Seven Burnham-on-Crouch Town Councillors have resigned in one week, causing Maldon District Council to urgently nominate temporary councillors.

Seven of the nine Burnham-on-Crouch Town Councillors handed in their resignation during the week of November 7 to 14, leaving the Council non-quorate.

While the council is non-quorate, it cannot operate and almost any action taken at a meeting cannot be accomplished. 

The Standing Orders of the Town Council require a minimum number of four Councillors at any meeting, with now only three remaining.

In a Maldon District Council meeting on November 14, 2024, Emma Holmes, Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer at the District Council, reported the news: "In the past week we have been notified of seven resignations at Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council which has resulted in the town council no longer being Quorate. 

"Section 91 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 gives us the power to appoint temporary councillors onto that town council to allow it to continue to function for the period, until such time as new councillors can be formally co-opted or appropriately elected onto that council."

During the meeting, Cllr Wendy Stamp asked to nominate District Councillors Vanessa Bell, Una Siddal-Norman and Ron Pratt to be temporarily appointed.

This nomination was later agreed upon by members.