Power sharing arrangements agreed
A new power sharing arrangement has been agreed by Leaders of the two parties of Castle Point Borough Council.
The deal will see the People’s Independent Party (PIP) and the Canvey Island Independent Party (CIIP) work together for the benefit of all residents.
It follows the elections on 2 May, which saw the PIPs take 24 of the 39 seats on the Council and members of the CIIP elected to the remaining 15.
It builds on the parties’ previous two years of collaboration during which time they jointly formed the administration.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Leaders of both parties, Cllr Dave Blackwell (CIIP) will remain Leader of the Council and Cllr Warren Gibson (PIP) will remain Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning. The PIP will hold five of the seats on Cabinet with the CIIP holding the remaining three.
All positions are currently subject to ratification at Full Council on 22 May when the new Cabinet Portfolio Holders will be confirmed.
Speaking after signing the agreement Cllr Warren Gibson said: “This agreement is based on a strong bond forged from the common purpose both our parties share.
“It is a demonstration of the strength of our partnership that we have agreed that the Leader of the smaller of the two coalition partners will continue as Leader of the Council.
“Our focus is ensuring we deliver for our residents and continue to build on our work over the past two years.
“"We are very aware that Castle Point Borough Council now has no obvious opposition party and we remain committed to accountability and scrutiny through continued transparency and regular engagement with residents.”
Cllr Dave Blackwell added: “Our new agreement builds upon the good joint working which has been the hallmark of the previous coalition and will ensure the Council is able to continue its transformation and focus on service delivery to residents.”