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To approve the following measures as the
second stage of the formation of the Clacton Town Board (a
necessary Board as part of the Long Term Plan for Towns Programme
for Clacton-on-Sea.

(1) That membership of the Board shall be comprised of the Chairman
of the Board (previously appointed) and the following (or their
duly designated alternate):
• Giles Watling, MP
• Cllr Mark Stephenson, Tendring District Council
• Cllr Ivan Henderson, Tendring District Council
• Cllr Lesley Wagland, Essex County Council
• Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner for Essex Police
Area
• Sharon Alexander, Community & Voluntary Services
Tendring
• Billy Ball, Clacton Tourism Group
• Craig Newnes, McDonalds local business
• Laura Taylor Green, Suffolk & North East Essex
Integrated Care Board
• Dr Emily Murray, University of Essex
• Rob Mitchell-Gears, Westcliffe Theatre
• A nominee from Tendring Education Strategic Board

(2) that the appointments in (1) above be for an initial term of
one-year to support the development of a long-term vision and
three-year investment plan as part of the Future of Towns Programme
for Clacton;

(3) that the draft Terms of Reference for the Clacton Town Board be
as set out in the attachment to this decision; and

(4) that Tendring District Council be appointed Secretary to the
Board.

Reasons for the decision

This decision follows:
(1) Cabinet on 15 December 2023 (Minute 65 refers) to delegate the
forming of the Towns Board, and acceptance of its Terms of
Reference, to the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth,
Regeneration & Tourism;
(2) The Deputy Leader & Portfolio for Economic Growth,
Regeneration & Tourism’s decision on 29 February 2023 to
appoint George Kieffer as the independent chairman of the Clacton
Town Board for a term of one year.

Government has agreed a ten-year endowment-style fund, with
£20 million of funding and support to give Clacton (and other
Towns) a long term certainty to deliver projects over multiple
years. The funding requires an investment plan overseen by a
Clacton Town Board.

As set out in the Government guidance, the appointed independent
chair should engage with the local authority to consider
appointments for the remainder of the Town Board.

The Town Board, supported by the local authority, will develop a
single long term plan to be submitted to the Department of
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Government guidance states that the Board must include:
• The relevant local MP
• One councillor from each tier of local government (and that
total number of elected representatives should be limited to
promote community leadership)
• A senior representative from the police (it is expected that
this will be the Police and Crime Commissioner or senior
alternative)

Alternative options considered

To not appoint the Town Board was considered
and discounted as to do so would have deprived Clacton-on-Sea of
the funding stream over the next 10 years. Likewise, alternative
appointments were considered and discounted as they would not have
been in accordance with Government requirements for key appointees
to the Board.