AFTER hearing about scathing criticism from local media editors about Thurrock Council's communications policy and its confrontation with democracy, senior councillors have delayed approval of a new strategy and instructed officers to liaise with the press to ensure things in the borough improve.

Last week saw the outline of a new communications strategy for the council brought before two council committees.

On Tuesday members of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny committee were given a detailed presentation about the planned new strategy by its service strategic lead and its director of communications.

After 'highlighting achievements' in a presentation about performance in 2020/21 Strategic Lead Mary Patricia Flynn ran through the proposals ahead in her report to the O&S committee.

But she broadly papered over many of the criticisms of the service highlighted in a review undertaken last year which damned many aspects of the council's communications performance, both internally and externally.

Director of Strategy, Engagement and Growth, Karen Wheeler, also appeared to be trying to paint a bullish picture, despite criticisms when she addressed the committee.

However, committee chair Cllr Sue Little appeared less than impressed and immediately presented a number of questions, but her low-key antipathy to the report was dwarfed by criticism from Cllr John Kent, who passed on to the committee the view of the editor of the Your Thurrock news service, Michael Casey.

Mr Casey thoroughly damned the council's communications strategy, saying: "I consider 'Your Thurrock' to be a media partner with Thurrock CCG, Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions, Grays Athletic, Lakeside regional shopping centre and Essex Police among others.

"This is not about commercial partnerships but about a relationship. Whether it is picking up the phone or email conversations we value each other.

"We have no such relationship with Thurrock Council.

"In many ways their approach to media communications during Covid was nothing short of a disgrace and in many ways summed up their attitude to communications. Everything is on their terms which by its very definition is not ... communciation.

"If there was the local government equivalent of Alex Polizzi (The Hotel Inspector) I believe that after a week of working with Thurrock Council and looking at their comms she might well conclude: 'You don't seem to like it here. And if you do, you don't convey that in your comms. There is no joy, no uplift, no sunny uplands.'

"Thurrock Council communications team and this report shows that they still (and may never) get the balance right as they believe that they are at the centre - not the people of the borough.

"In some CQC or Ofsted reports, inspectors often mark that the organisation appears to be there at the convenience of the organisation first and then the clients.

"Until Thurrock Council come to the realisation that that sums them up too then this process is just one big denial. What you may need is an intervention."

And, though the committee went on simply to note the report, 24 hours later members of the cabinet were forthright in their view that things were not acceptable. And they have intervened accordingly.

Cllr Jack Duffin, the portfolio holder for central services, said while communications was going in the right direction and 'there is lots of amazing stuff going on within Thurrock' there were issues of partnership with outside bodies.

In particular he recommended that: "We ask officers to go away and engage with local media and any media that engages with Thurrock on a regular basis, and speak to them about what we are putting forward here, because we want the idea that we all work together moving forward.

"We will look to bring this back ideally in a month's time so it's not a long drawn out process, but we want to engage with local media and get their feedback on this and have that before we move forward. Ideally it will be a month but if it takes two that's OK.

Cllr Shane Hebb, who was present at Tuesday's O&S meeting which he said contained some 'really good aspirational stuff' welcomed the delay and seeking engagement with local media. He said: "Sometimes it worth a pause before you put your foot on the gas and say you are going to do this, so let's engage with some people who have passion for the area as we do and have that exercise and go forward, not back."

Council leader Rob Gledhill was clear there needed to be a more pro-active performance from the council, saying 'the game needs to change' and he reworded the recommendation before the committee saying that before the media and communications strategy was finalised, the council would engage with media partners and bring back a revised report to the cabinet.

Thurrock Nub News editor Neil Speight, who has been a harsh critic of the council, says: "I have worded my views to members of the O&S committee in an email which I am sure gave them and cabinet food for thought.

"In recent months and years the council's communications strategy has been contemptuous of the media and the people of Thurrock. I now have some hope that change may happen but like my colleagues and fellow editors in the regional media, who share a common frustration with Thurrock Council, we will now await developments."