In his latest regular column, the chairman of Maldon District Council, Councillor Mark Heard, reflects on recent changes at the council and shares his desire for members to "work together during this transitional period".

Recent events of bullying and bad behaviour have put Maldon District Council, its councillors and staff in the national news, and not in a way that I would have liked.

I feel that I now must thank those people who have given such great support and positive comments to those directly involved.

I would also like to place on record my gratitude to Councillor Wendy Stamp. She recently resigned as leader of the council due to personal circumstances, following an intolerable media and personal attack upon her character and that of her family.

Wendy has performed a vital role as leader and been an outstanding contributor to the council and also to me as chairman. I know how hard she worked and how she cared for the district and I believe her decision to stand down from the post to be a great and sad loss.

I would also like to thank Councillor Stephen P. Nunn, who was her loyal deputy and who was equally hard-working - sitting on 32 committees and working groups.

They both carried enormous workloads and responsibilities. Working together, they embraced their roles and could never be criticised for their commitment to the district or its residents. It was their own brave decision to put the district first and stand aside to remove personal involvement in recent events which could have reflected badly on the council. Thank you to both of them - they will of course continue as councillors, representing their own wards and the council.

As the business of the council continues, the current Leader Designate is Independent Councillor Richard Siddall who has temporarily agreed to take on the role until the whole council decides on a permanent replacement (for the remainder of the period until May 2022) at the next full council meeting on 16 December. The district runs without a deputy leader until one is appointed on the same date.

As chairman, I want members of the council to work together during this transitional period, whatever their politics, and to continue to support each other to make the right decisions. I also want the press to focus on the good work the council does every day instead of bad behaviour, rudeness and in some cases incorrect headlines.

All the staff I've come across at Maldon District Council have been amazing. Many have been at the council for decades and genuinely love the district. I take my hat off to all of them and thank them for all they do.

Councillor Mark S. Heard