Southend-on-Sea City Council

Southend-on-Sea City Council is the local authority of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.

Southend-on-Sea City Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Mayor
Margaret Borton, Labour
since 20 May 2021
Leader of the Council
Ian Gilbert, Labour
since 3 June 2019
(Interim) Chief executive
Andy Lewis
since July 2021
Structure
Seats51 councillors
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Labour (14)
  Independent (9)
  Liberal Democrats (5)
Opposition (23)
  Conservative (20)
  Independent (3)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
2 May 2019
Next election
7 May 2020
Meeting place
Southend Civic Centre
Website
www.southend.gov.uk

Politics
See also: Southend-on-Sea local elections

Seventeen wards each return three councillors, a total of 51. Councillors serve four years and one third of the council is elected each year, followed by one year without election. The current composition of the council is (as of 5 May 2019):[1]

Affiliation Councillors
Conservative 20
Labour 14
Independent 12
Liberal Democrat 5

The council is currently run by a rainbow coalition of Labour, Independent Group and Liberal Democrat councillors following a no confidence motion that was passed on 3 June 2019.[2] The council had previously been run by the same coalition between May 2014 and May 2016.[3] Apart from these occasions, since the 2000 election the council had been run by a Conservative administration.

Performance

In 2007, Southend Borough Council was criticised as one of the worst financially managed local authorities in England by the Audit Commission report for 2006/7, one of three to gain only one of four stars, the others being Liverpool and the Isles of Scilly.[4]

In March 2012, Southend Borough Council was awarded the title of 'Council of the Year 2012' by the Local Government Chronicle.[5]

Arms
Coat of arms of Southend-on-Sea City Council
Notes
Originally granted to Southend-on-Sea County Borough Council on 1 & 2 January 1915. Transferred to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council on 21 May 1974.[6]
Crest
Issuant out of a mural crown Gules the mast of a ship proper flying therefrom a flag Argent charged with a cross throughout Gules.
Escutcheon
Azure on a pile Argent between on the dexter an anchor erect on the sinister a grid-iron and in base a trefoil slipped Or a flower vase issuing therefrom a spray of lilies Proper.
Supporters
On the dexter side a mediaeval fisherman holding a net with his exterior hand all Proper and on the sinister side a Cluniac monk Proper holding in the dexter hand a book Gules and in the exterior hand a staff also Proper.
Motto
Per Mare Per Ecclesiam (Through The Sea Through The Church)

References
  1. "Your Councillors by Party". Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. Shaw, Steve. "Southend Council elects first ever Labour leader Ian Gilbert". Southend Echo. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  3. "Who will be running Southend Council? Take a look at your new cabinet members". Southend: Echo. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  4. Laura Smith (30 January 2008). "Echo News - Official: Council is wasting our cash". Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  5. Uncited (14 March 2012). "Southend Council wins council of the year at Local Government Chronicle awards". Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  6. "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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