Maldon District Council has appointed a new Conservative leader in a meeting which saw residents protesting the authority's decision to prevent the public entering the chamber due to Covid.

The council is now led by a member of the Conservative party after former leader designate Richard Siddall lost to Penny Channer in the bid to replace Wendy Stamp, an Independent, as leader.

Councillor Channer told members she was "very privileged and honoured" to be elected as leader after receiving 15 votes at the full council meeting last night (Tuesday, 18 January) - two more than Councillor Siddall, who gained 13 votes.

Fellow Conservative Maddie Thompson was also elected as deputy leader to replace Councillor Stephen Nunn, who resigned alongside fellow Independent Councillor Stamp after police were called to a chaotic council meeting on 4 November.

Officers said Councillor Chrisy Morris was "breaching the peace" after he arrived at the meeting with a megaphone and repeatedly shouted "point of order", but no arrests were made.

Councillor Richard Siddall took over as leader designate in the interim before an election could take place at the next council meeting on 16 December, but this was abandoned again due to disruption.

Chairman Mark Heard closed the meeting after citing "disorderly conduct" to ask Councillor Morris to leave, but he did not leave the building and said: "You're refusing my declaration just like you refused a point of order."

The "extraordinary" meeting last night was held in addition to the council's usual schedule to vote on the remaining agenda items which had not been discussed due to the two previous cancellations.

But the meeting faced disruption as residents wishing to attend in person were prevented from accessing the chamber on Princes Road by security.

The council is currently limiting the number of attendees physically attending its meetings to allow for Covid mitigations, which means members of the public have to sign up to attend in advance and their request may be refused.

The authority announced yesterday that the default option for public participation in council meetings would be Microsoft Teams.

Councillor Heard said: "The removal of the Covid-19 legislation means that councillors making committee decisions have to be in a room together physically, but this does not extend to wider staff or other participants of the meeting.

"The new arrangement of mixing online and physical participation has worked well so, within the public participation protocol, it has now been extended to members of the public wishing to speak at a meeting who cannot, or simply do not want to, attend in person."

He added: "Members of the press and public are still of course welcome to view meetings via the council's YouTube channel where all meetings are streamed live."

Residents could be heard saying outside last night's meeting "we are being peaceful" and asking: "Why are you not allowing us into this public meeting?"

They also chanted "freedom" and sang "why are we waiting".

Councillor Morris said: "There is considerable outrage that members of the public are being kept out of a public meeting in a public building."

He added: "I was wondering if there is anything we can do at all to accommodate any members of the public that are respectful?"

This prompted further discussion, with Councillor Adrian Fluker saying "the democratic process has to be seen to be taking place".

Councillor Fluker acknowledged the meeting had "almost come to its end", but told Councillor Heard: "I think you need to visit this with the monitoring officer to see if there's any way we can accommodate these people at future meetings."

Simon Quelch, monitoring officer at the council, said the authority made the decision "in relation to the safety of everybody - employees, members and the public - because of the present crisis with Covid".

He said: "The council has public health and safety duties as well and the guidance from the government is very clear about restricting numbers and only essential people being in meetings of this nature - so if the council was to let the public in then there is an issue of the council satisfying its health and safety responsiblities."

He continued: "This isn't simply, as I understand it, the council resolving that they didn't want the public in, this is the council resolving to protect people's health and wellbeing."

Councillor Heard added: "I hear what you're saying, but I think on the grounds of advice by the monitoring officer and through the health and safety, on this occasion, I am going to keep this meeting with this number of people in.

"I am concerned as it is with this number of people in the room."

Councillor Fluker suggested that Councillor Heard, Councillor Morris and Mr Quelch discuss the matter "well in advance of the next meeting".

Councillor Morris said: "The sooner we sit down and all talk the better."

The meeting was closed at 8.17pm, following discussion of the final item on the agenda - filling vacancies on committees, working groups and outside bodies.

The Langford and Ulting Neighbourhood Plan and the council tax base being set at 25,524.3 for 2022/23 was also approved by councillors.

The next full council meeting is scheduled to take place on 24 February.