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Southend-on-Sea Borough 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.
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Politics
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 composition of the council is (following the results of the 2016 Local Elections):
The council was controlled by the Conservative Party since gaining control in the 2000 election, they maintained a minority administration for a short while after the 2012 local elections, although a subsequent defection from the Independent Group gave them control again in May 2013. The Conservatives lost control of the council in the 2014 election, with the council run by a rainbow coalition of Independent Group, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors.
The 2015 election saw the Conservatives make some gains, resulting in a breakaway UKIP faction (who formed the Southend Independence Group) joining forces with the existing rainbow coalition to continue to run the council. As a result of the 2016 election the Conservatives were able to form a minority administration, having signed a supply and confidence agreement with UKIP.
Performance
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. Areas of criticism were the use of consultants and the spending of £3.5 million on taxis during the 2006/7 financial year.
In March 2012, Southend Borough Council was awarded the title of 'Council of the Year 2012' by the Local Government Chronicle.