johnny Jenkinson:

https://www.gateway978.com/gateway-response/audio-bites/basildon-council-leader-andrew-baggott-speaks-to-gateway-97-8-after-re-election

The new council structure:

Leader of Basildon Council – Cllr Andrew Baggott

Deputy Leader of Basildon Council – Cllr Kevin Blake

Mayor of Basildon – Cllr Luke Mackenzie

Deputy Mayor of Basildon – Cllr Yetunde Adeshile

Youth Mayor of Basildon – Charlotte Hedley-Barnes

Deputy Youth Mayor of Basildon – Aimee Hedley-Barnes

CABINET MEMBERS

Cllr Andrew Baggott, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Public Order

Cllr Kevin Blake, Cabinet Member for Environment and Carbon Reduction

Cllr Anthony Hedley, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Business Engagement

Cllr Jeff Henry, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, Leisure, Arts and Culture

Cllr Richard Moore, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure

Cllr Craig Rimmer, Cabinet Member for Regeneration

Cllr Terri Sargent, Cabinet Member for Communities

Cllr Andrew Schrader, Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal

Cllr Stuart Sullivan, Cabinet Member for Resources and Commercial

NON-EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMITTEES

Planning Committee

Chair: Cllr Carole Morris

Vice Chair: Cllr David Dadds

Licensing Committee

Chair: Cllr Daniel Lawrence

Vice Chair: Cllr Davida Ademuyiwa

Audit and Risk Committee

Chair: Cllr Gary Canham

Vice Chair: Cllr Stuart Allen

Joint Standards Committee

Chair: Cllr David Dadds

Vice Chair: to be appointed at first meeting

Staffing and General Purposes Committee

Chair: Cllr David Dadds

Vice Chair: Cllr Andrew Baggott

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY

Overview and Scrutiny Commission

Chair: Cllr Kevin Wingfield

Vice Chair: Cllr David Dadds

People Scrutiny Committee

Chair: Cllr Stuart Terson

Vice Chair: Cllr Alex Myers

Place Scrutiny Committee

Chair: Cllr Don Morris

Vice Chair: Cllr Sam Gascoyne

Prosperity Scrutiny Committee

Chair: Cllr Peter Holliman

Vice Chair: Cllr George Jeffery