Leader of Council
Braintree District Council has adopted Executive (Cabinet) arrangements as permitted by the Local Government Act 2000 and operates with a Leader and Cabinet.
The Leader of the Braintree District Council is Councillor Tom Cunningham.
At our Annual General Meeting on 28 May 2026, Full Council appointed Councillor Tom Cunningham as Leader of the Council and he is appointed until the next post-election Annual General Meeting of the Council.
The Leader of the Council allocates Executive (Cabinet) functions to:
- Himself
- the Cabinet
- a Cabinet Member under a Scheme of Delegation
- a Sub-Committee of Cabinet
- an Officer under a Scheme of Delegation
The Leader may appoint a Deputy Leader, who will exercise powers of the Leader when they are absent.
The Leader has appointed Councillor Kevin Bowers as his Deputy Leader.
The Scheme of Delegation to Cabinet Members is set out in Section 24 of Chapter four of the Constitution
The Cabinet
The Leader of the Council appoints the Cabinet, which cannot exceed 10 Members including the Leader. Members of the Cabinet are Councillors from the majority Political Group who form the Administration of the Council.
As of 30 September 2026, the Cabinet consists of the Leader and nine Cabinet Members.
The Leader divides Cabinet responsibilities into portfolios and allocates these to Members of the Cabinet.
There are nine portfolios which the Leader has assigned to one of the three Corporate Priorities of Performance, Change and Transition; Pride in Place and Stronger Communities; and Greater Prosperity and Healthier Residents. The Leader’s Portfolio has strategic oversight of the Cabinet Functions.
Cabinet Member Portfolios
Corporate Priority: Performance, Change and Transition
Leader of the Council: Councillor Tom Cunningham
Portfolio: Strategy and Change includes:-
- External Role at National, Regional & Local Level including joint working
- Lead on Business Planning, Performance & Corporate Strategy
- Electoral Administration
- Devolution
- North East Essex and Future of Local Government
- Corporate Communications & Reputation
- Corporate Consultation & Engagement
- External Strategic Partnerships and Relationships
- Overall Vision & Strategic Direction
- Promotion of the District
- To exercise the executive functions of any Cabinet Member in their absence, in an emergency or in any other circumstance where the Leader thinks it is desirable to act on any matter.
Councillor Kevin Bowers - Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Performance (and Deputy Leader)
Portfolio: Finance, Assets and Performance includes:-
- Budget - Revenue & Capital Spend
- MTFS
- Property & Estate Management
- Asset Management & Strategy Delivery
- Health & Safety, Insurance & Risk Management
- Performance Management
- Revenues and Benefits
- Treasury Management
- Car Parks
- Capital Programme
- ICT & Digital Services
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Gabrielle Spray - Cabinet Member for Planning
Portfolio: Planning includes:-
- Planning & Neighbourhood Planning
- Local Plan
- Building Control
- Planning Enforcement
- Land Charges
- S106 Project Delivery
- Street Naming
- Landscape Services
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Frankie Ricci - Cabinet Member for Transformation and Delivery
Portfolio: Transformation and Delivery includes:-
- Transformation (including Shared Services and Service reviews)
- HR and Payroll Services
- Organisational Resilience and Resourcing
- Procurement (Including Essex Procurement Partnership)
- Emergency Planning
- Strategic Transport and Infrastructure
- Project Management Office
- Corporate Governance
- Commercialisation
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Corporate Priority: Pride in Place and Stronger Communities
Councillor Charley Dervish - Cabinet Member for Communities
Portfolio: Communities includes:-
- Cost of Living and Levelling Up
- Children and Young People
- Community Funding & Grant Schemes
- Community Development
- Policing Matters
- Community Safety
- Voluntary Sector
- Equality & Diversity
- Armed Forces Lead
- Community Cohesion
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Peter Schwier - Cabinet Member for Operations and Pride in Place
Portfolio: Operations and Pride in Place includes:-
- North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP)
- Waste and Recycling
- Street Cleansing
- Parks and Open Spaces
- Highways
- Pride in Place
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Joanne Beavis - Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Rural Communities
Portfolio: Customer Services and Rural Communities includes:-
- Biodiversity
- Climate Change
- Rural Communities
- Member Development
- Community Facilities
- Customer Services Charter
- Locate Braintree District, including Tourism
- Contact Centre
- Lead Member for Halstead Town Centre Issues
- Community Enabling
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Corporate Priority: Greater Prosperity and Healthier Residents
Councillor Toby Williams - Cabinet Member for Leisure and Wellbeing
Portfolio: Leisure and Wellbeing includes:-
- Social Mobility
- Cycling Strategy
- Health & Wellbeing
- Lead Member for Witham Town Centre Issues
- Leisure Services
- Older Persons & Ageing Well
- Art and Heritage, Culture
- Licencing Policy
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Lynette Bowers-Flint - Cabinet Member for Housing and Environmental Health
Portfolio: Housing and Environmental Health includes:-
- Homelessness & Rough Sleeping
- Welfare Reform
- Environmental Health
- RAF Wethersfield Site
- Strategic Housing Function
- Safeguarding
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
Councillor Justin Wrench - Cabinet Member for Economic Growth
Portfolio: Economic Growth includes:-
- Economic Growth and Development
- Urban and Rural Regeneration
- Skills (Including Apprenticeship)
- Lead Member for Braintree Town Centre issues
- Inward Investment
- NEEB
- Town Centre – Planning, investment and works
- Digital Essex
- Specific Major Projects relevant to the Portfolio
View details of Cabinet Meetings which are published on the Council's website, including agendas and minutes of meetings
Updated: 1 October 2026
