| Tendring District | |
| Settlement Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Motto: | Latin: Pro Bono Omnium |translation=for the good of all |
| Coordinates: | 51.7833°N 9°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Sovereign state |
| Subdivision Name: | United Kingdom |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | England |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | East of England |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Essex |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1 April 1974 |
| Named For: | Tendring Hundred |
| Seat Type: | Administrative HQ |
| Seat: | Clacton-on-Sea |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Governing Body: | Tendring District Council |
| Leader Title: | Executive |
| Leader Name: | Leader and cabinet |
| Leader Title1: | Control |
| Leader Title2: | Leader |
| Leader Name2: | Mark Stephenson (Ind.) |
| Leader Title3: | Chair |
| Leader Name3: | Dan Casey |
| Leader Title4: | MPs |
| Area Total Km2: | 366 |
| Area Rank: | |
| Population Rank: | |
| Demographics Type1: | Ethnicity (2021) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Ethnic groups |
| Demographics Type2: | Religion (2021) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Religion |
| Timezone1: | GMT |
| Utc Offset1: | +0 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | BST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +1 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode areas |
| Postal Code: | CO |
| Area Code Type: | Dialling codes |
| Area Code: | 01255 |
| Blank1 Name: | GSS code |
| Blank1 Info: | E07000076 |
| Tendring District Council | |
| Logo Pic: | Tendring District Council logo.svg |
| Logo Res: | 250px |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Leader1 Type: | Chair |
| Leader1: | Dan Casey |
| Party1: | Independent |
| Election1: | 30 April 2024[2] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Mark Stephenson |
| Party2: | Independent |
| Election2: | 23 May 2023 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Ian Davidson |
| Election3: | 1 December 2010[3] |
| Seats: | 48 councillors |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Voting System1: | First-past-the-post |
| Last Election1: | 4 May 2023 |
| Next Election1: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | Clacton-on-Sea- Clacton Town Hall (geograph 5966342).jpg |
| Meeting Place: | Town Hall, Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO151SE |
Tendring District is a local government district in north-east Essex, England. Its council is based in Clacton-on-Sea, the largest town. Other towns are Brightlingsea, Harwich, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze.
The district borders the City of Colchester to the west and the Babergh District of Suffolk, across the estuary of the River Stour, to the north. To the east and south, it faces the North Sea, with the estuary of the River Colne to the south-west. The area is sometimes referred to as the Tendring Peninsula.
The modern local government district was formed in 1974. The name Tendring comes from the ancient Tendring Hundred which was named after the small village of Tendring.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[4]
The new district was named Tendring after the ancient Tendring Hundred, which was in turn named after the small village of Tendring at the centre of the area.[5]
The 1086 Domesday Book records the name as Tenderinga and in 1242 the Pipe Rolls mention it as Terring.[6]
The Tendring Poor Law Union, established in 1835, had covered the same area as the present district.[7]
During the English Civil War, the self-appointed Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins carried out many trials throughout this and the surrounding area, especially in the town of Manningtree and village of Mistley on the River Stour.
Tendring District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being led by a coalition of independent councillors, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.[9]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[10] [11]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1991 | ||
| 1991–1995 | ||
| 1995–1999 | ||
| 1999–2011 | ||
| 2011–2015 | ||
| 2015–present | ||
The leaders of the council since 2009 have been:[12]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Stock[13] | 2009 | 27 Nov 2012 | ||
| Peter Halliday[14] | 27 Nov 2012 | 13 Dec 2013 | ||
| Mick Page | 11 Feb 2014 | 10 May 2015 | ||
| Neil Stock | 26 May 2015 | 7 May 2023 | ||
| Mark Stephenson | 23 May 2023 | |||
See main article: Tendring District Council elections. Since the last boundary changes in 2019 there have been 48 councillors representing 32 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[15]
Following the 2023 election, a by-election in January 2024 and changes of allegiance up to June 2024, the composition of the council was:[16]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | |||
| 11 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 1 | |||
| Total | 48 | ||
Of the independent councillors, eleven sit with the Tendring First councillor as the "Tendring Independents" group, five sit as the "Independent Group", three form the "Tendring Residents' Alliance" and two do not belong to any group. The council's administration is a coalition of the Tendring Independents, the Independent Group, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.[17] The next election is due in 2027.
The council has its main offices and meeting place at Clacton Town Hall on Station Road. The building had been built for the former Clacton Urban District Council in 1931.[18]
The highest part of the district is a low (115'; 35 metres) ridge running west to east only 2 miles (3 km) south of the River Stour. The greater part of the district is undulating land sloping very gently to the south which is traversed by a number of streams.
In the extreme east of the district is an area formerly known as the Soken which was granted special privileges in Saxon times. It is remembered in the place names Kirby-le-Soken, Thorpe-le-Soken and Walton-le-Soken (an older name for Walton-on-the-Naze).
Tendring district contains the most deprived part of England, in the Jaywick area. This area was ranked as the most deprived are in the government's indices of deprivation in 2010, 2015 and 2019 (being the most recent survey as at 2022).[19]
In terms of television, the district is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia with television signals received from the Sudbury TV transmitter.[20]
Radio stations for the area are:
Local newspapers are the Colchester Gazette and Essex County Standard.
There are 27 civil parishes in the district. The former Clacton Urban District is an unparished area.[21] The parish councils of Brightlingsea, Frinton and Walton, Harwich, and Manningtree take the style "town council".[22]
| Escutcheon: | Azure on a fess between two chevrons Argent a mural crown Gules all between two flaunches Argent each charged with two bars wavy Azure surmounted of a seaxe point upwards Proper hilt and pommel Or. |
| Crest: | On a wreath of the colours an ancient ship Gules sail furled Proper flying flags and forked pennon of St. George and charged on the hull with three escallops Or pendent from the yardarm by chains a portcullis Or nailed and spiked Azure. |
| Badge: | On a roundel Azure fimbriated Argent and environed of a wreath of laurel Or a tau cross Argent. |
| Motto: | Pro Bono Omnium (For The Good of All)[23] |