2023 Epping Forest District Council election

2023 Epping Forest District Council election
← 2022 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2024 →
18 out of 58 seats to Epping Forest District Council
30 seats needed for a majority
Turnout26.1%
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Chris Whitbread Caroline Pond
Party Conservative Loughton Residents Independent
Last election 35 seats, 40.3% 13 seats, 17.3% 2 seats, 5.9%
Seats before 34[a] 13 4
Seats won 14 0 1
Seats after 34 13 2
Seat change Decrease1 Steady Increase1
Popular vote 7,214 N/A 690
Percentage 48.3% N/A 4.6%
Swing Increase 8.0% Decrease 17.3% Decrease 1.3%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Jon Whitehouse Simon Heap Julian Leppert
Party Liberal Democrats Green British Democrats
Last election 4 seats, 18.3% 3 seats, 3.4% 1 seats, 0.1%
Seats before 4 2 1
Seats won 3 0 0
Seats after 6 2 0
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease1 Decrease1
Popular vote 3,349 314 187
Percentage 22.4% 2.1% 1.3%
Swing Increase 4.1% Decrease 1.3% N/A
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Epping Forest District Council election
Leader before election

Chris Whitbread
Conservative

Leader after election

Chris Whitbread
Conservative

The 2023 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. There were 18 of the 58 seats up for election, being the usual approximate third of the council.[2] This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

The Conservatives retained their majority on the council.[3]

Summary

Election result

The overall results were:[4]

2023 Epping Forest District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 14 Decrease 1 77.8 20 34 58.6 7,214 48.3 +8.0
  Loughton Residents 0 Steady 0.0 13 13 22.4 N/A N/A –17.3
  Liberal Democrats 3 Increase 2 16.7 3 6 10.3 3,349 22.4 +4.1
  Independent 1 Steady 5.6 2 3 5.2 690 4.6 –1.3
  Green 0 Steady 0.0 2 2 3.4 314 2.1 –1.3
  Labour 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,940 19.7 +6.5
  British Democrats 0 Decrease 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 187 1.3 N/A
  Reform UK 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 107 0.7 +0.6
  English Democrat 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 34 0.2 –0.1
  Shared Ground 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 32 0.2 –0.5
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 67 0.4 ±0.0

Candidates

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Epping Forest District Council following the close of nomination on 5 April 2023.[5][6] The results for each ward were:[7]

Broadley Common, Epping Upland & Nazeing

Broadley Common, Epping Upland & Nazeing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andy Green 288 69.7 –1.9
Liberal Democrats Richard Griffiths 68 16.5 +8.1
Labour Sarebjit Sangha 57 13.8 N/A
Majority 220 53.2 +1.5
Turnout 413 23.5 –1.5
Registered electors 1,755
Conservative hold Swing Decrease5.0

The previous incumbent, Nigel Avey, had been elected as a Conservative in 2019 but left the party to sit as an independent earlier in 2023. He did not stand for re-election. Seat recorded as a Conservative hold to compare with the previous election.[8]

Buckhurst Hill West

Buckhurst Hill West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Aniket Patel* 730 44.4 –14.1
Labour Tom Kasperkowicz 273 16.6 N/A
Independent Jo Share-Berina 222 13.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Ishvinder Matharu 190 11.6 –21.2
Green Alan Fricker 147 8.9 N/A
Independent Lyubka Vesselinov 51 3.1 N/A
Shared Ground Thomas Hall 32 1.9 –6.8
Majority 457 27.8 +2.1
Turnout 1,653 31.6 –1.3
Registered electors 5,226
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Chipping Ongar, Greensted and Marden Ash

Chipping Ongar, Greensted and Marden Ash
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Keska* 520 57.6 –1.3
Labour Ron Huish 168 18.6 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Monica Richardson 157 17.4 +2.3
Reform UK Peter Bell 57 6.3 +3.6
Majority 352 39.0 –4.2
Turnout 904 26.8 –1.5
Registered electors 3,380
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.1

Epping Hemnall

Epping Hemnall
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Cherry McCredie* 1,123 65.9 +3.1
Conservative Mari-Louise Whitbread 450 26.4 –2.0
Labour Inez Collier 130 7.6 –1.2
Majority 673 39.5 +5.1
Turnout 1,724 35.5 –2.1
Registered electors 4,852
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase2.6

Epping Lindsay and Thornwood Common

Epping Lindsay and Thornwood Common
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Razia Sharif 1,052 54.7 +11.5
Conservative Sue Jones 750 39.0 –8.2
Labour Simon Bullough 120 6.2 –3.4
Majority 302 15.7 N/A
Turnout 1,956 37.0 –0.7
Registered electors 5,284
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase9.9

Grange Hill

Grange Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Lisa Morgan 417 38.3 N/A
Conservative David Saunders 374 34.3 –27.1
Labour Onike Gollo 240 22.0 –16.6
Green Tony Hanch 59 5.4 N/A
Majority 42 4.0 N/A
Turnout 1,102 21.4 –4.0
Registered electors 5,143
Independent gain from Conservative Swing N/A

The previous incumbent, Sheree Rackham, had been elected as a Conservative in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and subsequently sat as an independent for the remainder of her term. She did not stand for re-election. Seat recorded as a Conservative hold to compare with the previous election.[9]

Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village

Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Morgan* 379 67.2 N/A
Labour Michelle Gwynn 123 21.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Paul Ward 62 11.0 N/A
Majority 256 45.4 N/A
Turnout 565 28.8 N/A
Registered electors 1,965
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Lambourne

Lambourne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Craig McCann 257 69.6 –5.1
Labour Alison Wingfield 62 16.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Naomi Davies 50 13.6 –11.7
Majority 195 52.8 +3.4
Turnout 371 23.5 –3.5
Registered electors 1,578
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Lower Nazeing

Lower Nazeing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bassett* 469 65.1 –4.0
Labour Elizabeth Marsh 104 14.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Elaine Thatcher 97 13.5 –17.4
Reform UK Martin Harvey 50 6.9 N/A
Majority 365 50.7 +6.7
Turnout 723 21.5 –1.4
Registered electors 3,360
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Lower Sheering

Lower Sheering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lesley Paine 226 45.5 +13.7
Conservative Simon Baker 206 41.4 –26.8
Labour Janine Williams 65 13.1 N/A
Majority 20 4.1 N/A
Turnout 503 29.5 +6.5
Registered electors 1,706
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase20.3

North Weald Bassett

North Weald Bassett
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jaymey McIvor* 507 57.9 –5.5
Labour Kevin Hind 221 25.2 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Edward Barnard 148 16.9 –0.4
Majority 286 32.7 –11.3
Turnout 892 24.7 –3.1
Registered electors 3,603
Conservative hold Swing Decrease5.7

Roydon

Roydon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Whitbread* 315 64.9 –6.4
Labour Alex Kyriacou-Drummond 170 35.1 +19.3
Majority 145 29.8 –25.7
Turnout 487 28.3 +0.3
Registered electors 1,724
Conservative hold Swing Decrease12.9

Chris Whitbread changed ward at this election; he was the sitting councillor for Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common.

Shelley

Shelley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Bedford* 162 49.1 N/A
Labour Tom Acornley 110 33.3 N/A
English Democrat Robin Tilbrook 34 10.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Peter Sinfield 24 7.3 N/A
Majority 52 15.8 N/A
Turnout 330 17.4 N/A
Registered electors 1,894
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Waltham Abbey High Beach

Waltham Abbey High Beach
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Matthews* 289 67.5 +3.7
Labour Martin Morris 139 32.5 +17.3
Majority 150 35.0 –8.0
Turnout 431 21.3 –9.6
Registered electors 2,024
Conservative hold Swing Decrease6.8

Waltham Abbey Honey Lane

Waltham Abbey Honey Lane
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sam Kane* 487 54.4 –4.5
Labour Simon Harris 367 41.0 +6.1
TUSC Ian Pattison 42 4.7 –1.4
Majority 120 13.4 –10.6
Turnout 908 20.5 –3.2
Registered electors 4,435
Conservative hold Swing Decrease5.3

Waltham Abbey North East

Waltham Abbey North East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jodie Lucas* 426 56.5 –7.8
Labour Angela Ayre 208 27.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Phil Chadburn 120 15.9 –19.8
Majority 218 28.9 +0.3
Turnout 758 24.3 –2.2
Registered electors 3,125
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Waltham Abbey Paternoster

Waltham Abbey Paternoster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maria Markham 293 39.4 –20.5
Labour Robert Greyson 250 33.6 –3.0
British Democrats Julian Leppert* 187 25.2 N/A
TUSC Bea Gardner 13 1.7 –1.9
Majority 43 5.8 –17.5
Turnout 751 22.3 +2.5
Registered electors 3,374
Conservative gain from British Democrats Swing Decrease8.8

Julian Leppert had been elected as a For Britain Movement councillor in 2019. On that party's demise in July 2022 he joined the British Democratic Party, under which banner he stood for re-election in 2023 and was defeated.[10]

Waltham Abbey South West

Waltham Abbey South West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Parsons* 312 52.3 –16.8
Labour Debbie Wild 133 22.3 +2.5
Green Dave Plummer 108 18.1 +12.9
Liberal Democrats Marc Beecroft 32 5.4 N/A
TUSC Josh Asker 12 2.0 N/A
Majority 179 30.0 –19.3
Turnout 603 18.3 –6.3
Registered electors 3,297
Conservative gain from Green Swing Decrease9.7

Joseph Parsons had won this seat for the Conservatives from the Greens at a by-election in October 2022. Seat recorded as a Conservative gain from Greens here to allow comparison to last full elections.

References

  1. ^ Including one vacant seat in Lambourne ward previously held by Conservative councillor Brian Rolfe until his death in February 2023.[1]
  1. ^ "Brian Rolfe - Much-loved councillor passes away". Epping Forest District Council. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Notice of Election" (PDF). Epping Forest District Council. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Local elections 2023: Conservatives lose control of Brentwood Council". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Epping Forest election result". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Nominations of district councillors". Epping Forest District Council. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. ^ Ridler, Charlie (13 April 2023). "Every candidate standing in Epping Forest local elections 2023". Essex Live. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Epping Forest District Council elections (Cycle 2) - Thursday 4th May 2023". Epping Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  8. ^ Boothroyd, David (7 April 2023). "Happy New Local Government Year". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  9. ^ Boothroyd, David (9 December 2022). "Labour's Christmas wishes come true". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Councillor Julian Leppert joins the British Democrats". British Democrats. Retrieved 5 June 2023.