Council - Thursday 19 February 2026, 7:00pm - Epping Forest District Council webcasts

Council
Thursday, 19th February 2026 at 7:00pm 

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  8. Cllr Lisa Morgan
  9. Cllr Raymond Balcombe
  10. Cllr Lisa Morgan
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  14. Cllr Jeane Lea
  15. Cllr Raymond Balcombe
  16. Cllr Louise Mead
  17. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  18. Cllr Raymond Balcombe
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  20. Cllr Jaymey McIvor
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  7. Cllr Darshan Sunger
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  15. Cllr Janet Whitehouse
  16. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  17. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  18. Cllr Razia Sharif
  19. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  20. Cllr Louise Mead
  21. Cllr Janet Whitehouse
  22. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  23. Cllr Louise Mead
  24. Cllr Jon Whitehouse
  25. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  26. Cllr Louise Mead
  27. Cllr Chidi Nweke
  28. Cllr Smruti Patel
  29. Cllr Louise Mead
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  31. Cllr Louise Mead
  32. Cllr Lisa Morgan
  33. Cllr Louise Mead
  34. Cllr Paul Keska
  35. Cllr Louise Mead
  36. Cllr Jeane Lea
  37. Cllr Louise Mead
  38. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  39. Cllr Louise Mead
  40. Cllr Razia Sharif
  41. Cllr Louise Mead
  42. Cllr Tim Matthews
  43. Cllr Louise Mead
  44. Cllr Chidi Nweke
  45. Cllr Tim Matthews
  46. Cllr Louise Mead
  47. Cllr Smruti Patel
  48. Cllr Louise Mead
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  7. Cllr Edward Barnard
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  12. Cllr Edward Barnard
  13. Cllr Louise Mead
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  18. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  19. Cllr Louise Mead
  20. Cllr Lisa Morgan
  21. Cllr Louise Mead
  22. Cllr Jaymey McIvor
  23. Cllr Louise Mead
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  25. Cllr Louise Mead
  26. Cllr Craig McCann
  27. Cllr Louise Mead
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  30. Cllr Jeane Lea
  31. Cllr Louise Mead
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  33. Cllr Louise Mead
  34. Gary Woodhall
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  38. Cllr Louise Mead
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  40. Cllr Louise Mead
  41. Cllr Stephen Murray
  42. Cllr Louise Mead
  43. Cllr Jon Whitehouse
  44. Cllr Louise Mead
  45. Cllr Jaymey McIvor
  46. Cllr Louise Mead
  47. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  48. Cllr Louise Mead
  49. Barbara Beardwell
  50. Cllr Louise Mead
  51. Barbara Beardwell
  52. Cllr Louise Mead
  53. Cllr Tim Matthews
  54. Cllr Louise Mead
  55. Cllr Sheree Rackham
  56. Cllr Louise Mead
  57. Cllr Michael Owen
  58. Cllr Louise Mead
  59. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  60. Cllr Louise Mead
  61. Cllr Howard Kauffman
  62. Barbara Beardwell
  63. Cllr Louise Mead
  64. Cllr Janet Whitehouse
  65. Barbara Beardwell
  66. Cllr Louise Mead
  67. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  68. Cllr Louise Mead
  69. Gary Woodhall
  70. Gary Woodhall
  71. Cllr Louise Mead
  72. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  73. Cllr Louise Mead
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  1. Webcast Finished

1 Webcasting Introduction

Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:00:15
Welcome to everyone, anyone watching the webcast.
Item 1 on our agenda tonight is the webcasting introduction.
May I ask Mr Woodall to read the webcasting announcement, please?
Thank you, Chairman.
Gary Woodhall - 0:00:44
The Chairman would like to remind everyone that this meeting will be filmed live or recorded
and uploaded to the internet and will be capable of repeated viewing.
Therefore, by participating in this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed and to
possible use of those images and sound recordings. If any public speakers on
Microsoft Teams do not wish to have their image captured they should ensure
that their video setting throughout the meeting is turned off and set to audio
only. Members and public speakers are reminded to turn on their microphones
before speaking and turn them off when they have finished. Thank You Chairman.

2 Apologies for Absence

Cllr Louise Mead - 0:01:23
Thank you Mr. Widdell. Items who are on our agenda is apologies for absence. Do we have any
Gary Woodhall - 0:01:29
Apologies for absence Mr. Widdle. Thank you chairman so far we have apologies
from councillors Baldwin Bedford Brooks Shilal Holden Cohen and Gabbert.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:01:41
Sorry apologies for lateness for Shane Yerrell.
Cllr Maria Markham - 0:01:45
can we note that please for lateness thank you yes thank you and council
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:01:49
no i keep apologies from councillor augurd
Cllr Chidi Nweke - 0:01:53
councillor augard yes and council for til for lateness
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:01:58
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:02:00
council of aldwin um yeah um sorry councillor whiskin were you going to say
the same thing anyone else um with any

3 Declarations of Interest

No okay. Item number three on our agenda is declarations of interest. So members
may I draw your attention to the email you would have
received from the monitoring officer regarding the council tax setting 2026
to 2027. Item 13 on the agenda this is an item 13 on the agenda and that is
outlines in the email any member with a disclosable pecuniary interest DPI in
this matter has a dispensation to participate and vote on this item. It may
be taken as read that any interests have been declared. Thank you and do we have
any other declarations of interest and I saw and Councillor Lucas's hands up do
you want to speak. Thank you Chairman. Members with regards to the budget
Cllr Jodie Lucas - 0:03:07
report at item 12 on the agenda regarding consideration of whether the Council should
introduce a charge for the collection of garden waste.
I have sought advice from the Monitoring Officer as to whether I have an interest in this matter.
I do not consider I have an interest, which I am required to declare, as any decision
of the Council regarding the introduction of a charge for the collection of garden waste
does not affect the position of TVS as a waste collector.
However, as chairman of TVS, I would like nonetheless for openness and transparency
to declare that I have an other registrable interest in this matter.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Lucas.
Do we have any other declarations?
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:03:45
I have the same declaration to make.
I won't read the whole thing out again, but also to do with TVS.
Okay.
Cllr Howard Kauffman - 0:03:51
Thank you.
And Councillor Lajonich -Whitehouse.
Yes, Chairman.
Cllr Janet Whitehouse - 0:03:57
In the budget of the construction of Epic Forest as mentioned, I make use of the handyperson
service.
Right.
Thank you Councillor Whitehouse and Councillor Bassett.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:04:03
Cllr Richard Bassett - 0:04:07
Thank you Chairman. Obviously as Chairman of Qualis declare a non -becunery but I shall remain. Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:04:13
Thank you Councillor Bassett. Is there anyone else with declarations of interest?
Councillor Yerra I know you came in a bit late. Do you have any declarations of interest?
No okay that's all right thank you. Any other declarations? No okay.

4 Minutes

So, agenda item number four is minutes, pages 7 to 18.
So, item four on our agenda is to approve the minutes from our meetings held on the
25th of November 2025, which was in public session, and 18th of December 2025, which
you will find attached on pages 7 to 18.
May I now sign these minutes as a true record of the meetings?
Agree.
Thank you.

5 Announcements

Right, so item number five on our agenda is announcements.
So before I make any announcements, I thought I would take the opportunity to wish everyone
a belated happy 2026.
The new year has really reminded me why our community is so special and why it's such
a privilege to serve as your chairman.
But before I talk about some of the things I've been doing over the past few weeks, I
wanted to send my warmest of wishes at this important time for reflection to those in
our community currently observing the Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Lent.
The year began with a moment of celebration, the opening of our new Epping Leisure Centre
last month. Standing there with residents, staff and partners, I was struck by what the
real building represents. It's not just a place to swim or exercise, a place where people
of all ages can come together, look after their wellbeing and be part of something bigger.
It's an investment in our collective health and in the future of our district and I felt
absolutely privileged to cut the ribbon and I was lucky enough to have thought ahead and
took my swimming costume with me. And I was one of the first people in the pool, not the
first because the Vice Chairman got in there before me. I don't know if he was the first
either. Although I'm not very good at swimming but I still enjoyed it and I really like the
interactive squash court as well, which I can definitely recommend.
But the new year also brought moments of deep reflection for me.
On Sunday, before the 27th of January, Holocaust Memorial Day, I had the honour of visiting
the Latin synagogue along with the leader and the vice chairman and listening to Susie
Barnett, BEM, a most remarkable lady, who was born in Nazi Germany, who shared her family's
storey from the Holocaust by writing a book about her experience and giving
talks about how her family or those survived were torn apart. Her brave
testimony full of courage and resilience was a powerful reminder of our
responsibility to stand against hatred in all its forms and it's impossible to
hear her storey and not be changed by it. Susie and I have been in contact since
and have been sharing aspects of our lives and my daughter's now reading her
book. It's so important that we continue to educate the youth of today about the
we must ensure that our community remains a place where every person feels safe, valued and protected.
This year is a very special year for CountryCare, our caretakers of our district nature reserves.
It's their 40th anniversary this year and Daisy and I attended the staff volunteering day at Lindisfield in Buckhurst Hill with staff at CountryCare.
That was in early February and it was so good to spend time alongside a team who care passionately about our natural environment,
meeting new friends, learning, volunteering and having fresh air.
It was a really lovely day and it didn't rain that day.
It was the best day.
And we particularly liked learning how to make bee hotels
and Daisy was very excited.
She learnt how to use a drill
and I had to admit that I don't know how to use a drill
and I also learnt how to use a drill.
But thanks to Lee, I do now know how to use one
and I'm not going to stick my pictures on my wall at home anymore.
I'm actually going to put the proper hooks on.
That is good. I know I can speak for the vice chairman. We enjoyed learning about how our
rubbish is collected when we visited the TVS hub at North Wield and what goes on behind
the scenes. It is a very slick operation. It was a pleasure to meet the teams. We went
out and about in the most awful weather and met all of the supervisors and see what an
operation it is. It is brilliant. These are the people that keep our district running
often before most of us are even awake.
So they're hard work with it, it's a good humour,
whatever the word, they deserve our recognition
and our thanks.
So I'd recommend to all councillors have a visit,
it's really interesting.
In late January, I attended the Health and Social Care
Careers Fair at the Civic Offices,
which was organised by Epping Forest District Council
in partnership with Work Ready.
And this was a vibrant, busy event with lots of networking.
And I can confirm it's a very rewarding career
in health and social care and it's great that Epping Forest are leading the way on the importance
of careers in social and healthcare. I'm also excited to share with you that following a special
event we have made some progress on a choice of lion for the Lions on the Loose Trail with
St Claire's Hospice coming this summer and I can't reveal any more at the moment but it's going to be
amazing so watch this space. Last weekend I attended the opening of the Wolfram Abbey Photo
Club exhibition at Epping Forest District Museum and it's about nature and wildlife.
So my thanks go to John Price who runs the group and Ian Channel who manages the museum
for the invite and the photos are absolutely stunning so I definitely recommend you go
and see them.
Yesterday I attended one of the Safe and Well events at Firefield Village Hall as did the
Vice Chairman and Councillor Balcombe as well and it was a very well attended event.
We watched a live performance on Scamming by ARC Theatre which as always was absolutely
brilliant and there were lots of lots of very positive feedback about the events
and as people left with their bags of information. So thanks to the community
and well -being team for organising that event and then along with the community
champion and community champions and all the providers that attended. So I do have
a very busy month in March, look forward to. We have my daughter's and Daisy's
third Epping Forest Uniquely Me Talent show on Saturday the 7th of March. You
may see on your desk in front of you there are scan things so you can buy tickets if
you want. That's just to encourage you to try and buy tickets. It's all for my two chosen
charities. There's a brilliant line -up of acts already organised. The charity money
will go to Friends of St Margaret's Hospital and Epping Forest Food Bank. And I'm looking
forward to my own Civic Awards event on the 13th of March as well. I'm sure it'd be a
wonderful evening to recognise the wonderful community that we have.
Finally, one of the events I attended in January was a talk on suicide awareness. I know suicide
is a very emotive subject and it throws out many different thoughts and can be very difficult
to talk about, but it was really informative and a valuable talk which was sensitively
discussed and a special talk has been set up for staff and councillors by the Economic
Development and Health Improvement team and it's online on Thursday the 12th of March
from 6 .30 to 8pm. You should have all had an invite. I'll be talking myself at this
event how the talk I went to in January has helped me to feel equipped in supporting someone
who may feel suicidal. I know from experience the knowledge really could save a life. So

6 Public Questions (If Any)

please attend if you can. Thank you. So item number six on our agenda is public questions.
Gary Woodhall - 0:12:05
Mr Woodall are there any public questions? Not tonight Chairman. Thank you. And item

7 Questions By Members Under Notice

Cllr Louise Mead - 0:12:08
number seven on our agenda is questions by members under notice. Do we have any questions

8 Reports from the Leader & Members of the Cabinet

Gary Woodhall - 0:12:14
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:12:18
by members under notice. Not tonight Chairman. Item number eight is on our agenda which is
reports from the leader and member of Cabinet written reports which can be found on pages
19 to 37 of our agenda. Councillor Whitbread, leader of the council, would you like to present
your reports? Thank you Chairman. It will be very short this evening and you've said some wonderful
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:12:38
things during your report, particularly around Holocaust Memorial Day, where we both attended
in Loudoun, and I just thought that was so thought -provoking that you couldn't come away,
not with just such respect for the speaker on that day, and I share your comments.
With regards to Epping Sports Centre, what a triumph for this council, and what a triumph
for the staff of both Epping Forest District Council and Pelican and Places for Leisure.
It's a great success. I was speaking to one of the general managers yesterday and they
were telling me the figures that people are joining the Sports Centre are really good,
usage is really good and the comments from the public are really, really positive and
it's brought that sector of Epping to life as well, which is really, really good news
for not just Epping but for the whole of our district and it says a lot about how
when we're working in partnership with other bodies we do so well and it's
a tribute to particularly I could name everyone I won't do this evening so I've
done it already but we have a terrific team of staff who have really come off
good and of course we both enjoyed going to Harlow to see Lions on the Loose and
we've chosen the lion for outside Epping Forest offices which I
I think it will be wonderful and a good surprise for members when the Lion arrives here.
And it's something that I always like to do supporting St .Clair's Hospice.
It's a wonderful charity and I'm glad that the District Council has chosen to support it
along with the County Councillors who are supporting it as well to try and get some of these Lions into schools
for them to take part in what is going to be a terrific event and a Lion trail across Epping Forest.
So I'm really pleased that we had the opportunity to go there.
On the more serious side of life, as members will know,
and I think is the right thing, is that we are having elections
across Essex this year.
And obviously, this district council
said it would call elected elections.
And we were given that from Steve Reid,
that our elections could go ahead.
And that's the right thing for democracy.
And we are pleased that now that everybody's
having elections, it will be a busy May for everybody, April, May. But of course
at the same time the discussions still continue around local government
organisation and the steps to bring that forward are happening. We are expected
the minded to decision in early March and that will decide whether it will be
three, four or five authorities to cover Essex in the future. I think when you
If you look at the budget this evening, very shortly,
you'll realise why local government reorganisation is so
important and the challenges that we face in the future with
regards to finance and such.
We are also doing a lot of work here to get match fit for local
government reorganisation.
Even if it's delayed slightly, there are things that we need to
be doing, and that includes looking at some of our asset
base as well to make sure it's in the right places. Chairman I've really not
got much else to say this evening always happy to take questions. Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:16:01
Any questions on that report? Are there any other cabinet members who would like
to add a verbal update to their written reports? Council Baucom. Thank you chair.
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:16:14
I know members have received an updated e -mail to all members but I just
wanted to add that we are committed to providing a reliable and fair and efficient garden waste
collection service for all our residents. As we move into the new subscription service,
we want to make sure everyone has the information they need about what can and can't go into
garden waste bin. This helps us keep collections safe for our crews, manage
costs, responsibility and ensure the service works smoothly for the whole
community. We have no intention of cherry -picking only profitable
properties and fully intend to offer a universal service to all residents.
However, we do need to reserve the right should for some unexpected reason any property or
area become so disproportionately expensive to collect from that we need to reconsider
arrangements.
Should this ever happen, we will review the arrangements in an open and transparent way.
Okay, thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:17:37
Any questions on that report?
Councillor Podd.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Chris Pond - 0:17:46
It's not about the report, it's what is not in the report that interests me,
which is the Government's intention to make recycling simpler,
which I think just makes it much more complicated,
which will involve the provision of additional containers for clean paper and card.
And that will be then excluded from the Blue Lead bin collection.
Can the Portfolio Hoarder say something about what is being done on contingencies for that?
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:18:28
Thank you, Councillor. There's quite an easy answer to that.
the current blue system that we have we do not have to change anything under the new rules because
it is sorted when it goes to the centre. And Councillor Morgan did you have your hands up.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:18:42
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 0:18:45
Thank you chair. It is about the report um Councillor Balcom knows I contacted him at the weekend.
I've had lots of residents asking could you please update the website with exactly what's going to
happen if it becomes disproportionate and you will not be able to collect their green
lidded bins because they are really concerned. I have lots of residents really concerned
what is going to happen to their green bins if suddenly you are not going to collect from
their area and they want to know what is going to happen and does that mean they are not
going to get any collection or is it going back to as was?
Thank you.
Councillor Balcombe, do you want to come back?
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:19:22
I don't quite follow that, but I try and understand. The green bins, if you're not signing up to
the system, there will be a chance to have them returned. But the green bin belongs to
the property, so it's there all the time.
OK, is it in response? Yeah, OK.
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 0:19:42
So thank you. No, it wasn't about that. It was about the report that came out to say
I think it was on everything up in forests to say that if it wasn't worthwhile, we wasn't
going to collect bins from that area and people were really concerned that suddenly they'll
be left with green bins full of rubbish and how are they going to get rid of them? Do
they need to go to the dumps or are you going to revert back to as is what's going to happen?
Because a lot of residents are really concerned about this. Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Balcombe.
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:20:14
Well, let's take this a little bit further. First of all, there were questions asked about
grass, turf and soil. At the moment, they do not go in, but they have been asked just
recently, they do not go in the green bin, they never have done. In answer to your question,
if we're not collecting the green waste,
it is down for the person's property to get rid of it.
Thank you, Councillor Batch and Councillor Lily.
Can I just carry on with that?
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:20:48
As, it's just reminded me something,
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:20:51
as it was in 2010,
because 2010 is when we actually introduced the green bin,
if you remember,
and that was because we went to the new waste system.
So all we're doing is taking that service away,
which is what the government tell us because we're not getting any money for it.
Thank you.
Councillor Lillie.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Jeane Lea - 0:21:15
My question is how do you go and pay for your green bin when you don't go online?
I've got quite a number of residents that don't do anything online, haven't a clue, like myself actually,
so I'm quite happy to pay for my green bin to be emptied.
but the only problem with where I live, I get people keep dumping stuff, not only in
my bins but dumping bags of rubbish in the front because cars going past pull up and
throw rubbish in. I have reported it a couple of times and the rubbish has been collected
but with the green bin you just now said grass waste doesn't go in it. Well, I mean my garden,
anything that I dig out of my garden goes in my green bin so I'm not quite sure. Oh
Okay, I don't have any turf. So I'd like to know how I personally can pay so that other
people that are asking me... Can everyone, sorry, sorry, Councillor Lee,
can I just ask everyone to be quiet because I can't hear because I can hear loads of talking
on the left -hand side. So can we just all try and listen to Councillor Lee?
It's just I've got people asking me how they can pay for it because they're not able and
don't do things online. So I'm asking on my behalf of my residents.
Right, Councillor Malcolm, are you able to try to answer that?
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:22:30
You can get phoning and the switchboard will actually fill the form in for you there and then and
All you have to do is give you credit details to sign up
Thank you, thank you Councillor back
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:22:45
Did you have a question it was it on the report on council back on support, okay council risk in
Thank You chairman could you just clarify for us that?
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:22:53
the
metrics you will be using to
stop areas being serviced will be scrutinised and will who will be
scrutinising those figures because I don't think it would be acceptable that
it will be hidden behind a private limited company and reported on every
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:23:14
quarter. Obviously the reports will come back from TVS but it will be actually
controlled by our in -house, Epping Forest in -house waste department. Quite
simply nothing would be done to pull the service or anything like that without
either going through council members or the cabinet. Okay thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:23:39
Councillor McIvor. Thank you madam chair and I do apologise
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 0:23:42
Councillor Buck it's a question for you as well and may I just support what
Councillor Lee has said I find incredibly frustrating for residents
that are not digital and we must also remember not every single resident that
isn't digital and it is often younger people that don't have access to
smartphones and things, it's not just elderly residents, and I mean no insults Councillor
Lee when I say that, it's all residents who are not digitally included.
Councillor Balcombe, I just wanted to query about where areas may see the service be withdrawn
if not enough people uptake, and I understand why that might be. With regards to rural areas
in our district, what will be the metric of measure? Will it be based on an average per
per household, will it be a gross figure, how will we determine and also is there
going to be an assessment done to the risk of increased fly tipping should
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:24:37
that be the case? Thank You councillor McIver I would like to take the last one
first where this has been done right across the county and the wider area
there has been no increase in fly tipping that is what's coming out of
Sorry, now I forgot what the first bit was.
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 0:24:58
Madam Chairman, the first question was, in areas where you may have to withdraw the service
as those are being signed up, what will be the metric of measure and how will that compare
in rural areas where will it be gross, will it be per capita, per household by population?
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:25:10
Quite simply, we are not looking to withdraw the service from anywhere and it probably
but it is standard practise in all waste services,
even in our current green bin service.
If you look at terms and conditions in any council,
that line is there to protect them
because one day we might have to stop the service
because the budget can't be found to keep it going.
It's as simple as that.
If we didn't have that,
we've got no right to stop the service.
Thank you, Councillor Balcombe.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:25:38
So we're now onto agenda item number nine.

9 Questions by Members Without Notice

This is questions without notice.
So I'll allow the usual 30 minutes for this item.
May I ask those wishing to speak
to clearly indicate their intention to speak
by raising their hands?
And can I ask that you are brief and to the point
when asking your question?
If you have more than one question,
your second question may be asked
after other councils have spoken,
so everyone has a chance to speak who wish to.
Okay, Councillor Murray.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:26:11
My question is to the leader of council,
and he did reference it in his report and it's an issue within the budget but
I wanted to make it a question. Local government reform is being imposed upon
us. We have got a budget before us tonight that has a million pounds
allocated for local government reform next year and has a million pounds
allocated for the next financial year subsequent to that. Given the financial constraints we
are operating in within the Council, I think it is only fair that the Leader is absolutely
crystal clear why we need to allocate £2 million of very scarce resources to help us
prepare for local government reform. Because members of the public who have picked up on
are absolutely amazed. Consultants are expensive but they're not that expensive
so how does he in rigid in general terms how the million pounds next year is
going to be spent to deliver a local government reform and the million
pounds in the year after that. Thank you Councillor Murray. Councillor Whitford.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:27:25
Yeah thank you Councillor Murray yes I agree with you the public wouldn't
wouldn't want to understand the the ins and outs of LGR from the point of view
the expense and cost that it will incur.
The cost of creating a unitary will be somewhere in the region
of 25 million, we believe, at the present time, give or take.
Obviously the more unitaries, the more expensive it will be
to create them.
And that's just a matter of fact.
We have to make some provision within our budget for the cost
of local government reform.
Most of it will come eventually from the County Council,
being the larger authority and the unitaries,
but all authorities will have to make a contribution to it.
So we've earmarked that some councils have earmarked more.
What we've done is gone for the median position
where we've made provision for what it may cost
to do local government reorganisation.
That could include cost of staffing,
It's not necessarily for consultants.
It could be cost of a whole range of issues to do with local
government reform.
But I'm more than happy to sit down and properly go through.
We'll probably do a member workshop shortly anyway to look
at what the next steps are of local government reorganisation.
As I said, we can't really do much more until we get the
mind in two from government, which will be when we know how
many unitaries there will be.
But of course there's a cost attached to it because we are
talking about reducing down from 15 authorities down to three, four or five.
Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:29:08
Councillor McIvor.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
It's a question for the Leader.
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 0:29:14
The government's own advice says that there should be no more than three areas participate
in local government reorganisation.
That's what many county councils have been advised.
This government appears to want to rapidly fast -track local government reorganisation.
Whilst I applaud ambition, I do not applaud what I believe could be a human cost to doing it at speed.
What assurances can the leader give to the people of Epping Forest that we will not bend over backwards
to ministerial directives, which the county has been doing and all authorities have felt they've had to do,
just because they want to do it in their timeframe?
How will the leader use his office to stand up to this awful government and say we will do it at our pace at our time
And we will not have our residents especially in social care within Epping Forest put at risk
Yeah, thank you chairman chairman
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:30:10
No one is rushing into local government reorganisation
It's been very clear over the past two governments that local government reorganisation was a direction of travel
In fact, the plans that have been put forward by this
government are very similar to those that were started under
Boris Johnson's government and Rishi Sunak's government,
and it's been a long process.
It started with devolution, which is a separate issue to
local government reorganisation, and that has been moved more
quickly until they stalled in December when they put back the
mayoral elections by a year.
LGR itself has been on the table for a long, long time.
In fact, when I first became leader of this council 12 years ago,
it was the first meeting I went to, it was on local government reorganisation.
And at that time they were talking about two unitaries for Essex and the mayor,
and I was the person who said, whoa, this is a bit too fast,
and voted against the mayor, which caused a delay at that time.
We then had a third attempt during the pandemic,
and that stalled at that time because the government felt that Essex needed more time
and of course we've had more time.
I've attended numerous meetings along with other councillors here on workshops and different
presentations on local government reorganisation.
I know Councillor MacGyver hasn't had attended those meetings but we are doing the right
thing for Essex, we are doing the right thing for Epping Forest.
When you look at the pressures that you'll hear of later on this evening in the budget,
if we don't do local government reorganisation, I'll be honest with you,
I fear for the future finances of both the counties, the districts, the boroughs and the cities.
This is a really challenging time and I will probably step on the other Councillor Whitbread's toes very slightly
Because when you look at what was given to us through fairer funding,
I would say it wasn't fairer funding for Essex.
It wasn't fairer funding for Epping Forest.
And whilst we got the three -year settlement we often wanted,
it doesn't give us the financial backing we require.
So local government reorganisation, we are working at a sensible pace
that is right for Epping Forest and is right for Essex.
The most important thing as Epping Forest, with our great team of officers that we have,
we have been actively engaged in work streams, we have been actively engaged in the moulding of the future of the authorities.
And it's a pride to me that wherever I go, you normally find that an Epping Forest officer has been actively engaged in the discussions at the same time.
That is because we are a well thought of authority here with a lot to say about the future of
our county and our district and making sure we get the right deal for the residents of
Epping Forest.
Thank you.
Councillor Funga.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:33:13
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Darshan Sunger - 0:33:17
I just want to ask a question to the Portfolio Order for Contracts Delivery, Councillor Ray
Balcombe.
Chairman, over the last few months, should I say, in Chegoa with Lambourne, I have been
contacted by many of our residents, concerned residents, about the level of fly tipping
that's been taking place on our doorstep. It's a crime and we will not tolerate with
that and the fines need to now increase to be substantial amounts. We have a fine for
those found responsible for doing that at £400, I know that's going to go to the
place scrutiny committee. Can I ask the portfolio holder to join me in saying that these prosecutions
should have the maximum fine levels up to £1000 being levied against those responsible.
And while I'm standing, can I also thank all of my residents in Chigua -Welambuan for
growing this to my attention and where we've had to then go to our offices and I'd like to convey my
thanks also to the people in the environmental team and the officers who are working with us
and having to go around and clean up the mess that these people think it's all right to do on
our doorstep. So with that I'd like to just ask the portfolio to join me in saying we will not
tolerate this and we want to send a very clear message if you do this we will prosecute you with
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:34:45
heavier fines. Thank you. Thank you Councillor. I actually am going to hand this over to Councillor
Keske because it's actually in his portfolio. But I agree with the Councillor behind me
that I think it is wrong and he's quite right there will be things going to place next month
which I think is the 17th off the top of my head where it is being discussed as Mandy's
bringing the new ideas through.
Councillor HAGO, KESKAS, do you want to add anything?
Cllr Paul Keska - 0:35:14
Thank you, Chairman. If I could add to that to say that our officers have presented a
new programme for fly tipping and also proposals to increase the fines and to confirm what
Councillor Boulcombe said the proposals are coming to place scrutiny on the 17th
of March and I would invite all councillors who are interested in this
subject to attend on that date to that meeting where you will find
out a great deal more about what we plan to do. Thank you Councillor Keska.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:35:53
Cllr Martin Morris - 0:35:57
Councillor Morris did you want to say something? Thank you Chairman. The UK
The entire government shared prosperity fund was available to
local authorities during the period 2022 to 2025.
The allocation for EFDC was one million over the three years of
the scheme, and the final disbursement under this scheme
was made in the period 2025 to 26 for an amount of 327 ,000.
The maximum percentage of these funds to be used for
administration was 4%, so the bulk of the monies will be spent
on investments having tangible results.
The residents in Waltham Abbey had expressed a keen interest in obtaining a full accounting
for the SPF funds, showing the amounts received, investments made and their costs, along with
an assessment of the benefits gained by the residents of Epping Forest.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:36:46
Who would like to respond to that from the Cabinet?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:36:51
Thank you Chairman and thank you Councillor Morris for a very detailed question and obviously
very good question but I think I may have to come back to you in writing with
a full detailed response which we'll share with all members of the council.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:37:05
Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Janet Whitehouse. Thank you
Cllr Janet Whitehouse - 0:37:11
Chairman. My question is to Councillor Holywet Bread, finance portfolio holder.
In your report you mentioned that a change consultant has been employed to
help the staff get ready for local government reorganisation. I'm just wondering what this
person actually is doing, because after all our council is going to join with other districts
to become a unitary like the London boroughs are. It's still local government. The same
services are going to need providing. They may be slightly differently. So what is this
great big change that the staff need to be prepared for?
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:37:50
I will pass over to the leader to answer in full.
But obviously this is a huge change in terms of the
transition that local government is currently
going through, and it's a huge change for members of
staff who have currently and currently work in a
district council and will be moving into a new
unitary authority.
I will pass over to the leader to respond more fully.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:38:16
And another reason why we do need to have a workshop with members shortly is to make
them, you know, for awareness of how this change will actually affect us.
Councillor Holly Whitbury made a good point then.
This isn't just putting district councils together to do the same thing.
This is about a fundamental change in the way that local government is done.
We currently work in a two -tier system where we have a county council, in some cases a
Unitary Council and we have districts, boroughs, cities,
and they will be welded together into a new unitary authority.
The new unitary authorities will have responsibilities for adult
social care, children's services, education, highways,
a whole range of things we don't currently do or currently have
the knowledge of within necessarily as a
district council.
So our teams and our staff, and we are lucky here in Epping
forest we'll have to find out about other sectors of the work that they will
be doing in the future and that will need to be informed and that's exactly
on what this will be for but when we get to the next member workshop I'll make
sure because I think it's important that everyone understands the changes that
will be required to become a unitary authority thank you
Thank you, Councillor Whitbread.
Councillor Sharif.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Cllr Razia Sharif - 0:39:44
My questions are for either Councillor Holly Whitbread or Councillor Risby, and it's regarding
the community fund.
May I ask, when will it be launched?
When can organisations apply, and is the grants panel on schedule to meet as planned in the
next month, March?
Thank you.
Thank you councillor Rispy or councillor Whitbread. Thank you chairman and thank you
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:40:12
councillor Cherie for that question and the first meeting is on Friday so be able
to provide you a further update shortly. Thank you. Councillor Janet Whitehouse did
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:40:21
you want to come back on the question before so I didn't see your hands up again.
Cllr Janet Whitehouse - 0:40:24
Yes it was only to say that council Whitbread was saying that our staff need to be
prepared to do things like education social services but the county staff
already do that surely some of them will be coming into this unitary is that the
idea that County and and district services come together so you know aren't
they going to be doing those services I still can't see this great big change
just you know people have to be compared prepared for look for it's a workshop
okay thank you council with red chairman that's exactly what I said you're
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:40:51
welding together different authorities and of course there will be a County
Council staff that will come over here and for adult social care but it's a
completely different way of working, completely different systems and completely different
governance.
Thank you.
Councillor John Whitehouse.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:41:06
Thanks, Chairman.
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 0:41:09
Yeah, I wanted to ask about the long -running proposal for Epping Library potentially to
move to the civic offices.
We had a tour around the building in April 25 when this was raised.
I just wanted to update really, is that project still ongoing?
Is it pending local government reorganisation?
Where are we and why is it taking so long?
Right, thanks.
Councillor Chris McBreath.
Probably one of my frustrations with the upper tier of local government.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:41:38
It seems to take a lot longer.
No wonder why national government takes so long because it takes so long if you're doing
it at the upper tier.
Yes, it is still going on.
What we've actually managed to achieve is obviously it's the amount of services that
are based in the current Epping Library site.
You've got blue badge, you've got registrations and I'm pleased to say actually when it's
finally all agreed and done, which it's agreed but not final steps, they're looking at the
entrance and such at the moment, once it's done, what it means is that this building
will be even more alive than it is now and actually more cemented into the future because
the library will be here, blue badges will be here which means we'll have registrations
here and the children's nursery service here as well. So actually for this building it's
really important and we'll bring it to life and make it a much more vibrant place to come
for the public as well and it'll be good for this end of the high street. So it's a positive thing,
it's just taken an awful long time and lots of work and I have to applaud our staff.
Dawn has been back and forward on a regular basis discussing it, Jen's been actively engaged,
officers have been involved at all levels and we are nearly there we've
just got one final bit I think we need to resolve and it will be all systems
go and what a great asset will be for the town of Epping and for the district
when we have the library in here and services that people need. Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:43:07
Cllr Chidi Nweke - 0:43:10
Councillor Newicki. Thank you chair. I think this question might be going to
Councillor Thiem, because I was just reading his report on Roundhills development.
And, Chair, you might be aware, a few days ago I was having a discussion with a resident
in my ward who sadly reported to me that she was given an affordable home where she's lived
for a few months, but sadly has taken the difficult decision to move back with her mum
because the affordable flat she was given was not actually affordable.
So that news really saddened me when I was speaking to her.
I was very sad to hear the news and I believe she's moved back already to her mum
because she couldn't afford the so -called affordable accommodation that she was given.
So my question here is what metrics do we use to measure what is truly affordable to residents?
Thank you. Would that be Councillor Pizel?
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:44:11
I can try. Would you mind telling me which property are we talking about?
I don't think we want to get into exactly which property but don't you think you can answer us generally?
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:44:22
I wouldn't know without knowing exactly where the tenant was moved to.
Maybe that could be a written response.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:44:24
Yeah, that's fine.
Can we have a written response of that? It's okay, Councillor Noorke. Do you want to come back?
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:44:28
That's fine, yes.
Brilliant. Thank you.
Thanks.
Councillor Morgan.
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 0:44:38
Thank you, Chair. Actually, Councillor Sunggar, I have got to be in total agreement with you
about the fines. Yes, maximum fines, right -of -way, so we have been arguing this for I don't
know how long. But mine isn't really a question so much for Ray Balcom or for Paul Kesker.
And it is just to say, over the past month I have reported 19 flight tips and I have
to say over 80 % of them have been cleared within 24 to 48 hours. So it is something
that we should be really proud of, not the fact that we have got these many flight tips,
but the fact that we have got such great officers and staff that can really pull their finger
out when needed and clear them so quickly. So could you please pass on? My question is,
would you please pass on to officers that we are very grateful for their hard work and
everything they do, but we definitely do need, as Councillor Sunga said, the maximum fine
for these fly tippers. £400 just isn't good enough. Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Morgan. Councillor Kesker.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:45:35
Cllr Paul Keska - 0:45:37
Thank you, Chairman. I'm very happy to pass on your comments. Our staff do a very good
job with clearing this up, but it's a great shame that they have to. You may well have
seen that we published within the last month a note of a fly tipper who was caught and
was charged, but it is the full £400 and that is all we can do at the present time.
So again, we are waiting. You will have to wait until March when the new proposals come
forward. But yes, I agree with you and I am happy to pass your message on to the staff.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:46:12
Is there anyone that I have missed?
Cllr Jeane Lea - 0:46:19
I have just got one question. I recently attended a funeral to be told that they had to go all
the way to Chelmsford to register the death. Why have you got to go so far to register
a death? I certainly would not be able to go to Chelmsford to register a death. So what
do we do with people in Waltham Abbey that do not have their own transport? We cannot
even get to the hospital.
I think that my best it's County Council but I might be wrong I don't know if the
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:46:45
leader knows do you want to answer councillor Whitbread?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:46:50
Sorry Chairman yes it's definitely Essex County Council I'll look into it and come back to you Julia.
Lovely thank you. Is there anyone that hasn't spoken yet that wants to speak
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:46:58
otherwise I'm going to go to Councillor Sharif is the last person to ask the question
ask Councillor Unwick and Councillor Nweke so Councillor Sharif go for it thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Cllr Razia Sharif - 0:47:08
It's actually a thank you message.
I just want to say thank you to Qolis.
I know it doesn't happen very often,
but on behalf of my colleague,
Councillor Tippie Cornish and myself,
just want to take a moment to say thank you to Qolis
for their swift and compassionate response
and the way that they handled a complaint
from a very elderly, vulnerable tenant.
They were very good after a lot of toing and froing.
They listened, they acted promptly and they treated the resident with compassion and dignity.
I think it just made such a difference because that's what builds confidence.
Thank you to Councillor Patel and Councillor Matthews and the officers that dealt with
it.
Thank you very much.
That's nice to hear.
Thank you.
Do you want to come back on that, either of you?
No?
Okay.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:47:55
You want to speak?
Thank you.
Cllr Tim Matthews - 0:48:01
I would like to say thank you very much for taking the opportunity to share that positive
news.
It is not very often we are getting glowing reports, so I will take that if you would
like to email it to me and I will frame it even better.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Councillor Matthews.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:48:20
Councillor Nwaki is the last Councillor who wishes to speak on this agenda item.
Cllr Chidi Nweke - 0:48:25
Thank you, Chair.
I do want to dump in the praise for my colleagues in terms of qualities because my question
is around qualities.
So we were out, myself and my colleague were out engaging with residents and we came across
a very passionate resident in my ward who had an issue with the way qualities respond
to repairs.
After listening to him I thought he makes a lot of sense.
He said the first time he calls QALYs to report an issue, he describes the issue very well,
sends pictures to QALYs just to describe what the issue is.
But he was frustrated to see that they have to send somebody in to cheque the same report
he has made to inspect, then book a date to come and repair the same item.
And his question was, why can't they just come,
arrange one visit, look at the issue,
and fix it on the same day?
Which means to save him time, the incident
has made his last two days of work,
because he has to wait for the first day for inspection,
and then reschedule for another visit for the repairs
to be carried out.
Looking at the report, he has said about efficiency.
And that's where his question is coming from.
being efficient, why can't we do like a virgin media
that get your complaint and attend to your property
and fix the issues on the same day?
Thank you, Councillor Nowicki.
Councillor Matthews.
Cllr Tim Matthews - 0:50:01
I was so close, Chairman, to having a good evening.
But firstly, please send me the details of that.
If you've got the details of the property it relates to,
and then I will feed that back to Qualis
and they'll follow up on exactly that.
But in general, to answer your response,
obviously there can be such a range of repairs
and services that they're providing.
And obviously, while the person that you're referring to
may have been able to perfectly describe the situation,
they might not necessarily know what equipment is needed,
what materials and parts are necessarily needed.
So it's very much a procedure to come out,
to look at it, assess what's needed, and then book that in.
We're always open to ideas in efficiency.
So I will take that on board, but I don't think we can have vans driving around with
every possible piece of equipment and every possible part.
So yeah, I will feed that back and if you can give me the details of that in that case,
I'll follow that up.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Councillor Matthews.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:51:03
So that's the end of agenda item nine.
Before we go into agenda item 10, I just wanted to cheque with Councillor Cottel whether she
any declarations of interest apart from the um the council tax tax dispensation for all of us?

10 Capital Strategy 2026/27 - 2028/29

Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:51:17
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:51:20
No, chair. Lovely, thank you. So we're now on to um item um agenda item 10. The capital strategy
26 to 27 which can be found on pages 38 to 59 of the agenda. May I ask the Councillor John
Whitehouse to present his report please? Thanks, Chairman. Yes, this sets out the capital
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 0:51:37
strategy for the next three years essentially what the council plans to
spend on capital over those three years and how that we funded it was considered
and obviously we'll be considering that further in the budget later this evening
it was considered by Order in Governance Committee on Monday who asked various
questions and clarification and they were content to recommend it to council
tonight
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:52:04
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:52:10
The portfolio holder will be pleased that I'm not going to say anything about qualities
because I have to say my experience in loading more isn't as rosy as we've had in Epping
but we won't go there.
Sorry, I'm just going to ask council Whitehouse to turn his microphone off because I don't
think they work together very well.
Thank you.
I've got two points I want to make on the capital strategy.
Can I first of all thank the team who did the four financial briefings and one was on
capital strategy.
Some of the briefings I understood better than others, but I thank you for the time.
I think it's the first time we've ever been offered that and I think I did manage to attend
certainly most of them all.
Yeah, so thank you for that.
The comment I wanted to make was linked to an agenda item that we scrutinised at O &S.
We can have the best capital strategy in the world, but if we are receiving reports of
quarter three, which we did at ONS, that had capital underspends in the third quarter of
millions of pounds, and some reasons were given and the reports gave some reason, but
housing development, which is absolutely desperate in our district, millions of pounds underspent
within the capital programme. Even more alarming in some ways was that the report from ONS
Report 3 was capital works within housing. Nearly a five million under spending capital
works, which included kitchens and bathrooms, the environmental budget within our state.
So the point I wanted to make was you can have the best capital strategy in the world,
but if we are having such considerable under spends within our capital programme
it's concerning. There were some good reasons given and I would urge members
to have a look at page 15 and 16 of the last O &S report but it was
concerning Chairman to have that level of capital not being used.
Okay.
You're okay, Councillor Murray.
Okay.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:54:23
Is there any other questions on that report or any other comments anyone wants to make?
No?
Are we able to approve that report now?
Agreed.
Yes?
Thank you.

11 Treasury Management Strategy (including the Investment Strategy) 2026/27 - 2028/29

Agenda item 11 is the Treasury management strategy, including the investment strategy
2026 to 7 2028 2029 which can be found on pages 60 to 84 of the agenda may I
ask Councillor John Whitehouse to present that report as well. Thank you
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 0:54:56
Chairman yes this sets out how the council manages its borrowing and
investments and indeed ensures it's got enough liquidity to pay its bills
again it went to auditing governance on Monday which asked various
questions and made various comments and we're happy to recommend it to council.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:55:23
Thanks very much. Thank you council Wathouse. Are there any questions before we approve the report?
No? So are we able to approve that report as well? Agree. Thank you.

12 Budget Setting 2026/27 & the Medium Term Financial Plan 2026/27 - 2028/29

We are now on to agenda item 12, budget setting 2026 -27 and the medium term financial plan
2026 -2027 to 2028 -2029 which can be found on pages 85 -169 of the agenda. May I ask Councillor
Holy -Whitford to present the report please.
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:55:58
Thank you, Chairman. This evening I present my second budget as the Cabinet Member for
Finance and a great deal has happened in the year since I last stood here. It's been
a very difficult year for our community. We're living through a time of unprecedented change
and uncertainty and we face many challenges ahead. Although we do stand here with a positive
storey to tell and a plan for the future. In this role, I've learnt that setting a budget
is not simply about balancing figures on a page, although it is important. It's about
understanding the full picture of how this council works. It also means understanding
what our council does and the value it provides. Value isn't just financial, it is social and
the benefit to our community. It also means recognising the pressures we face, the responsibilities
we hold and the long -term future that we must protect. I would like to start with some words
of thanks. Firstly, I would like to thank our excellent officer team for their hard
work and professionalism. This year we have welcomed a new team in many ways with Nuala
and Owen and Jonathan who have done a fantastic job.
And I'd like to point out the briefing sessions,
which I think were very helpful for members
and a really good way of educating them
about how the budget is formed.
And I would also like to thank councillors
across the chamber who've engaged constructively
through scrutiny and cabinet.
Councillor Baldwin and his scrutiny committee
have once again carried out their role
diligently and effectively providing challenge and oversight where it is needed.
And in this final budget that you have in front of you this evening, we have listened.
This has been an open and transparent full council budget process.
Every member has had the opportunity to question, input and make suggestions.
I thank those who have taken the time to engage seriously with this responsibility.
When we started this process, we had a £3 .4 million gap. Difficult decisions and new approaches
were required. Eliminating that gap would not have been possible without the hard work
of our finance team, collaboration from across the Chamber and of course my cabinet colleagues.
To set the scene, I just want to set out some facts as this is a public meeting about the
While we collect the council tax, everyone seems to think that Ekman Forest keep all of the council tax.
Unfortunately this is not the case and we only keep 8 % of the total council tax bill.
The majority of your council tax goes towards the county council, social care in particular, police and fire services.
For the average Band D household, our share equates to £177 a year.
This is less than 50p a day for all the services we provide.
Epping Forest District Council currently still holding on to the lowest council tax in Essex,
even with the proposed increase of 2 .98 % within this budget.
We continue to provide strong value for money for local people.
Councillor Whitford, I'm just going to pause you because, no don't turn your microphone off. There's a microphone on over there
I just noticed, so thank you.
Hopefully my voice is loud enough that you can still hear me.
Thank you.
In terms of core spending, so core spending is the funding we get from the obvious places, so council tax,
business rates and government grants.
There's 49 % council tax, 15 %
from business rates and 36 % from government grants. That's our core spending.
Although a really important point to make that 75 % of our overall income, roughly, comes from income generation.
That's rent from businesses,
industrial and commercial premises, fees and charges including parking,
income from our arms length companies, which include, which is Qualis and TVS.
I should have also said that in terms of some of our government grants, there is a lot of
uncertainty.
While we've been given that three -year settlement this year, we're looking to have a significant
£600 ,000 reduction next year.
And while we benefited from £1 .5 million in extended producer responsibility grant
this year, we don't know what that will be next year.
In terms of reserves, we have £11 million in reserves.
It is really important that we hold on to our reserves for stability, financial stability,
to fund specific key projects and invest to save initiatives, allow us to manage risk
and actually ensure when there are challenges, when there are difficulties like we face this
year, we have the money to do what is right for our residents.
It is always prudent to ensure reserves remain at or above the recommended levels.
And just on revenue and capital, a really important point to make clear, particularly
in light of the Google receipt, is the difference between capital and revenue.
Capital can only be spent on things such as land and infrastructure projects, whereas
revenue covers day -to -day spend.
And as also has been highlighted already by Councillor Murray, the housing revenue account
is very important.
It sits as a separate ring -fenced budget which is mainly funded through tenants' rents and
right to buy receipts and cannot be used to fund any other services.
And as a council, and as any council, you always strive to deliver a balanced budget.
That means income must be equal to expenditure, and I'm pleased to say this budget does exactly
that.
So I will start with the negatives before looking to the positives.
So as we know, we face many challenges as a council, and we're not alone in facing those
pressures.
As has been mentioned this evening, one of the reasons that we are having local government
reform is because of the huge financial pressures on councils across the country and the lack
of sustainability for finances for the long term. Although we are in a slightly stronger
position than many councils because of years of financial prudence. The pressures we face
include inflation, increasing the cost of delivering services, homelessness pressures
which are more significant than ever before, reduction in funding as I mentioned previously
and the volatility of certain income streams. We also face other budget pressures, one to
highlight within this budget is the increased pay agreement. Despite these challenges we
have brought forward a balanced budget. The green waste collection is the most difficult
decision within this budget and something which has been subject to significant debate
in this chamber over many months. In April we are set to bring in a £60 a year charge.
This decision was made reluctantly and quite frankly because there is no longer any other
option. The charge has already been approved through the cabinet process. Epping Forest
is the last council in Essex to introduce this charge. Councils including Lib Dem,
Brentwood and Colchester and Chelmsford have already introduced similar charges in recent
years and they actually all cost more than what we're proposing this evening with £65
in Colchester and a £65 joining fee and £62 in Chelmsford.
The new waste separation laws have significantly increased the cost of this service and we
would have to cover a £1 .2 million to keep providing this for free for residents. This
is not a profit -making exercise. It is purely designed to cover costs. However, of course,
any potential surplus would be dependent on take -up and final costs. If you do not have
a green bin, and this is a really important point, this is an opt -in service you do not
have to pay. This decision protects wider services across the council and ensures fairness
and sustainability when it comes to the collection of green waste. Green garden waste should
be a point that's emphasised. So in terms of delivering value for residents, as I said,
an average Bandy council per taxpayer pays £177 a year.
And for these services you get a whole list of things.
So the highways rangers, I think we're one of the only councils, if not the only council,
to still retain that highways ranger service which help keep our district clean and tidy.
They help restore finger posts, which I know are particularly popular over in Faden boys.
The country care teams who maintain our green spaces.
Community activities for all ages with play in the park
and activities for older residents.
An excellent youth council and their youth vaping report
is currently being recognised across Essex.
An economic development team supporting our high streets
and we still have a museum which sits in a separate trust now
which we fund via a service level agreement.
We also have community hubs providing vital services and support for residents.
And very importantly, as part of this budget and as a result of the debate within scrutiny,
the Citizens Advice Grant will be guaranteed for three years, meaning the charity have
certainty which allows them to provide vital services for residents during the cost of
living crisis.
We will also continue to fund voluntary action Eppin Forest through this budget and we've
provisions for future years. This will be subject to their attendance at scrutiny
and a service level agreement which means we keep talking throughout the
year to ensure best possible value. And in terms of the key headlines what this
council is doing and what this council is doing well we are investing in
Leisure Services. I'm so pleased to see the new Epic Leisure Centre open. I feel
like I've been talking about it for my full 10 years as a councillor and to have
it finally open and I'm actually using it which I probably wouldn't have said
last year either but it is just fantastic and to see the children in
town being able to use the swimming pool is brilliant. And Longa and Loudton
leisure centres have also had significant investment and only a few
years ago we built the brand new Wolf Mabie Centre. Our in -house waste service
is doing extremely well, it's providing reliable collections and ensuring that
all of the residents get their rubbish collected.
And very importantly, we are keeping Northwield flying.
This is a commitment this council has always made.
And through the master planning process,
we're supporting economic growth,
bringing businesses such as Google to the airport.
This ensures the airfield remains sustainable
and it's good to see the popular Northwield market
secured in a new site for years to come.
And we are standing up for our community, as I mentioned, by carefully managing our
reserves when we needed it.
The money was there so we could stand up against this government and call for the closure of
the Bell Hotel through the courts.
And we must not forget that this Council has done more than any other Council in standing
up to the government on this issue, using every democratic, legal and diplomatic lever
available to us.
and we continue to fight following Council's agreement on this issue.
And in terms of the housing revenue account, there is a 30 -year HRA business plan,
and I agree with Councillor Murray.
I am also concerned around some of the capital underspends,
because building Council housing for the future
and having a sustainable Council stock for the future is of vital importance.
It's always been a pride that we put local people first.
you have to have be a resident of Epping Forest
for seven years to be on our council house list.
And it is important that we provide
that affordable accommodation.
And we have had some new council homes in Waltham Abbey
with more to come as well in the coming years.
So to conclude, Chairman, this budget reflects
on our shared priorities.
It's financially responsible.
It protects frontline services.
It invests in our future.
it provides the best possible value for money.
It ensures stability and resilience
in uncertain and ever -changing times.
Epim Forest is a great place to live,
and that is no accident.
It is because we care about our communities
and about delivering value for every pound
of taxpayers' money we spend.
So this is a responsible budget, a prudent budget,
a balanced budget, and above all,
budget about value made under challenging circumstances for the
residents of Eppin Forest. I hope the members will agree to it this evening
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:09:50
thank you. Thank you very much Councillor Holly Whitbread. Do we have any
questions on that report?
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 1:10:02
Councillor Whiskin. Thank you Chairman. I think for the public's benefit we should
expect the bench opposite to recognise that the the green waste bin collection
subscription services actually represents a two and a half percent
increase on a resident in a band D property for a service which is actually
half of what they used to pay for I think that should be recognised by them.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:10:29
Thank you. Any response to that?
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 1:10:33
Thank you. I know Councillor Whiskin's comments. I know we've had conversations. I do not like
bringing in new charges. I do not like bringing in new taxes, but we've tried to prevent this
happening for a long time, and we've got to the point where we feel, and looking at the
budget, and I know it's been through numerous rounds of scrutiny and discussion, that we
longer have a choice. It's important that those who don't currently use it can
opt out and that's a really important point but obviously disappointing that
we have to do it but we're trying to do it at the most reasonable cost possible.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:11:08
Cllr Edward Barnard - 1:11:12
Thank you. Councillor Bernard. Thank you very much Holly.
Council refers to the very clear and detailed statement, including the 11 million pounds
in reserves we have in the budget.
What I would like to pose is also related to green bins, is a discretionary garden waste
subscription concession fund.
We're looking for 5 % of the collected total £55 ,000 for those residents with significant
difficulty in paying this charge.
This would help those really struggling with new charge and we pay for from the transformation
and contingency reserve.
The change I'd like to propose please.
So, Councillor Bernard, are you proposing an amendment?
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:12:08
Do you have a seconder?
Thank you, Councillor Whitehouse.
Councillor Bernard, do you have the amendment in writing, please?
I believe the monitoring officer has it.
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 1:12:22
Can you put it around the chamber?
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:12:25
So, everyone has a copy, yeah.
So, what we're going to do, we're going to put that amendment around the chamber for
everyone to have a copy and pause for a moment for everyone to have a chance to
read it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I have your attention please.
Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:15:50
Okay so I would like to ask Councillor Bernard to read out the amendment please.
Thank you.
Cllr Edward Barnard - 1:15:58
The amendment is further to the representations made by members at meetings of the overview
and scrutiny committee and cabinet.
Insert at the end of recommendation one.
Subject to earmarking 55 ,000 pounds from the transformation and contingency reserve or
provisions to enable the creation of a discretionary garden waste subscription concession scheme
which will enable those who require garden waste collection and have significant difficulty
paying the full charge to apply for a concessionary discount.
Thank you Councillor Bernard.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:16:35
Councillor John Whitehouse as the seconder would you like to speak now or reserve your
right to speak?
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 1:16:42
I reserve my right to speak just a clarification there's been a couple of tweaks to the wording
which I think most members have got in front of them.
Well I hope they've all got them can we confirm that they've all got the same amendment because
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:16:49
otherwise we can't really discuss it.
Did everybody have the same did everybody hear Councillor Bernard what he was saying
that was read from the amendment. Yes? Brilliant. Thank you. So it's now time to
Cllr Stephen Murray - 1:17:07
debate that amendment. Councillor Murray. Yes, thank you, Chairman. This is on the
amendment. I do want to speak on the budget subsequently. I've got a great
deal of sympathy for this amendment and I'm probably still going to support it
But I have to very gently say to my little democratic friends, and they're no more my
friends than friends here and friends there, that I don't think this is the way to go about
it.
It mentions representations made at ONS.
Well, I attend every single ONS.
And yes, there were comments made, but there was never any formal proposal made to pursue
this.
So, you know, I don't know what you mean by representations.
Yes, comments were made by a few members,
but that is not the same as O &S formally voting on a proposal
to introduce this possible amendment.
So I take it that this is really being taken tonight.
And I just don't feel that that's good practise.
We've had a Cabinet meeting that's looked at the budget.
We've had two O &S meetings that have had, looking at the budget.
There's no real figures here.
I mean, how, what do you mean by significant difficulty?
How are you going to measure that?
Now I think I probably know it's going to be someone, it's going to be some kind of
benefit receipt that you're going to use.
But why, why haven't officers been asked to identify which is probably the best benefit
measure to use and then estimate and it would have to be an estimate but it
could be quite a professional estimate to see how many people are likely to then
apply for a discount and what is the discount there's no discount figure here
so I'm going to be perfectly honest to my liberal democratic friends this
strikes me as just an attempt to appear a little bit different at the very last minute.
And I'm putting it very gently. I think every other member might be a little bit rougher
in what they're going to say. So I would have been much more, and I'm likely to still support
this because I have sympathy with the idea, but I would be much more impressed if there
had been a formal attempt to make a recommendation at ONS. To my knowledge, and I think I've
attended all the ONS meetings around the budget because I'm a member, that didn't happen.
I would be much more impressed if the way of measuring the people who would be entitled
to the concessionary discount was within the amendment and that officers had already had
an opportunity to assess what amount of monies might come from transformation and contingency
reserve. And therefore, because none of those three things have been done, one can only
draw the conclusion that the purpose of the amendment is what I've said. But I'm still
probably going to support it. So you could argue that's a vote, that's a speech in favour
of it.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:20:31
Thank you Councillor Murray. Councillor Whitbread and then I have Councillor Morris and McIver.
So Councillor Whitbread.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:20:38
Yeah thanks Chairman and I think probably Councillor Murray's wise words have calmed me down a bit on this amendment.
I have to say the Green Waste Scheme has gone through all the various levels of scrutiny.
It went to Cabinet.
It was called in.
We went through the budget process.
And I didn't hear once a firmed up request like what we've seen
at 5 o 'clock this evening.
So it's really come late in the day.
And my real concern about this, and I believe there is an
element of playing politics on this, God forbid,
is that it's raising the expectations of people without
without actually having a solution to the problem.
It's talking about putting aside £55 ,000 without having a scheme.
Is that £55 ,000 to last over the medium -term strategy?
Well, that's not going to go very far.
Is that £55 ,000 as a start -up, because you may need staffing
for the bureaucracy that will be required for the scheme?
It's not that I haven't got sympathy with a scheme or to
keep looking at how we best do this type of system.
Have, if someone had come forward to me tonight,
because let's be honest, every liberal Democrat council in
Essex runs a scheme similar to this.
If it was such an easy answer to have a scheme for people who
can't afford it, surely they would have gone to one of those
councils and had it ready made for us this evening.
But no, no, nothing.
All we've got is let's put aside £55 ,000.
No problem with that really.
Let's put aside £55 ,000 and one day there will be a scheme.
But in the meantime we'll tell residents that we've put aside £55 ,000 for a scheme.
Doesn't mean anything.
Absolutely nothing at all.
What I would suggest is that this amendment should be null and void almost.
And I will not be supporting it.
What I will be supporting and what I will be asking for
is that we've got the vice -chair of overview and scrutiny behind me this evening, is that
this is referred back to scrutiny. They probably set up a task and finish panel and review
probably the implementation of the Greenways scheme to make sure it's running smoothly
because it's open and transparent that way. But also look at how we could do something
for those people who can't afford it.
So we can better understand how many people are affected,
better understand what bureaucracy will be required
to operate it, and really do something beneficial for people
if it's possible.
This is just plain politics.
It's not about doing the right thing for the residents
of Epping Forest, which is what I believe this budget does
and why there's been so much good, consensual work
in across the chamber to put this budget in place.
We've listened to everything that everyone said,
whether it be on CAB, VAEF, and we've put together what I think
is probably a good budget.
I will talk on it again later.
But I really don't think, members,
this amendment is worthy of its name of being an amendment.
I really think we'd be better this evening to ask overview and
scrutiny to look at the green waste implementation and see
what we can do in the future.
Even if we agree this amendment this evening,
nothing will be in place this year.
It's just raising people's expectations for the sake of a
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:24:14
focus leaflet. Okay thank you. Councillor Morgan. Thank you.
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 1:24:17
Councillor Murray did actually say one of the things I wanted to say about how
do we find out who's the significant difficulty of the people that are really
struggling because I've got people on the estate near me and I cannot believe
they've actually been saving money weekly out of their weekly budget. They've
put a couple of pounds aside weekly so that they'll be able to pay come March
they will be able to pay the £60. I never normally agree with Councillor Whitbread,
but I totally agree with what you said. It should go back to ONS and we should scrutinise
this and come up with a decent plan to look at. This is great and I am in support of the
fact that we should be supporting people and those that are really struggling, but I do
agree with Councillor Whitbread. We do need to go back to ONS and hopefully, as the vice
will be able to put that forward for us to go back to.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor McIver.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:25:14
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 1:25:18
I do wonder how somebody who is genuinely in financial disarray at the moment, perhaps
through no thought of their own, might make of some of the comments that have been made
this evening.
I totally accept that this requires more than a few lines and I don't think the Liberal
Democrat group here are proposing that this is all.
I think the idea is, let's look at an opportunity to earmark some money so that those who are
in genuine financial need might be able to have a future opportunity to get some financial
support, which may be simply halving the expense. It may be something more ambitious, I hope
it might be. The point is, it's about budgeting for that opportunity so it can be explored.
That is my recollection of it. I do believe that, as a Councillor, you have to just deal
with what is in front of you at the time. It would have been nice to have advanced notice
of this, but in a sense we are in a chamber, we are here to do a job, the public payers
to do a job, and we are in the chamber to make a decision. A democratically elected
group have put forward an amendment and I think we should consider it. In considering
it, I absolutely agree that I want to find out why £55 ,000, why can't it be £25 ,000,
why can't it be £30 ,000, where does the figure come from? That is a question that comes to
my mind straightaway is 55 ,000 pounds enough can we fairly distribute that it
is a small amount of funding if it's going to be over a two -year period a
three -year period you know I think there has to be a bit more context to the
figure secondly I don't see the difference between earmark in a million
quid for LGR which let's pray doesn't happen versus 55 ,000 pounds it's a case
of putting aside some money which seems to be available when we want to go up with an
opportunity to cancel elections at speed. It's all right, we can find the money then,
but now we just want to help some people that are financially challenged have a potential
pot of money for the council to use on the event of a resident with serious financial
difficulty. So Madam Chairman, I think I support the principle that the amendment is
I also recognise in our district the pockets of our communities whereby, forget a £60 additional charge, people can't just put food on the table full stop.
You only need to go to the Budworth Hall on a Thursday to see queues and queues of residents.
By the way, not residents in benefits.
And this is the next problem, isn't it?
People with lanyards on their way back from work, with the Princess Alexandra Hospital on their lanyard,
or school logos on their lanyard, working, earning money, still can't put food on the table.
Will they benefit from this scheme? I'm actually inclined to suggest that there are small business owners in this district
who do not receive benefits, but people on benefits earn more than them.
Do they get to qualify for this?
This comes down to the point that really this is a 2 .5 % increase in council tax on top of
the 2 .98%.
This is not just an annual charge.
So what is the alternative?
It is the alternative that we just don't do this, send a message that this chamber doesn't
recognise that these people need this support.
And finally, a point that the leader has made, which I think I will just gently remind the
about is I appreciate the leader says something couldn't be implemented
within a year. I find that very unambitious and unfortunate for
those that might want to be in receipt of such a claim. I'll also gently remind
the leader that after May the 7th this chamber will look very very differently
probably won't be his decision to make probably won't be the current cabinet's
decision to make and therefore perhaps this is a good idea for the new
administration this is a good idea for the new administration to consider after
May. I will be supporting the amendment. It is definitely not
finished. I can remember a lot of teachers saying to me at school, see
me when I used to rush an essay, probably because I was busy trying
to be a youth counsellor at the same time as doing my studies.
Nevertheless, I think this in principle is right. It is not oven
ready. It definitely needs a bit of work. There is time to do the work
between now and May and in the future, new administration will be able
to make a decision on exactly how it is implemented. I will be
supporting the amendment on that basis.
Thank you, Councillor McIvor.
Now I have Councillor McCann and I think
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:29:47
Councillor Whitbread would like to speak
and Councillor Kaufman.
So I'm going, should I go to Councillor Kaufman first?
Okay, Councillor Kaufman.
Thank you Madam Chairman,
I have no intention to speak to this at all,
but I don't think we should have a rushed
ill thought through motion.
Cllr Howard Kauffman - 1:30:01
We need to know if we're gonna make a gesture,
people need help, completely appreciate it,
we need to have the answers.
We have no answers.
Do we need to employ somebody at a hundred thousand pounds a year, fifty thousand, a team to monitor this?
How are we going to work out who qualifies who doesn't?
We need to be clear in our thinking then come back and I think the suggestion has been made be clear in the thinking
What are we going to offer? When are we going to offer it?
How are we going to pay for it? And then we can make a clear decision not just token. We need to know what we're doing
Thank you, Councillor Catherton.
So Councillor McCann.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:30:37
Thank you Madam Chairman.
Cllr Craig McCann - 1:30:40
So we mentioned a couple of times the fact that
you've incited within the proposed amendment that
members at meetings of overview and scrutiny discuss this.
Now I'm the vice chair of overview and scrutiny.
Let's echo the comments made by Councillor Murray.
There were comments made within ONS around the green bins.
but it was never crystallised into concrete proposals.
This figure has never been mentioned within ONS.
So in terms of the provenance of the thinking behind this,
it needs to be really clear that this was not a consensus view
that was articulated within this committee.
I'm going to be voting for the amendment.
I think we owe council taxpayers a level of due diligence.
I like the leader's proposal for this to come to ONS.
I'd be very supportive of that, to actually do some of the hard yards and the thinking
on this.
This feels like back of a fag packet maths in the 11th hour, frankly.
55 ,000, why not 100 ,000?
So they're my thoughts.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Councillor McCann.
Did you want to speak, Councillor Whitbread?
Chairman, I don't think I need to come back here yet.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:31:55
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:31:58
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:31:59
Is there anybody else before I go back to the proposal in seconds, anybody else would
like to join in the debate?
Councillor Lillie.
Cllr Jeane Lea - 1:32:10
Thank you, Chairman. I won't be supporting this, not because I don't think there's lots
of people that are in need, because I actually work very well with local people because I'm
just a local person and lots of people come to me about everything. But when this was
all going through when different things were said about it.
You've got little coronation streets,
and all of those people in that street can share one bin
and share that cost.
So it's not a case of, oh, god, you've got to find 60 quid,
because you haven't.
Some of these little places have got little gardens
about the size of a postage stamp.
And even my garden, which isn't big, I never fill a garden bin.
But I am lucky that I can afford to pay that.
It doesn't mean that I'm loaded
because I can't afford a holiday,
but that's neither here nor there.
But I won't support this.
I can understand us having a fund for something happened
where people are really genuinely in need,
but not to do with the bins, I'm sorry,
because there were so many other options.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Lee.
Oh, was there anybody else that wished to speak
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:33:15
before I go back to Councillor Whitehouse?
Councillor John Whitehouse, did you want to speak at all?
Yes, no, thank you for that.
I didn't make all the open scrutiny meetings,
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 1:33:25
but I made enough and saw enough on the videos
to know that there were concerns raised during that process
about the principle of charging to start with,
about the fact that the charge has been set
at a level greater than the cost of the service,
effectively the council making a surplus out of the service,
and concerns particularly bearing in mind about that,
about the lack of any concessions.
and it's a lack of concessions is what this amendment would address.
And it would be nice if the majority of Oven's Gootenay committee had taken that view,
but the fact it's a minority view does not mean that it's not a justified view.
And I've been pleased to hear people willing the ends that we're trying to achieve,
even if they're not sympathetic to the means.
I mean it would have been preferable if cabinet had listened to the concerns and the leader
... I mean the leader reminded us at the last cabinet meeting that the budget's a live document
until the day of the budget meeting itself and I did sort of hope that meant he'd got
some rabbit up his sleeve on this issue but clearly that's not the case.
What this would do is it would provide funding that enables the council to offer a concession
scheme and full council is not the place to talk through the detailed criteria for a scheme.
But as an example, it would enable a 50 % concession to be granted to 900 people over the next
two years. That is a difference. And people behaved as if this sort of scheme is something
the council is unfamiliar with or would be new to or would need to pay somewhere £100 ,000
pounds to develop.
Every day we have waste officers who make assessments about
whether assisted collection should be granted or whether
larger bins should be provided.
We run discretionary hardship funds.
We run discretionary housing funds.
It is not something that the council is inexperienced at doing.
It's a step forward to have the offer of,
or to have the suggestion over scrutiny looks at this.
If that's the outcome of this meeting,
that will be a positive step forward but I think it's helpful to be able to
allocate some money so that Oven Scrutin has something to work with to
start with and that's what this amendment would do. Thank you very much.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:35:57
Thank you Councillor Whitehouse. Councillor Bernard would you like to add anything else to the debate?
No? Okay okay so we need to vote on this amendment before we can vote on
recommendations one to six of the main report.
So I'm going to go to Gary Woodall to look at the voting.
Thank you, chairman.
Gary Woodhall - 1:36:19
This is recorded vote.
I think most of you are used to a recorded vote.
So you're voting for, against,
or abstaining for the amendment.
So if you're voting for, you're in favour of the amendment.
If you're voting against, obviously you're against.
If you have no view one way or the other or don't wish to vote then abstain.
So I want to hear for, against or abstain please members.
So first person on the list, Councillor Amos.
For.
Councillor Ardacarney.
Against.
Councillor Boulton.
Against.
Councillor Barnard.
Gary Woodhall - 1:37:08
for council Bassett against
council Bromwich councillor Burrows against council Cornish for council
Church against Councillor dad against Councillor George for Councillor Hadley
okay Councillor Heather against Councillor Jones against
Councillor Howard Kaufman. Against.
Councillor Will Kaufman. Councillor Kesker. Against.
Councillor Lee. Against.
Councillor Lyon. Against.
against
Councillor Lucas
against
Councillor Markham
for
Gary Woodhall - 1:38:19
Councillor Matthews
against
Councillor McCann
against
Councillor McIver
for
Councillor Meade
against
Councillor Lisa Morgan
Gary Woodhall - 1:38:36
against
Councillor Richard Morgan
against councillor Morris abstain councillor Murray for cancer and wacky
abstain councillor Owen councillor Parsons against
Councillor Pottel.
Councillor Ponds.
Councillor Pugsley.
Councillor Rackham.
Against.
Councillor Risby.
Councillor Sharif.
Councillor Stocker.
Councillor Sunger.
Councillor Quist Whitbread.
against. Councillor Holy
Whitbread
against.
Councillor Janet Whitehouse
for.
Councillor John Whitehouse
for.
Councillor Williamson
against.
Councillor Whiskin
against.
Councillor Yeryl
abstain.
I will take a few seconds to add that up,
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:39:57
Gary Woodhall - 1:40:20
Okay, Chairman, the results of that vote are 11 in favour of the amendment, 31 against
the amendment, five abstentions, therefore the amendment is lost.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:40:33
Okay, thank you. So that is lost. So we now need to debate the original
recommendations one to six from the budget setting report. Does anybody have
anything to say about that? Councillor Murray. Yes, I'd like to talk to the
Cllr Stephen Murray - 1:40:49
budget just in general terms. Just going back to the amendment and not debating
the amendment, I would like to think that perhaps at some stage there's nothing to
stop ONS having a look at the idea of a concession at some stage.
The Council has voted against the amendment and I understand that, but I'm not necessarily
convinced that that means they're against completely the idea of some kind of concession
at some stage.
That's, you know, people will do what they do in terms of bringing things to ONS.
I just wanted to make a few comments about the budget.
And I was thinking about this at the weekend.
I think this is my 44th budget on the district council.
And this is probably the toughest.
And I have to say, Councillor Holy Whip,
and I don't think it will do you any harm,
but I think you made one of the best speeches I've heard
in a long time in terms of the budget.
96 % of the speech I could have stood up and said,
I probably wouldn't have said it as well as you did,
but I was in agreement with that high percentage.
I'm not going to focus on the 4 % I disagreed with.
I'm going to say 96 % I agreed with.
What I've liked, and I realise that,
and I mean I'm not a complete idiot,
I realise it's because we're living in difficult times,
and we're living with a majority group that has a small majority.
Therefore, in the last few years,
there's been a much more inclusive approach to the budget.
And that has to be welcomed.
And that has been on display this year.
I just wanted to particularly reference
the fact that you have safeguarded CAB.
I used to be a trustee of the CAB,
and I know exactly what they do and what they're delivering.
And within the minutes that we agreed earlier,
Earlier this evening, Councillor McIver had outlined what the CAB had been doing at our
last meeting.
So that was really important.
It's a very small part of the budget, but the clearest example of how the majority group
or the leaders of the majority group that were forming the budget listened to the process
was how we've ended up with the VAEF grant.
The starting position as well,
and I won't go into all the details of the figures,
but the starting position within the budget
was completely unacceptable from O &S's point of view.
What seemed to emerge then at the second meeting of O &S
was an improvement, and what is on the papers tonight
is an even better improvement.
So thank you for the nature that the budget's been conducted in
and I will be supporting the budget.
Thank you.
Is there any other comments?
Councillor John Whitehouse.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:43:58
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 1:44:02
Yes, I think the budget papers, and as we've heard earlier,
have set out very well the challenges that face the council,
particularly things where it's very difficult to manage the
demand like homelessness and the need for temporary accommodation.
And I'm pleased to see there are steps forward to try and see
whether we can avoid having to spend quite so much externally
on very expensive placements and the uncertainty around
local government reform.
I mean, it's come up before, but the fact we've had to put two
million pounds aside or it's been suggested to put two million pounds
aside and haven't been able to break that down into how that's going to be
spent is quite telling you know as is the size of some of the other reserves
contingencies we've put in there's actually more money now in the
transformation reserve than there is in the council's general reserves and
it's going to take careful eye I think on you know where money moves in and out
of that reserve, which is kind of a bit of a catch on in some of the other reserves,
to make sure that as the in -year changes in the budget, they get the right amount of scrutiny
in the same way that budget changes itself do.
But it's also interesting to see how the capital programme is changing, clearly looking towards
local government reorganisation looking towards the way the QALYST's development programmes
are changing. They will all have a sort of material effect on the Council's budget over
the next two years. So I do appreciate the work that officers and members have put into
it. There's plenty in there that we haven't agreed in and we've made clear that with various
votes in the council at this meeting and previous ones there's also stuff in
there which clearly is good to see particularly the VAEF which though as
council always says is very small portion of the overall budget and it
provides important services and I think it is an important reminder that some of
the little things you know just as important as these you know great big
and sums as well and I'll leave it there thank you chairman thank you very much
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:46:27
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 1:46:31
Thank you Madam Chairman. I want to start by just also recognising my support for Voluntary
Action Open Forest but also how much I think they save this authority when it comes to
additional costs that can be caused as a result of people not receiving those services. And
actually as we look ahead to local government reorganisation and we see adult social care,
and SCND and various other very significant departments become part of a unitary authority.
It's organisations like Voluntary Action, Eppin Forest, that are going to really help
us curb the significant demands and pressures in those areas that I still don't think we
will truly understand the weight of, unless of course those that have the honour of being
a County Councillor too will know the sheer ballooning and major overstretch of children's
social services and adult social care.
Organisations like Voluntary Action in Epping Forest are
critical to prevention.
Prevention is key.
And prevention is that bit of the budget in many
organisations that you just sadly don't always get to
because we're so busy curbing demand.
I wanted to touch on firstly, obviously I recognise the
administration doesn't want to introduce those green bin
charges and I think that it's important a message has gone
from this chamber today that we do recognise there are people
that are struggling in our communities,
and therefore we understand and appreciate the need
for there to be an element of support to those residents.
And it's not just the green bin charge,
it's those residents in general,
those residents that literally struggle to make ends meet.
I want to also recognise that of course,
the economic circumstances this country finds itself in
is frightening, and I think that we have seen
in every budget, certainly since I've been a councillor,
the concern about what is happening to the economy and every single budget it seems to
get worse and worse and we must recognise that is not the fault of our excellent officers,
that is not the fault of this council, that is the fault of bad decisions, whether that
be from the Bank of England, the Treasury and of course political decisions that this
Labour government is making to make things even more difficult, including for authorities
with the settlements, including for authorities without a long -term plan for local government.
So I think we must recognise that, and I think most would agree with me that we have handled
those macroeconomic circumstances from the pandemic to the current state of the economy
with as much dignity as possible for a local authority. And that is also as a result of
members' contributions to scrutiny, but also the dedication of our officers, which we must
recognise. The point I do want to just touch on, and it's a cultural issue that I think
we're seeing in local government everywhere, and that is that residents see their bills
going up and we just fail to communicate where that money is going. And we fail to communicate
in a way that people understand what we all understand because we live and breathe it.
And so I want to sort of leave a message of encouragement that I think is very important
as an authority, we use all the things at our fingertips, from our PR, our social media
and our comms team, to make sure people truly understand the pressures the authority faces
and also understand what decisions have been made.
Our residents don't sit and read our minutes and our agendas.
Not everybody will be tuning into this meeting tonight and I think it's very important we
communicate that.
And in our strive to become so paperless, we are leaving a lot of people behind and
And I recognise how easy it is to look at digitalization as a way to make efficiencies
and save money.
And of course we have to adapt to the modern world with AI and great facilities out there
that I hope in the long term will be of benefit to this authority.
But we must remember not everybody in our communities are digitally included.
The strive for paperless society is not helpful.
And I know that because just by delivering, as I do always, a calendar every year with
useful numbers on the back from social services to quality support. How grateful residents
are to get something, they think I am the government because I am a councillor, how
grateful residents are to actually get something that can help them.
I am talking about the budget.
In summary with the budget, I do want to leave on this note, I will be supporting the budget
I think it is very important that this authority communicates to residents who see their bills
going up and up and up, exactly where their money is going and what challenges we face.
The final point I will make Madam Chairman, as we look ahead to LGR, which is in the budget,
as we look ahead to LGR, we must also remember that nobody voted for LGR, nobody voted for
millions to be set aside for it, and we must treat residents with genuine concerns on it
with respect and we also must consider why would an authority with the lowest Council
tax in Essex want to jump in bed with LGR with a big unknown question mark? Nobody has
voted for that. It is costing our residents millions of pounds. Nobody has asked for it.
Nobody has voted for it. Why are we rushing into it? Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor McIver.
Councillor Chris Whitbread.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:51:50
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:51:53
Thank you Chairman. After that diatribe, let's get back to the budget shall we?
I have to say that was the Councillor who's paid least attention to the budget or least attention to what this Council has been doing over the past four years.
Hardly ever attends, hardly attends County, absolutely pointless.
What we have got here is a budget that actually does what it says on the box and delivers for the people of Eppen Forest, the businesses, the people, and will actually keep the Council running and the lights on for the period that it's set out to do.
Times are changing, times are tough.
The pandemic had an impact on national government finances and will have an impact on local government finances for the time being.
What's so good about this budget, and I take on board what Councillor Murray says,
is that we are working together as a council to deliver.
And that's what's most important.
Most of us in this room have played an active part in putting this budget together, whether
it be going to the workshops that have been run by officers, or whether they've been to
the overview and scrutiny meetings, joint cabinet meetings, and played their active
part in bringing things forward.
And that's what's really important to this council.
This evening is about tying up the loose ends
of the financial package that we have before us,
and that has been done.
What I do think we should add
to the recommendations this evening
is one in particular that does deal with green waste.
And it does say that this council will refer
the green waste to overview and scrutiny to look again
at whether or not there is the potential
for a concessionary scheme.
But make sure that it's properly thought through
and bring it back to cabinet so we can look at it.
And I think if we can put some words into a recommendation
that this council will ask for the overview and scrutiny
to look at the concessionary scheme in the future
for the green bin scheme, but also to look at the implementation to make sure that it
runs smoothly when it's implemented.
And I think we'll meet Councillor Murray's approval that that will actually get looked
at and we will deliver it in the coming year as we move forward.
Of course there's decisions to be made.
It's never that easy to do these things, but at least then we've done what we said we would
do and we've asked as a listening council, we're asking overview and scrutiny just to
look again and see if there's anything we can do. Members this is a good budget, I pay
tribute to Hollywood Bread for delivery of it, it's a sound budget, it's what we need
for Epping Forest and I thank all members for their participation and I in particular
thank all officers across the council, the finance team have been absolutely brilliant
as always, but all officers have been engaged in this budget making process.
It has been tough, but we've got it done and we've done it with as little impact to the
Council as absolutely possible.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:55:07
Barbara Beardwell - 1:55:23
I think we've got an amendment on the table members so have we got a seconder for it?
Councillor Matthews, yes, you're the seconder.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:55:32
Should I read out what I think the amendment is?
Barbara Beardwell - 1:55:34
That this Council will refer the Green Waste Scheme to overview and scrutiny to look again
to see if there's potential for a concessionary Green Bin Scheme and also the implementation
of the Green Waste Scheme.
Councillor Matthews, do you want to speak now or do you want to reserve your right to
speak?
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:55:58
Thank you, Chair.
Happy to second that.
Cllr Tim Matthews - 1:56:04
I think that is a really sensible approach from what we have heard this evening.
I just wanted to say I thought the budget was very well put forward and delivered exceptionally
well by my colleague, Councillor Hollywood, this evening.
I think it really goes to show that when the Council does work together that we can really
achieve some some some good results for the the members of this district you
know for the last two years this budget has received unanimous support and I
think it's fair to say there has been an element of party politics this evening
and I hope that won't continue to creep into the vote for this budget because I
think everyone has had a huge chance and a huge say in putting it together and I
think we've heard high praise from across the board this evening already so
I would be very pleased to see three straight years of a unanimous budget supported.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Matthews.
Is there anybody who would like to comment on that recommendation?
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:56:59
Councillor Rackham.
Thank you.
Cllr Sheree Rackham - 1:57:05
I would just like to say that I think that the budget has been very well delivered this
year.
I thank the officers, thank the staff, I thank the cabinet in a very, very difficult situation
that we have got to deal with.
and I'm fully supportive of bringing back the green waste proposal to
overview and scrutiny to see if there is anything we can do for residents going
forward so thank you for putting that forward tonight.
Councillor O 'Brien.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:57:33
Cllr Michael Owen - 1:57:35
Thank you, just a point of order. Will it then come back to Council for approval after ONS or does it go to cabinet?
Councillor Whitburn.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:57:42
Thank you I believe it will come to cabinet as an executive decision.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:57:45
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:57:47
Is there anybody else would like to comment on that amendment that we just
read out? Just for the sake of good order if a recommendation is going to be made
Cllr Howard Kauffman - 1:57:56
we need to know how we would administrate it and what it would cost
so that should be part of the the amendment so it's a properly costed
a recommendation? I think members as the amendments were there
Barbara Beardwell - 1:58:15
the ONS will look at the potential and that would include everything. I don't think we
need to be specific about that here. It would be part of looking at the potential.
Councillor Janet Whitehouse. Thank you, Chairman. Can we hear the amendment
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:58:28
again before we put ours out so we knew exactly what it was?
Cllr Janet Whitehouse - 1:58:30
Can we read that out again?
Barbara Beardwell - 1:58:35
This council will refer the green waste scheme to overview and scrutiny to look again to
see if there is potential for a concessionary green bin scheme and also the implementation
of the green waste scheme.
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:58:55
okay right any other comments or anything else anyone wants to say about
that amendment before we vote on it and council did you want to say anything
else before we have a chairman chairman I'm happy for it to take be taken on
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:59:11
block with the other recommendations if necessary we need to vote on the
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:59:17
Gary Woodhall - 1:59:22
amendment first. Fine, that's fine. Thank you chairman. So again the same as last
time you are either for the amendment, against the amendment or abstaining if I
could ask you to use one of those three words please. So starting at the top
Councillor Ramos.
Four.
Councillor Ardacarney.
Four.
Councillor Bolkcom.
Four.
Councillor Barnard.
Four.
Councillor Bassett.
Four.
Gary Woodhall - 1:59:55
Councillor Bromwich.
Four.
Councillor Burrows.
Four.
Councillor Cornish.
Four.
Councillor Church.
Four.
Councillor Dadd.
4. Councillor George. 4. Councillor Hadley. 4. Councillor Heather. 4.
Councillor Jones. 4. Councillor Howard Kaufman. 4. Councillor Will Kaufman. 4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
for councillor Murray for councillor and wick a for councillor Owen
councillor Parsons for councillor Patel councillor pond only one vote councillor
Con advantages hear they are on display.
Councillor Wiskin?
4
Councillor Yerol?
4
And that, Chairman, is unanimous.
47 -0
That becomes recommendation 7.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:02:05
So we vote on them 1 to 7 now.
We are now going to go to 4.
And the substantive vote, yeah.
So it's 1 to 6 on the papers plus the amendment which is now recommendation 7.
Right councillors, okay so that's carried.
and that will be number recommendation seven
on the original recommendations of one to six.
Before we go to the vote for the recommendations
of one to six, is there anybody that would like
to say anything else or has anything to say
regarding the budget setting reports?
No?
So it's on Council recommendations one to seven now.
So we can now, oh did you want to speak,
Councillor Whitford?
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 2:02:54
Thank you Chairman. I was just going to very briefly sum up and just thank members for the debate this evening.
I think it's been a very constructive discussion and I would also like to thank the Liberal Democrat group for bringing forward their amendment and the
compromised position that we have in sending that to overviews and scrutiny.
I think it's one we all sympathise with but obviously with budgets you have to make sure the details there
and I hope ONS now have a full look at this.
I think this is a strong budget, a balanced budget under very difficult circumstances
and I hope that members can support it this evening.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:03:27
So we're now going to take the Budget Setting Report to the vote.
Recommendations 1 to 7, the 7th being the amendment we just voted on.
Okay, everyone clear?
Brilliant.
So Gary Woodhill, you're taking us through the vote again.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chairman.
So now we're voting on the substantive motion as amended as the chairman has outlined.
Gary Woodhall - 2:03:50
So again just like the last two votes. Can you please say whether you are for the budget against the budget as amended or abstaining.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
4.
Gary Woodhall - 2:04:25
Councillor Hadley.
For.
Councillor Heather.
For.
Councillor Jones.
For.
Councillor Howard Kaufman.
For.
Councillor Will Kaufman.
For.
Councillor Keska.
For.
Councillor Lee.
For.
Councillor Lyon.
For.
Councillor Lucas.
For.
Councillor Markham.
For.
Councillor Matthews.
For.
4.
Councillor McCann.
4.
Councillor McIver.
4.
Councillor Mead.
4.
Councillor Lisa Morgan.
4.
Councillor Richard Morgan.
4.
Councillor Morris.
4.
Councillor Murray.
4.
Councillor Nwaki.
Gary Woodhall - 2:05:17
4.
Councillor Owen.
4.
Councillor Parsons.
4.
Councillor Patel.
4.
Councillor Ponds.
Councillor Pugsley.
Councillor Rackham.
Councillor Risby.
Councillor Sharif.
Councillor Stocker.
Councillor Sunger.
Councillor Chris Whitbread.
Councillor Holly Whitbread.
Councillor Janet Whitehouse.
Councillor John Whitehouse.
Councillor Williamson. Councillor Whiskin.
Councillor Yerrel. That's the unanimous chairman, 47 -0.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:06:10
Thank you. Great. So what I propose, it's now six minutes past nine. I think we need
a five -minute comfort break because you can't sit for more than two hours without stretching
your legs. I think that's important. So we're having a five -minute comfort break. I'll say
come back at 12 minutes past 9. Thank you.

12 Budget Setting 2026/27 & the Medium Term Financial Plan 2026/27 - 2028/29

I think there's a few people we're waiting for but let's start.
Just knock them into shape.
Ha ha ha ha.
Let's not be too harsh.
Ha ha ha. Yeah!
Right everybody, it's now 12 minutes past nine.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:07:05
So hopefully everyone's coming back to their seats now.
Great. And we're going on to agenda item 13 now.
Which is the council tax setting.

13 Council Tax Setting 2026/27

26 to 27 which can be found on pages 170 to 178 of the agenda. So I'm going to now ask
Councillor Holly Whitbrest to present her report please.
Thank you Chairman I'll keep this one brief and hope members had an opportunity to look
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 2:07:39
at this report but this is the official setting of council tax and list the setting for all
authorities, the budget we have decided here this evening,
and then the county council, the police and crime commissioner,
as well as parish councils.
I know Councillor Murray often makes the comments around how
high some parish councils are.
So I'll let him do that, although I would say
the difference is it is quite, for some parish councils,
it's very close to what we're paying for district now.
And it is a point to think on, I think.
but I put those papers forward for people to approve this evening.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Do we have any questions?
Councillor Murray.
Yes, thank you Madam Chair.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:08:24
There's a number of points I could make, but I'm going to limit myself, discipline myself
Cllr Stephen Murray - 2:08:27
and make just one comment.
I'm a proud member of Louton Town Council.
If I was being honest, I think I prefer to be a member of the town council than I am
the district council.
We're 30 years old this year, and I think I've managed 26 of those 30 years.
So I'm a proud member of the town council.
But if you look at page 176, and I do accept that they are completely sovereign bodies,
and they've not done anything illegal, I just do find it quite disturbing that we still
have three town councils.
And I'm not going to name and shame, because it's not necessarily about shame.
and I'm certainly not going to name them but we do have three town councils who
think that it's appropriate to set a parish charge of over a hundred pounds
and I mean well over a hundred pounds not you know one hundred and one pounds
and I just find that you know, Loughton won't be going there.
How do you know?
If I have anything to do with it.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:09:35
Right thank you.
Is there anybody else that would like to make any comments on that council tax setting report?
No?
Okay.
So members if there's no more questions we will go to a recorded vote on the recommendations
one and two A to I in this report.
So again, Mr Woodall, can you guide us through that vote, please?
Thank you, Chairman. I think we're all getting used to this now.
Gary Woodhall - 2:10:05
So again, it's just either for, against or abstain.
Councillor Amos.
For.
Councillor Ardercarnie.
For.
Councillor Bolkcom.
For.
Councillor Barnard.
For.
Councillor Bassett.
For.
Councillor Bromwich.
4.
Councillor Burrows.
4.
Councillor Cornish.
4.
Councillor Church.
4.
Councillor Dadd.
4.
Councillor George.
4.
Councillor Hadley.
4.
Councillor Heather.
4.
Councillor Jones.
4.
Councillor Howard -Coffman.
4.
Councillor Will Coffman.
4.
Councillor Kesker.
4.
4.
Councillor Lee.
4.
Councillor Lyon.
4.
Councillor Lucas.
4.
Councillor Markham.
4.
Councillor Matthews.
4.
Councillor McCann.
4.
Councillor McIver.
4.
Councillor Mead.
4.
Councillor Lisa Morgan.
4.
Councillor Richard Morgan.
4.
Councillor Morris.
4.
Councillor Murray.
4.
Councillor Lueb.
Councillor and Wicke for Councillor Owen Council Parsons for Council Patel Council pond.
Council Pugsley Council Rackham for Council Rizvi Council Sharif Council Stoker Council Sangha
4. Councillor Chris Whitbread. 4. Councillor Holly Whitbread. 4.
Councillor Janet Whitehouse. 4. Councillor John Whitehouse. 4.
Councillor Williamson. 4. Councillor Whiskin. 4. And Councillor Yerrel. 4.
That's unanimous again, Chairman. 47 -0. Thank you very much.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:12:20
We go on to agenda item 14 now, which is the review of officer employment rules and designation

14 Review of Officer Employment Rules & Designation of Statutory Officers

of statutory officers, which can be found on pages 179 to 219 of the agenda.
I am now going to ask Councillor Alleline to present that report.
Thank you, Chairman.
My chance to speak.
Cllr Alan Lion - 2:12:41
This report is produced for the Constitution Working Group and we did actually review this
in detail.
It is the employment rules for senior officers.
It has been discussed and it is brought to you as the Council to agree.
and the reservation by the monitoring officer to bring the changes into the constitution.
So I won't dwell any more.
If there are any questions, happy to deal with them myself or the monitoring officer
may be able to help.
But thanks to Angela McKeon and Barbara Bairdwell for the work that was done in preparing this
report.
So recommendations one to three.
Can I have your agreement to those?
Is there any questions? The rule agrees.
No comment.
The rule agrees.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:13:44
Okay, so agenda item 15 on the agenda is motions.
So Mr Woodall, do we have any motions this evening?
Not tonight Chairman.

15 Motions

Agenda item 16 is a report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

16 Overview and Scrutiny Committee

So can I ask Councillor Craig McCann to present that report please.
Thank you Madam Chairman.
Cllr Craig McCann - 2:14:09
The Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny gives his apologies and he has again given me a
script from which I will not deviate.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met early in February.
A quarter three budget monitoring report was scrutinised before consideration of the medium
term financial plan and budget setting.
The meeting was well attended and the committee members and other councillors present recognised
the new parameters of government funding and financial pressures faced by the council.
The committee voiced strong support for the Citizens Advice Bureau and for VAEF's community
value and we've touched upon that this evening.
The organisational performance of the council was also discussed at the meeting, as was
fly tipping, which is close to my ward colleagues hearts
at the moment, a significant issue for us.
It was raised with major concern across the district,
particularly for our rural areas.
And this issue will be given further consideration
at the place scrutiny meeting on the 17th of March.
Both the communities and place scrutiny committees,
as well as ONS, have continued to deliver
against their respective work programmes
and have had valuable input into a wide range of policies and I believe has strengthened
the decisions made by the Cabinet. TfL attended the Place Scrutiny meeting in January and
the feedback from this meeting was positive, much better than the last one. All the scrutiny
committees have one final meeting left this year and as always all members are welcome
to attend. I'd also like to remind you that you can put forward any items to be considered
for inclusion in the work programmes for the next year.
And we've already had one this evening.
One final comment.
The final overview and scrutiny meeting
is a meeting that's well worth attending
as the Youth Council will be there.
And the enthusiasm and ability of this group
of young adults is usually inspirational.
So if you can come along on the 14th of April, please do.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Councillor McCann.
I have Councillor Murray's hands up.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:16:24
If there's any other questions whilst Councillor Murray's talking, if you could put your hands
up and let us know.
Thank you, Chairman.
I did want to just comment on the ONS report because when you have a cabinet system of
Cllr Stephen Murray - 2:16:32
administration, the ONS function is incredibly important.
Obviously, we've seen within the budget debate how ONS played a really important and influential
role in the budget this year over our two meetings.
I would also like to echo how useful I thought the London Transport TFL meeting was.
Certainly the same gentleman who came along this year was a new, improved version who
had actually obviously read the question that had been submitted beforehand and actually
had some answers.
Obviously, we need to try and quantify some outcomes, but it was a much more constructive
meeting.
And that was also very much due to the spirit in which Councillor Parsons chaired that meeting.
So within the wider forum of the full Council, I would like to thank Councillor Parsons again
in the manner in which he chaired that meeting.
It was absolutely excellent.
If I can just reference two other things at our last ONS meeting.
We also received reports from key projects and I'm not going to go into
the details I did at ONS but it's not appropriate to do that tonight. We
monitored the Broadway enhancement scheme and that's going very well but
there was a particular issue that arose with a large number of residents the
Friday before Christmas and of course the council more or less closed down
the next week. Within the first week of January, the officer dealing with that project had
organised a meeting where the residents could meet with our officers, our consultants and
the contractor. So I was very impressed there. Councillor McCann has quite rightly referenced
to the Youth Council, I will also add, if members aren't aware, that the Youth Council
is coming to an end in the sense of the current Youth Council. So this will be our last opportunity
to meet the current Youth Council. The schools, as soon as they go back after half term, are
having their voting days and are electing new representatives. And the final point I
make and it's really a plea to two groups in this chamber. We've heard about
the success of the Epping Sports Centre and being a bit cheeky I invited myself
on the Friday after it was opened because I was a bit annoyed to be honest
that I wasn't invited on the Monday so you know I can cope with that but I
invited myself on the Friday afternoon and I was taking round even went on the
and I was really, really impressed.
But I really want to just make a plea
to two major groups within this council
with the events that are coming up towards May.
The Epping Sports Centre is a success for the council.
An overview and scrutiny played a key role
in scrutinising the project as well.
Every single group, every single councillor in this chamber
has supported the Epping Sports Centre.
So it doesn't belong to this group
when we run up to the election,
and it doesn't belong to this group
which we run up to the election.
I'm sure you agree with me, Chairman,
it belongs to all of us,
and it's a collective success
for the benefit of the residents.
Thank you very much, Councillor Murray.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:20:12
Okay, do we have any other comments or questions
Cllr Sheree Rackham - 2:20:22
regarding the report. Councillor Rackham. Thank you to our Vice -Chair. I'd also like to thank
the Chairman who isn't here tonight. He's done an excellent job this year so I'd like to put
that on record that I'm very grateful to have him as the Chair and obviously you as the Vice -Chair.
I'd also like to say how impressed I am with the Youth Council and I would urge everybody who can
be there to be there and also I'd like to say it's an honour to be on overview
and scrutiny because that's what we're there what we're here to do is to
scrutinise the decisions that are made by the council so if anyone does get the
chance or they're not sure that they'd like to do it and they're still here
after May which I hope we all are then please put your name forward to do any
sort of scrutiny that we've got here we've heard tonight how important it is
how it does actually you know make a lot of difference that the decisions that
made and you know how important it is for our residents so thank you. Thank you
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:21:24
Councillor Rackham. Are there any questions or comments? Oh Councillor Whitburn yeah.
Thank you chair, probably more of a comment and just to thank the overview
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 2:21:31
and scrutiny on both the stack panels and the main panel because the work
has really paid off this year and I think the outward folks now bringing in
Transport for London has really brought the scrutiny back to where it should be
and I think that should be applauded.
Councillor Murray, you needn't worry,
as you heard me say earlier on this evening,
actually it's a whole team thing.
And I was very clear about that earlier on.
Everyone's played their part in delivering the sports centre
not least our in -house staff.
And I think that has to be recognised.
But just a brilliant year for overview and scrutiny.
The transport piece was really interesting.
very well chaired meetings both for place and communities and for the
scrutiny panel itself so we are very lucky and I think scrutiny has come of
age. Thank you so it seems there's no more questions or comments if there's no
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:22:28
more questions or comments can we note that report please? Thank you. So agenda
item 17 is the joint arrangements and external organisations do we have any

17 Joint Arrangements & External Organisations

Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 2:22:49
members that wish to report on anything of that kind this evening? Thank you, Councillor
Mc
on that please do feel to approach me as a representative I can't thank the team
enough for the work that they are doing and how they personally help so many of
my own residents. Thank you very much. Is there any other reports?
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:23:22
Councillor Murray. Thank you chairman I am aware of the lateness of the hour but you will
Cllr Stephen Murray - 2:23:26
realise you will realise when I've finished why I want to give this report
I'm I represent the council on the Road in Valley Meadow Nature Reserve and I
I think the reason why I wanted to give a report tonight is first of all they've published
their annual report for 2025 and just in case you didn't clock it on the 20th of January
I circulated the annual report to all members with a brief description so I wanted to reference
their annual report.
I just wanted to remind members how significant the Roly Valley Meadows Nature Reserve is.
It's by far the largest reserve in Eppenfoy. It's 67 hectares, so it is massive.
Farmers will know what a hectare is. It's absolutely massive.
It includes triple SI, so a site of special scientific interest.
A lot of the fields have the highest designation possible.
We are the freeholder of most of the fields, and the Grains Farm Trust also own a few fields
within the boundary of the nature reserve.
And the third reason why I wanted to reference it tonight
before we go home is like Country Care,
Essex Wildlife Trust, who managed it on our behalf,
have been managing it on our behalf since 1986.
So therefore, they are also celebrating
40 years of management, and they are holding
some kind of celebratory event.
Who's going to be invited?
I don't know.
Obviously, I would expect the chairman and vice chairman to be invited, but I thought
it was worth sharing that.
EWT have actually done a good job over 40 years.
That doesn't mean they've made every decision that's correct, but they've done a good job
on that reserve.
Thank you, chairman.
Thank you very much, Councillor Murray.
So no other reports for agenda 17.
Cllr Louise Mead - 2:25:21
we're going to go on to agenda item 18 now which is the exclusion of public

18 Exclusion of Public and Press

and press so under section 100 a4 of the local government Act 1972 the public
compress should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set
out below on grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt
information as defined in the following paragraphs of part 1 of schedule 12a of
the Act as amended or are confidential under section 100A2.
So members, do I have your agreement to exclude the press and public from the remainder of
this meeting?
Cllr Raymond Balcombe
District councillor for Rural East ward
Conservative Party
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District councillor for Epping East ward
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District councillor for Roydon and Lower Nazeing ward
Conservative Party
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Barbara Beardwell
Monitoring Officer & Strategic Legal Advisor
Epping Forest District Council
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Cllr Howard Kauffman
District councillor for Loughton St John's ward
Loughton Residents Association
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Cllr Paul Keska
District councillor for Ongar ward
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Cllr Maria Markham
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Cllr Chris Pond
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District councillor for Loughton Roding ward
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Cllr Razia Sharif
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Cllr Chris Whitbread
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Cllr Janet Whitehouse
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Cllr Jon Whitehouse
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District councillor for Loughton St John's ward
Loughton Residents Association
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Gary Woodhall
Team Manager - Democratic and Electoral Services
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