A LEADING Thurrock councillor has conceded the authority has a significant problem with its communications strategy and he has told the BBC's local democracy reporting service: "It starts from the top."

Cllr Mark Coxshall was speaking in the wake of a number of criticisms of the authority from councillors from across the political spectrum of the authority who say they are frequently kept in the dark by a lack of response to internal enquiries to the democratic services department and by a lack of communication with the media and the wider Thurrock public.

The issue was highlighted by the lack of communication over the council's new civic offices extension, which was supposed to be open and ready to host last night's (Wednesday, 27 January) full council meeting.

However, it is far from finished – as reported on Thurrock Nub News earlier this month

Speaking at a recent corporate overview and scrutiny committee meeting, Cllr Coxshall, who is responsible for regeneration, strategic planning and external relations, said: "I'm really disappointed. I was hoping we were going to be in the new civic offices by the end of the month.

"It looks like we can't be due to covid and furniture but we will moving forward into the civic offices in February."

John Kent, leader of the Labour group, has been a frequent critic over the lack of communication to councillors. He said: "We had an email this saying the next council meeting won't be in the new offices. That's the first communication that members have had at all. I was expecting to be in there because nobody has told me we wouldn't be. There's been nothing coming out to members at all.

In response, Mr Coxshall said: "It starts from the top. I'm not denying there is an issue with communications, internal to keep members updated or external relations. It's a small example but it goes wider."

The council's communications strategy has been the subject of contention between Nub New editor Neil Speight and other members of the authority, with Mr Speight being 'banned' and told he will no longer get any answers to questions.

That should have been the subject of a number of questions and debates at last night's meeting of the full council, but despite acknowledging the problem, Cllr Coxshall was among the Conservative members who had a majority and voted to curtail the council meeting before any of those questions, or discussion on communications and Nub News, could happen.

An independent peer group review of the council's communications strategy in 2020 identified a number of problems with the authority's internal and external communications strategies, but few of the recommendations made have been put in place.

Cllr Coxshall was not among those senior council figures included in the peer review, but among those 'at the top' of the council hierarchy who were, were CEO Lyn Carpenter, director of communications Karen Wheeler and council leader Cllr Rob Gledhill.