Rankings · Unitary council
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea council ranks 36th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 28th to 55th), in the upper middle. Strongest on financial health (36th of 127), weakest on value for money (69th of 127).
Compare Southend-on-Sea with another council
Data as of 13 October 2026 · methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Southend-on-Sea council, Council Rankings, 13 October 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/southend-on-sea/"
Likely range 28th–55th. Stays in the upper middle in 84% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Southend-on-Sea scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Southend-on-Sea beats. Overall weights: service quality 60%, value for money 20%, financial health 20%. Select any measure below to see how every council compares on it.
Service quality
Allowing for need, Southend-on-Sea ranks 45th of 130 (likely range 31st–62nd), against 45th unadjusted. That is about the same: need explains little of the difference between councils.
Adjusted: children's services, adult social care and waste & recycling. Not adjusted, because there is no published measure of need: planning, complaints, special educational needs and homelessness. This view is not part of the overall rank. How we adjust
Planning
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 100.0% | 93.7% | =1 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 99.5% | 92.0% | =1 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 904 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 39.4% | 37.4% | 58 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 529 kg | 516 kg | 72 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 7.1 | 4.8 | 92 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 86.7% | 81.9% | =94 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 100.0% | 75.0% | =1 / 128 | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | 14.3% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Good | Good | =40 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 2.75 / 4 | Good | =76 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 69.4%Good assessment published 15 August 2025 | 63.9% | =24 / 126 | latest at 2026-10-13 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.407 | 0.417 | 87 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 66.3% | 65.5% | =53 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 68.5% | 62.5% | 17 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 88.7% | 83.9% | =23 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 75.9% | 70.7% | =15 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 36.2% | 58.3% | 92 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 50.6% | 51.7% | 72 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 33.4% | 33.5% | 66 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 5.3 | 2.8 | 82 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 2 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Southend-on-Sea spends £563 per adult on adult social care, against about £608 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£45 less). Its adult social care results rank 27th of 125.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 20th of 122
Children's services value for money
Southend-on-Sea spends £1,661 per child on children's services, against about £1,595 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£66 more). Its children's services results rank 76th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 83rd of 127
Waste value for money
Southend-on-Sea spends £222 per home on waste & recycling, against about £175 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£47 more). Its waste & recycling results rank 67th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 116th of 127
Planning value for money
Southend-on-Sea spends £-2 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£704 less). Its planning results rank 1st of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 21st of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 22.5% | 33.0% | 89 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | -9.8% | 0.4% | =121 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 9.0% | 9.7% | 60 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 184.6% | 184.6% | 64 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 8.8% | =1 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 0.0% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 185,214 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,785.62 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 24.027 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 2 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | No overall control: Labour-led administration, with Independent and Liberal Democrat | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Labour 17, Conservative 11, Reform UK 11, Independent and other 5, Green 4, Liberal Democrat 3 (of 51 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | Opinion signed 13 January 2026. PSAA status: delivered by backstop. | 2024-25 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 0 | median 0 | 2022-23 to 2024-25 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,888.47 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,265.17 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
ONS code E06000033 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog