Southend-on-Sea compared with all councils in England
Compared with the 130 councils in England.
- Residents
- 185,214 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,265 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Southend-on-Sea sits
3
measures in the bottom quarter
7
measures below the middle
11
measures in the top half
Southend-on-Sea compares worst with all councils in England on:
- non-emergency repairs done within target time (74th of 83; 1st is highest)
- complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents (114th of 130; 1st is lowest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (109th of 130; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- ombudsman remedies delivered on time (1st of 104; 1st is highest)
- website accessibility score (8th of 130; 1st is highest)
- council tax collected in the year it was due (22nd of 130; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 47.0% | 59.0% | Below the middle 78th of 126 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 7.6 | 4.8 | Below the middle 90th of 130 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 78.3 | 41.2 | Bottom quarter 114th of 130 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 14.3% | 15.2% | Below the middle 59th of 115 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 100.0% | 75.6% | Top half 1st of 104 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 69.8% | 66.5% | Top half 27th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 75.1% | 66.5% | Top half 15th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 77.3% | 72.2% | Top half 21st of 82 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 63.0% | 56.2% | Top half 24th of 82 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 66.8% | 83.1% | Bottom quarter 74th of 83 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 0.4% | 4.1% | Top half 15th of 83 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 69.5% | 73.6% | Below the middle 50th of 82 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 96.9% | 94.8% | Top half 22nd of 130 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 12 | 18.1 | Top half 41st of 130 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 5.9 | 37.5 | Bottom quarter 109th of 130 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 41.8% | 37.7% | Top half 49th of 128 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 5.3 | 2.8 | Below the middle 81st of 126 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 26.4% | 13.6% | Below the middle 84th of 123 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 63.0% | 51.7% | Top half 31st of 127 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 30.0% | 34.9% | Below the middle 84th of 127 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 99.1% | 92.5% | Top half 8th of 130 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Southend-on-Sea | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £349 | £322 | 40th of 127 | |
| Adult social care | £444 | £472 | 83rd of 127 | |
| Public health | £62 | £80 | 89th of 127 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £53 | £46 | 52nd of 127 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £159 | £104 | 10th of 127 | |
| Highways and transport | £30 | £33 | 72nd of 127 | |
| Culture and leisure | £68 | £42 | 20th of 127 | |
| Planning and development | £14 | £24 | 97th of 127 | |
| Central services | £62 | £57 | 53rd of 127 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,242 | £1,222 | 55th of 127 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Southend-on-Sea’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in October 2024.
- Outstanding
- 39 of the 130 councils in England
- Good
- 56 of the 130 councils in England, including Southend-on-Sea
- Requires improvement
- 24 of the 130 councils in England
- Inadequate
- 11 of the 130 councils in England
Over time
Southend-on-Sea against the median of all councils in England.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Southend-on-Sea: 47.0%
- Median (all councils in England): 59.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Southend-on-Sea: 7.6
- Median (all councils in England): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Southend-on-Sea: 41.8%
- Median (all councils in England): 37.7%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Southend-on-Sea: 12
- Median (all councils in England): 18.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Southend-on-Sea. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.