Basildon Conservatives unveiled their new frontbench team

The Conservative Order Paper, re-establishing the Cabinet and scrutiny committees, were confirmed by Full Council

Cllr Andrew Baggott, Leader of Basildon Conservatives, has formally been re-elected Leader of Basildon Council and formed a new 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, re-establishing the Cabinet System of governance and the scrutiny committees.

The Cabinet replaces the current outdated Committee System of governance instituted in 2017 by Labour and UKIP councillors in order to form an unofficial coalition. Under this system, all decisions have to be taken by a series of service committees. The change was introduced without any due diligence and on the pretext of being more 'democratic' but, in practice, the coalition parties dominated the committees and it simply slowed down the decision-making process in the interests of facilitating their marriage of convenience. We have long been committed to restoring the more efficient Cabinet System.

Councillor Baggott has unveiled the Cabinet team that will delivering the Administration's agenda. The Order Paper also confirmed the allocation of seats on the new scrutiny committees and appointments to other bodies.

Cllrs Baggott, Blake and Sullivan

Councillor Baggott (Burstead) remains Leader of the Council and will also serve as Cabinet Member for Enforcement & Public Order, taking direct responsibility for enforcement, community safety, takling anti-social behaviour and liaising with Essex Police, as well as overall corporate strategy. Assisting him will be his deputy and ward colleague Cllr Kevin Blake (Burstead) as Deputy Leader of the Council, who will also serve as Cabinet Member for Environment & Carbon Reduction, responsible for waste services, street cleansing and environmental health. Cllr Stuart Sullivan (Billericay East) returns as Cabinet Member for Resources & Commercial. Councillor Sullivan has long held the finance portfolio and will resume his excellent stewardship of the borough's finances.

Cllrs Hedley and Sargent

Cllr Anthony Hedley (Billericay West) has been appointed Cabinet Member for Economic Growth & Business Engagement, as the Administration works to drive growth and to boost employment and skills across the Borough. Cllr Terri Sargent (Crouch) is appointed Cabinet Member for Communities, responsible for our community centres and halls and community groups.

Cllrs Moore and Schrader 

Cllr Richard Moore (Burstead) returns as Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning & Infrastructure, responsible for planning policy (including the Local Plan), neighbourhood planning and infrastructure delivery. It is a subject he has lived and breathed for the best part of a decade and, following the withdrawal of the previously submitted Local Plan, will be working hard to produce a new plan in consultation with residents. Cllr Andrew Schrader (Billericay East) is 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 (Laindon Park) joins the frontbench as Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, Leisure, Arts & Culture, responsible for leisure and sporting facilities, arts and heritage, while Cllr Craig Rimmer (Pitsea South-East) will be Cabinet Member for Regeneration, responsible for town centre regeneration and development. 

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 Don Morris (Wickford Castledon), the People Scrutiny Committee by Cllr Stuart Terson (Pitsea North-West) and the Prosperity Scrutiny Committee by Cllr Peter Holliman (Wickford North). The overall work of the scrutiny function will be co-ordinated by the Overview and Scrutiny Commission, chaired by Cllr Kevin Wingfield (Laindon Park). These scrutiny committees will include councillors from all parties and will act as a 'critical friend' to the Administration and present robust challenge where necessary.

Of the four regulatory committees, Cllr Carole Morris will continue to chair the Planning Committee; Cllr Danny Lawrence (Billericay West) will likewise chair the Licensing Committee and Cllr Gary Canham (Pitsea South-East) the Audit and Risk Committee. Outgoing mayor, Councillor Dadds, will chair both the Staffing and General Purposes Committee and the Joint Standards Committee. 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 Forum - Cllrs Allen, Baggott, Moore, Rimmer and Schrader
• Basildon Community Resource Centre - Councillor Ademuyiwa
• Basildon Business Group - Councillor Hedley
• Basildon Civil/Military Partnership Board - Cllrs Canham and D. Morris
• Basildon Community Transport Services - Councillor Sargent
• Basildon Dementia Action Alliance - Councillor Henry
• Basildon Health and Well-Being Partnership and District Councils Health and Well-Being Forum - Councillor Henry
• Basildon Heritage - Councillor Lawrence
• Basildon Rail Forum - Cllrs Jeffery, Mackenzie, D. Morris, Myers and Rimmer
• Basildon Side By Side - Cllrs Hedley and Sargent
• Basildon Taxi and Private Hire Consultative Forum - Cllrs Allen, Baggott, Lawrence, Schrader and Wingfield
• Basildon Youth Strategy Group - Councillor Sargent
• 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 Canham
• Essex Civilian/Military Partnership Board and Armed Forces Champion - Councillor 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 Dadds (Councillor Ademuyiwa as substitute)
• Essex Waste Partnership Board - Councillor Blake
• Local Councils' Liaison Group - Cllrs Mackenzie, Moore and 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 Hedley and Schrader
• Opportunity South Essex Partnership - Councillor Hedley
• Patient and Community Reference Group for Basildon and Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group - Councillor Sargent
• 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 Canham
• Essex Countywide Traveller Unit Joint Committee - Councillor Jeffery
• South Essex Parking Partnership Joint Committee - Councillor C. Morris
• Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) Joint Committee - Councillor Baggott (Councillor Blake as substitute)
• UK Shared Prosperity Board - Councillor Hedley