THURROCK Council's leader has responded positively to initiatives around handing back more power to local authorities.

On the day when the new Labour government's policies were showcased in the King's speech at Westminster (Wednesday, 17 July), Thurrock Labour leader Cllr John Kent responded publicly to a letter he has received from new Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner.

She has written to regional council leaders outlining the government's thoughts regarding devolution in local government.

Cllr Kent said: "I was delighted to receive such an early indication of the new Deputy Prime Minister's clear commitment to pushing power out of Whitehall to the regions, acknowledging that councils are best-placed to drive the kind of inclusive economic growth that our communities want and need.

"Thurrock is a place of great opportunity, nestled on the Thames just a few miles outside London, and we believe we are in a unique position to help unlock the economic potential of our wider region, working closely with our neighbours Essex County Council and Southend on Sea City Council, as well as the many district councils in the county.

"We are already considering with partners the proposals we want to submit to the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of our residents and businesses, which will no doubt focus on growing our economy, addressing the housing crisis and upskilling our workforce – missions we share with the Government.

"We look forward to seeing the plans laid out in more detail and look forward to working with the Government on making Thurrock and the wider Essex region an even better, more thriving, place to live and work."

This evening Cllr Kent's will be focused on the financial challenges facing the council. At the first cabinet meeting of the new Labour administration, details will be shared of the past final year's performance, which fell below expectoins.

The council, which is effectiveley managed by governmetn-appointed commisioners after its much publicised financial collapse following huge, ill-judged investments, and there are significant pressures on how much it can spend and what budget expections the government has.

This evening will hear a report on the 23-24 fiancial year and the fact that that the government had to pump more money into bailing out Thurrock than it initially expected.

The provisional financial outturn report shows financial support required from central Government was estimated to be £180.2 million as part of the 2023/24 agreed budget. However, it has emeregd an additional £26.5 million was required.

However, it should not present any short term problems, as commissioners say the Secretary of State "was minded to approve" financial support as long as it did not exceed £234.5 million for 2023/24.

They said: "The capitalisation request, whilst clearly very significant at £206.7million, remains within the amount sought from the Secretary of State. Thurrock has also delivered on its savings plans and controlled its core directorate expenditure within budget during 2023/24.

"Clearly continuing to sustain both savings plans and income raising strategies are a cornerstone to future sustainability. There are areas that require immediate focus. The slippage on the capital programme is of concern and an action plan should be built and reported into the Finance Recovery Board.

"Likewise, any service areas that have overspent need a focus on recovery to ensure that these do not recur into 2024/25 and are put into sustainable position."