How decisions are made

Find out about decision making, council meetings, committees and our constitution

The Cabinet

The Leader of the Council chooses up to nine other councillors to become Cabinet Members. Each of these Cabinet Members looks after particular services and have specific responsibilities.

The Cabinet normally meets 11 times a year. These meetings take place in County Hall in Chelmsford and are open to the public. You can also watch on our ECC Democracy YouTube channel.

A typical Cabinet meeting includes discussion of key issues across members’ areas of responsibility, recommendations to Full Council about policy or the budget and any urgent issues that have come up.

Cabinet Member decisions

Cabinet Members can take decisions about matters within their area of responsibility, as long they don't go against council policy.

Decisions that have a significant impact on spending or services are known as Key Decisions. These have to be published in the Council's Forward Plan before being acted upon.

All decisions are subject to a three-day call-in period. This means that if a councillor on a Scrutiny Committee asks for the decision to be reversed or reviewed it must be looked at by a Committee.

Members of the Cabinet

Member Area of responsibility
Kevin Bentley Leader of the Council
Louise McKinlay Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Levelling Up, Communities and Business Engagement 
Beverley Egan Children’s Services and Early Years
John Spence Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration
Tony Ball Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability
Lee Scott Planning a Growing Economy
Christopher Whitbread The Chancellor of Essex
Tom Cunningham Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport
Peter Schwier Climate Czar and Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction and Recycling
Mark Durham The Arts, Heritage and Culture

Deputies to Cabinet Members

Graham Butland Deputy to the Leader with principal accountabilities on Devolution
Derrick Louis Deputy to the Leader with principal accountabilities on Transformation
Lesley Wagland Deputy to the Leader with principal accountabilities on Major Infrastructure Projects and Freeports
Holly Whitbread Deputy to the Leader with principal accountabilities on Highways Communications
Mark Platt

Deputy to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Levelling Up, Communities and Business Engagement and Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport

Lynnette Bowers-Flint

Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Early Years
Jane Fleming Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration
Jaymey McIvor Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration
Andrew Sheldon Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Life Long Learning and Employability
Laureen Shaw Deputy to the Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport
Bob Massey Deputy to the Climate Czar and Cabinet Member for Waste Reduction and Recycling