2024 Epping Forest District Council election

The 2024 Epping Forest District Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom held on the same day. All 54 members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex were elected following boundary changes.

2024 Epping Forest District Council election

← 2023 2 May 2024 (2024-05-02) 2026 →

All 54 seats to Epping Forest District Council
28 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Chris Whitbread Caroline Pond Jon Whitehouse
Party Conservative Loughton Residents Liberal Democrats
Last election 34 seats, 48.3% 13 seats, 0.0% 6 seats, 22.4%
Seats before 34 13 5
Seats won 29 13 7
Seat change Decrease 3 Steady Increase 1
Popular vote 11,326 5,020 4,654
Percentage 38.2% 17.0% 15.7%
Swing Decrease 10.1% N/A Decrease 6.7%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader None Simon Heap Martin Morris
Party Independent Green Labour
Last election 2 seats, 4.6% 2 seats, 2.1% 0 seats, 19.7%
Seats before 4 2 0
Seats won 3 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 5,285 1,220 6,667
Percentage 17.8% 4.1% 22.5%
Swing Increase 13.2% Increase 2.0% Increase 2.8%

Results of the 2024 Epping Forest District Council election (top placing candidate shading an entire ward, with second and third placed candidates places in order in the circles)

Council composition following the election

Council control before election

Chris Whitbread
Conservative

Council control after election

TBD

Background edit

Since its creation in 1974, only the Conservatives have ever formed majorities on the council. The party held control until 1994, before retaking the council from no overall control in 2007.[1] The Conservatives briefly fell behind both Labour and the Liberal Democrats in 1996, but regained their status as the largest party in 1999.

In the most recent election, the Conservatives lost 1 seat with 48.3% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats gained 2 with 22.4%, independents and the Green Party gained and lost no seats with 4.6% and 2.1% respectively, and the British Democratic Party lost representation with 1.3% (their one councillor had been elected for the For Britain Movement). The Loughton Residents Association maintained their 13 seats.

Boundary changes edit

Epping Forest usually elects its councillors in thirds, on a 4-year cycle. However, following boundary changes, all councillors will be elected to the new wards.[2] The change reduces the number of councillors by 4.

Old wards[3] No. of seats New wards No. of seats
Broadley Common, Epping Upland and Nazeing 1 Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge 3
Buckhurst Hill East 2 Buckhurst Hill West 3
Buckhurst Hill West 3 Chigwell with Lambourne 3
Chigwell Row 1 Epping East 3
Chigwell Village 2 Epping West and Rural 3
Chipping Ongar, Greensted and Marden Ash 2 Grange Hill 3
Epping Hemnall 3 Loughton Fairmead 3
Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common 3 Loughton Forest 3
Grange Hill 3 Loughton Roding 3
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village 1 Loughton St John’s 3
High Ongar, Willingale and The Rodings 1 North Weald Bassett 3
Lambourne 1 Ongar 3
Loughton Alderton 2 Roydon and Lower Nazeing 3
Loughton Broadway 2 Rural East 3
Loughton Fairmead 2 Theydon Bois with Passingford 3
Loughton Forest 2 Waltham Abbey North 3
Loughton Roding 2 Waltham Abbey South and Rural 3
Loughton St John's 2 Waltham Abbey West 3
Loughton St Mary's 2
Lower Nazeing 2
Lower Sheering 1
Moreton and Fyfield 1
North Weald Bassett 2
Passingford 1
Roydon 1
Shelley 1
Theydon Bois 2
Waltham Abbey High Beach 1
Waltham Abbey Honey Lane 3
Waltham Abbey North East 2
Waltham Abbey Paternoster 2
Waltham Abbey South West 2

Summary edit

Council composition edit

After 2023 election Before 2024 election[4] After 2024 election[5]
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 34 Conservative 34 Conservative 29
Loughton Residents 13 Loughton Residents 13 Loughton Residents 13
Liberal Democrats 6 Liberal Democrats 5 Liberal Democrats 7
Independent 2 Independent 4 Independent 3
Green 2 Green 2 Green 1
Labour 0 Labour 0 Labour 1

Changes:

  • January 2024: Cherry McCredie leaves Liberal Democrats to sit as an independent[6]

Election result edit

2024 Epping Forest District Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 48 29   3 38.2% 11,326   10.1%
  Loughton Residents 14 13   17.0% 5,020 N/A
  Liberal Democrats 15 7   1 15.7% 4,654   6.7%
  Independent 13 2   1 17.8% 5,285   13.2%
  Green 4 1   1 4.1% 1,220   2.0%
  Labour 22 1   1 22.5% 6,667   2.8%
  TUSC 2 0.7% 222   0.3%
  British Democratic 1 1.0% 323   0.3%
  English Democrat 1
  Reform UK 1 0.7% 227   0.3%
  UKIP 1 0.8% 235 N/A

Candidates edit

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Epping Forest District Council following the close of nominations on 8 April 2024.[7]

Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge edit

Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge (3 seats)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Loughton Residents Rose Brookes* 792 42.1
Loughton Residents Barbara Cohen 646 34.3
Green Elizabeth Gabbett* 639 34.0
Loughton Residents Chris Kent 617 32.8
Green Dewole Aradeon 596 31.7
Conservative Jane Bagshaw 375 19.9
Labour Alain Laviolette 369 19.6
Conservative Alexia Sparrow 327 17.4
Conservative Marshall Vance 320 17.0
Independent Ben Brown 186 9.9
Turnout 1,906 33
Registered electors 5,796
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Green win (new seat)

Buckhurst Hill West edit

Buckhurst Hill West (3 seats)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bob Church 819 46.6
Conservative Ken Williamson* 800 45.5
Conservative Smruti Patel* 706 40.2
Green Rebecca Fricker 581 33.0
Green Kathryn Radley 550 31.3
Labour Tom Kasperkowicz 419 23.8
Independent Lyubka Mihailova 340 19.3
Liberal Democrats Ishvinder Matharu 330 18.8
Turnout 1,762 34
Registered electors 5,198
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Chigwell with Lambourne edit

Chigwell with Lambourne (3 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Craig McCann* 1,164 64.2
Conservative Kaz Rizvi* 1,018 56.1
Conservative Darshan Sunger* 947 52.2
Independent Shahzaad Malik 457 25.2
Labour Tony Casaluci 437 24.1
Turnout 1,826 32
Registered electors 5,645
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Epping East edit

Epping East (3 seats)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Janet Whitehouse* 1,100 57.1
Liberal Democrats Jon Whitehouse* 1,020 53.0
Liberal Democrats Edward Barnard 850 44.1
Independent Cherry McCredie* 599 31.1
Conservative Mari-Louise Whitbread 501 26.0
Conservative James Abbott 477 24.8
Conservative Ian Roberts 467 24.2
Labour Paul Thomas 262 13.6
Turnout 1,937 35
Registered electors 5,521
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Epping West & Rural edit

Epping West & Rural (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mandy George 945 47.3
Liberal Democrats Razia Sharif* 926 46.4
Conservative Holly Whitbread* 832 41.7
Liberal Democrats Elaine Thatcher 815 40.8
Conservative Andy Green* 751 37.6
Conservative Peter Murray 699 35.0
Independent Nigel Avey 332 16.6
Labour Sean Voitov 196 9.8
Turnout 2,002 39
Registered electors 5,130
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Grange Hill edit

Grange Hill (3 seats)[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lion* 791 42.5
Independent Lisa Morgan* 775 41.6
Conservative Rashni Chahal Holden 702 37.7
Conservative Osman Ali 631 33.9
Independent Debby Rye 592 31.8
Labour Angela Ayre 456 24.5
Independent Alana Aradeon 365 19.6
Liberal Democrats Steve Hume 203 10.9
Turnout 1,877 31
Registered electors 6,142
Conservative win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Loughton Fairmead edit

Loughton Fairmead (3 seats)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Loughton Residents Louise Mead* 966 74.5
Loughton Residents Will Kauffman 761 58.7
Loughton Residents Arash Ardakani 688 53.1
Labour Gareth Rawlings 332 25.6
Labour Alastair Smith 287 22.1
Conservative Bobby Nagpal 213 16.4
Turnout 1,306 24
Registered electors 5,472
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)

Loughton Forest edit

Loughton Forest (3 seats)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Loughton Residents Roger Baldwin* 1,220 67.0
Loughton Residents Michael Owen* 1,171 64.3
Loughton Residents Ian Allgood* 1,167 64.1
Conservative Sarah Metcalfe 361 19.8
Conservative Katharine Hawes 354 19.4
Conservative Jan Ridding 288 15.8
Labour Tom Draper 279 15.3
Liberal Democrats Naomi Davies 178 9.8
TUSC Scott Jones 70 3.8
Turnout 1,831 35
Registered electors 5,295
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)

Loughton Roding edit

Loughton Roding (3 seats)[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Stephen Murray* 1,098 74.4
Loughton Residents Sheree Rackham 826 56.0
Loughton Residents Chidi Nweke* 767 52.0
Labour Debbie Wild 327 22.2
Independent Malachi Fontenelle 186 12.6
Conservative Tim Parry 130 8.8
Turnout 1,481 27
Registered electors 5,446
Independent win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)

Loughton St. John's edit

Loughton St. John's (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Loughton Residents Chris Pond* 1,216 75.1
Loughton Residents Howard Kauffman* 1,106 68.3
Loughton Residents Graham Wiskin 1,012 62.5
Conservative Valerie Metcalfe 366 22.6
Labour Emma Roberts 274 16.9
Turnout 1,625 30
Registered electors 5,363
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)
Loughton Residents win (new seat)

North Weald Bassett edit

North Weald Bassett (3 seats)[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tom Bromwich 889 58.8
Conservative Nigel Bedford* 604 40.0
Conservative Les Burrows* 540 35.7
Conservative Les Mills 472 31.2
Labour Kevin Hind 392 25.9
Labour Paul Stockton 382 25.3
Turnout 1,521 31
Registered electors 4,981
Independent win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Ongar edit

Ongar (3 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Dadd 911 60.2
Conservative Jaymey McIvor* 828 54.7
Conservative Paul Keska* 827 54.7
Labour Alison Wingfield 337 22.3
Labour Ronald Huish 332 21.9
Labour Timothy White 296 19.6
Liberal Democrats Monica Richardson 252 16.7
Turnout 1,525 27
Registered electors 5,742
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Roydon & Lower Nazeing edit

Roydon & Lower Nazeing (3 seats)[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bassett* 883 63.6
Conservative Chris Whitbread* 715 51.5
Conservative Ronda Pugsley* 678 48.8
Labour Co-op Alex Kyriacou 470 33.8
UKIP Martin Harvey 235 16.9
Turnout 1,393 26
Registered electors 5,460
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Rural East edit

Rural East (3 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ray Balcombe* 817 43.8
Conservative Richard Morgan* 774 41.5
Conservative Ian Hadley* 737 39.5
Liberal Democrats Lesley Paine 697 37.3
Liberal Democrats Bijal Pattani 465 24.9
Labour Ann Huish 405 21.7
Reform UK Peter Bell 324 17.4
English Democrat Robin Tilbrook 227 12.2
Turnout 1,876 30
Registered electors 6,249
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Theydon Bois with Passingford edit

Theydon Bois with Passingford (3 seats)[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Clive Amos* 949 50.7
Liberal Democrats Tippy Cornish 882 47.1
Conservative Sue Jones 698 37.3
Liberal Democrats Richard Griffiths 695 37.1
Conservative Heather Brady* 647 34.5
Conservative John Philip* 581 31.0
Independent Christine Burgess 212 11.3
Independent Louis Turchin 211 11.3
Labour Christine Mortimer 157 8.4
Turnout 1,880 36
Registered electors 5,175
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Waltham Abbey North edit

Waltham Abbey North (3 seats)[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Morris 520 41.2
Conservative Jeane Lea* 483 38.3
Conservative David Stocker* 447 35.4
Conservative Fraser Scott 417 33.0
British Democratic Julian Leppert 323 25.6
TUSC Adeline Walsh 152 12.0
Turnout 1,268 24
Registered electors 5,371
Labour win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Waltham Abbey South & Rural edit

Waltham Abbey South & Rural (3 seats)[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steven Heather* 715 57.7
Conservative Maria Markham* 676 54.5
Conservative Tim Matthews* 622 50.2
Labour Simon Harris 503 40.6
Turnout 1,261 24
Registered electors 5,347
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Waltham Abbey West edit

Waltham Abbey West (3 seats)[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Parsons* 663 51.7
Conservative Jodie Lucas* 618 48.2
Conservative Shane Yerrell* 598 46.6
Labour Bob Greyson 532 41.5
Turnout 1,296 23
Registered electors 5,550
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

References edit

  1. ^ "Epping Forest District Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  2. ^ "The Epping Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/819, retrieved 11 March 2024
  3. ^ "The District of Epping Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2001", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2001/2444, retrieved 11 March 2024
  4. ^ "Your Councillors by party". Epping Forest District Council. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Epping Forest result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  6. ^ Boothroyd, David. "STIRLING CONSERVATIVE HOLD, FOR A' THAT". Local Councils. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated". Epping Forest District Council. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  8. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=832&RPID=77998612
  9. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=833&RPID=77998839
  10. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=834&RPID=77999136
  11. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=835&RPID=77999316
  12. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=836&RPID=77999458
  13. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=837&RPID=77999464
  14. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=838&RPID=77999480
  15. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=839&RPID=77999490
  16. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=840&RPID=77999501
  17. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=841&RPID=77999517
  18. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=842&RPID=77999548
  19. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=843&RPID=77999564
  20. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=844&RPID=77999570
  21. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=845&RPID=77999586
  22. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=846&RPID=77999601
  23. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=847&RPID=77999611
  24. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=848&RPID=77999628
  25. ^ https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=849&RPID=77999646