By Martin Heath and Christine Sexton

BBC News, Essex, and the Local Democracy Reporting Service

Details of over 2,000 staff and councillors have been made public in a council data breach.

Southend-on-Sea City Council could face six-figure fines for the mistake.

The information disclosed included names, addresses and National Insurance numbers.

The council leader has apologised and said that all those affected would be contacted and offered advice and support.

The breach followed a Freedom of Information request in May.

The council responded to the request by uploading a spreadsheet online.

Initially, it believed the spreadsheet only contained anonymised information for one department, but it became clear that it also included "personal and special category" data of all current staff and leavers as of 31 March 2023.

Personal details disclosed

The breach included names, addresses and National Insurance numbers and involved data of 1,854 current staff and 276 former employees.

A further 169 people were involved, including office holders and canvassers, along with councillors and co-opted members.

The personal details would have been available to anyone who knew how spreadsheets worked.

Investigation and apology

Tony Cox, the Conservative leader of the council, said: "We have immediately begun an investigation to understand how this happened and I sincerely apologise to those affected on behalf of the organisation.

"It is important to stress that this information did not contain bank details. However, it included details such as National Insurance numbers, pension scheme details, salary, names and addresses and equal opportunities data.

"The spreadsheet has been taken down from the website. We have self-reported this as a data breach to the Information Commissioner's Office, and councillors, staff and former staff affected are being informed, along with providing advice and support to them."

Mr Cox added that assessments were under way to understand the potential risk to staff and whether the data could be used in a harmful way.

He said the council would no longer send spreadsheets out in response to Freedom of Information requests.

The council is currently dealing with a £14m deficit and could face a large fine from the Information Commissioner's Office.

Stoke-on-Trent Council was fined £120,000 in 2012 following a data breach relating to a case involving a child, and Basildon Council was ordered to pay £150,000 in 2017 for a breach involving information about a family.

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By Lewis Adams & Tom Larsen-Wright

BBC News, Essex

City libraries could be closed or have reduced opening hours in an effort to save money.

Southend-on-Sea City Council had a projected overspend of £14m for 2024/25 but plans showed £200,000 could be saved by closing two of the city's six libraries.

The two sites have not been identified in the proposals.

Conservative council leader Tony Cox said "no firm decisions" on any closures had been decided.

Residents have campaigned to spare Southend's libraries from cut backs. Kerry Phillips started a petition to save Southchurch Library, in Lifstan Way, which received 1,000 signatures.

"My children have used the library over the years and I didn't want it to just become another cost saving exercise," the 40-year-old said.

"It is a building that sits at the heart of the community. When you read the comments on the petition you can see how many people love it."

Ms Phillips has called on the city council to not be "narrow-minded" and to explore the potential of other services being used inside libraries.

"We can't accept that it's acceptable to close every public amenity and just have nothing, it doesn't feel like the right thing to do," she added.

Mr Cox said the council's cabinet would discuss a raft of savings measures when it meets on 12 December.

He said there would be a public consultation before any decisions were made which affected libraries.

"We have inherited a financial mess and it is incumbent on us to sort it out," the councillor said.

"The aim is to make these hub locations, so we would still be providing a good library service in locations where people can go to do their homework, to loan books and obtain other services.

"No councillor wants to go into politics to just make these savings but what is the alternative?"

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People in a new-build block of flats are locked in a battle over their balconies that they were told were unsafe five years ago.

The Southend-on-Sea residents were told in 2018, in a letter seen by the BBC, not to step on to the balconies after rotting decking boards were identified.

One resident, a disabled 79-year-old woman, said it was "heart-breaking".

The developer said repairs were being planned and the management company said it was a "complex matter".

Gillian Humphries, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moved to the flat at Plaza Royal Mews nine years ago partly so she could see the sea from her balcony.

"I'm heartbroken - it's affecting me mentally, physically and I actually have to go out of my flat to sit outside to get fresh air," she told the BBC Essex.

A letter from managing agent Scott and Stapleton, dated June 2018, said an inspection by builders found "the decking boards to be rotten along with the joists" and advised "all leaseholders and tenants with balconies not to use them with immediate effect".

Twelve flats are believed to be affected.

A letter sent to a second resident, in 2022, also seen by the BBC, said the planned works for the balconies were "paused due to the cladding crisis".

It said residents must not "go on to the balcony for any reason due to structural concerns".

On 5 July this year, Southend-on-Sea City Council told the management company that its own survey noted one of the balconies was in danger of collapse and remedial works must begin within 21 days.

Scaffolding was later erected.

Ms Humphries's daughter, Laura Angell, said: "The right thing needs to be done - she thought by purchasing that flat she was buying a safe and structurally sound property."

David Garston, Conservative city councillor responsible for housing, said: "We have given advice that the balcony at this address is not safe to use in its current condition."

Scott and Stapleton owner, Tim Scott, said responsibility for the balcony was "complicated" because the obligation to repair it was divided between the leaseholder and the freeholder.

'A complex matter'

"We are working through the legislative framework which will result in a consultation and is likely to be a lengthy process," said Mr Scott.

Regarding Ms Humphries's flat, he said: "We understand that lack of information can lead to frustrations from time to time, but this is a complex matter which will take time and we thank the leaseholder and her family for their ongoing patience."

Norman Powell, owner of freeholder N R Powell Developments, said it was putting together a schedule for repairs and pointed out the local council originally approved the building works 15 years ago.

He also pointed out that keeping pot plants on balconies, as in Ms Humphries's case, was against the tenancy agreement because it could cause water damage.

"It's being looked into in depth with scaffolding, carpentry and timber prices," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We will put all these prices to the lessees, then it's up to them which way they want to go. I think we are close to doing that."

By Simon Dedman

Political reporter, Essex

A city council has said the size of its financial challenge is "the biggest" in its history.

Southend-on-Sea City Council has warned "unprecedented financial pressures" would inevitably lead to a reduction in the range, quality, cost and responsiveness of some services.

The authority already had a projected £14m overspend this year due to inflation and demand for its services.

The Conservative council leader planned to ask the government for more money.

Last year, the unitary council was told it had to make "stringent" cutbacks to avoid bankruptcy within three years.

"The financial pressures and soaring costs that everyone is experiencing individually in their homes is also being experienced by the council creating extra unprecedented pressure," Tony Cox, leader of the council, said in a statement.

"Urgent review and regular financial reporting will give us a much better understanding of where we are and what we need to do but, more importantly, how we do it."

Mr Cox added that the authority was not in a position where it would need to file for a section 114 notice like councils in Birmingham and Thurrock, which would declare it could not balance its books.

He planned to lobby the government for more money and a "fairer deal".

In papers published ahead of next Monday's cabinet meeting, setting out the financial position of the authority, the council said that half the cost pressure came from children's services and a rise in complex cases.

It warned that an "even tighter grip on all spending" was needed across all council services.

Tougher money saving plans that might need to be brought in include:

All capital investment projects more than £100,000 would also have to be reassessed and non-urgent ones could be scrapped.

Labour described the Conservatives' management of the finances as "feckless".

Until May, Labour had run Southend with Lib Dem and independent councillors since 2019.

Labour accused the Conservatives of adding £10m to the deficit since taking control by bringing in policies that included reducing car parking charges.

Opposition leader Daniel Cowan tweeted "from day one they have increased expenditure without raising new revenue".

Earlier this year, a BBC investigation found the average UK council faced a £33m predicted deficit by 2025-26, a rise of 60% from £20m two years ago.

The government said decisions on the funding beyond the next financial year had not yet been made.

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