Thedistrict ofEpping Forest is in thecounty ofEssex inEngland. It was created on 1 April 1974, following the merger of Epping Urban District,Chigwell Urban District,Waltham Holy Cross Urban District, and part ofEpping and Ongar Rural District.
Until 2002, Epping Forest District Council was represented by 59 councillors. In 2002 the ward boundaries were reorganised, resulting in the loss of one council seat, and since then the district has had 58 councillors representing 32wards. Each ward is represented by one, two or three councillors, depending on the ward's population, so that each councillor represents a roughly equal proportion of the district's electorate.[1]
Councillors serve for a four-year term. They are elected on a "cycle of thirds", i.e. one third of the Council is elected each year, followed by one year without election.
New ward boundaries are being prepared to take effect from the 2024 elections.[2]
The table below summarises the number of seats held by each party after each year's elections (no elections took place in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017). The council returned to Conservative control following the gain of a seat in a by-election in December 2006[3] after being underno overall control since 1994.
| Party | 2004 [4] | 2006 [5] | 2007 [6] | 2008 [7] | 2010 [8] | 2011 [9] | 2012 [10] | 2014 [11] | 2015 [12] | 2016 [13] | 2018 [14] | 2019 [15] | 2021 [16] | 2022 [17] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BNP | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Conservative | 26 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 37 | 39 | 35 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 35 | |
| For Britain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Independent | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Labour | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| Loughton Residents | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1,388 | 36.7 | +5.5 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 1,094 | 28.9 | −31.4 | ||
| Ratepayer | 991 | 26.2 | +26.2 | ||
| Labour | 309 | 8.2 | −0.3 | ||
| Majority | 294 | 7.8 | |||
| Turnout | 3,782 | 74.7 | |||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1,018 | 42.2 | +16.3 | ||
| Independent | 845 | 35.0 | −8.9 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 286 | 11.9 | +1.7 | ||
| Labour | 263 | 10.9 | −9.2 | ||
| Majority | 173 | 7.2 | |||
| Turnout | 2,412 | 77.8 | |||
| Conservativegain fromIndependent | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 274 | 47.9 | −8.3 | ||
| Conservative | 253 | 44.3 | +0.5 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 44 | 7.7 | +7.7 | ||
| Majority | 21 | 3.6 | |||
| Turnout | 571 | 16.3 | |||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 633 | 60.2 | +8.6 | ||
| Labour | 336 | 31.9 | −9.9 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 83 | 7.9 | +1.3 | ||
| Majority | 297 | 28.3 | |||
| Turnout | 1,052 | 18.2 | |||
| Conservativegain fromLabour | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 371 | 50.9 | +23.3 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 276 | 37.9 | −10.4 | ||
| Labour | 82 | 11.2 | −13.0 | ||
| Majority | 95 | 13.0 | |||
| Turnout | 729 | 32.9 | |||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 621 | 51.8 | −3.1 | ||
| Conservative | 534 | 45.0 | +8.7 | ||
| Labour | 43 | 3.6 | −5.2 | ||
| Majority | 97 | 6.8 | |||
| Turnout | 1,198 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 514 | 68.8 | −6.7 | ||
| Conservative | 138 | 18.5 | −6.0 | ||
| Independent | 60 | 8.0 | +8.0 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 35 | 4.7 | +4.7 | ||
| Majority | 376 | 50.3 | |||
| Turnout | 747 | 19.2 | |||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 711 | 69.2 | +9.2 | ||
| Conservative | 245 | 23.9 | −5.2 | ||
| Labour | 71 | 6.9 | −3.4 | ||
| Majority | 466 | 46.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,027 | 31.4 | |||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Pat Brooks | 463 | 55.8 | +27.5 | |
| Conservative | David Porter | 321 | 38.7 | −33.0 | |
| Labour | Fitzherbert Harewood | 46 | 5.5 | +5.5 | |
| Majority | 142 | 17.1 | |||
| Turnout | 830 | 25.7 | |||
| Liberal Democratsgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Philip Chadburn | 287 | 56.5 | +26.7 | |
| Conservative | Margaret Williams | 172 | 33.9 | −36.3 | |
| Labour | Marion Taylor | 49 | 9.6 | +9.6 | |
| Majority | 115 | 21.6 | |||
| Turnout | 508 | 18.3 | |||
| Liberal Democratsgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Heather Harding | 208 | 70.7 | −1.4 | |
| Labour | Benjamin Slasberg | 64 | 21.8 | +21.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Rumble | 22 | 7.5 | −20.4 | |
| Majority | 144 | 48.9 | |||
| Turnout | 294 | 18.5 | |||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Scrutton | 363 | 59.3 | +12.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Alan Lion | 249 | 40.7 | +29.2 | |
| Majority | 114 | 18.6 | |||
| Turnout | 612 | 19.7 | |||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Kewal Chana | 609 | 39.4 | −12.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Alan Lion | 586 | 37.9 | −4.9 | |
| BNP | Jacqueline Carne | 302 | 19.5 | +19.5 | |
| Labour | Roger Salmon | 48 | 3.1 | +3.1 | |
| Majority | 23 | 1.5 | |||
| Turnout | 1,545 | 32.8 | |||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BNP | Tony Frankland | 393 | 32.2 | −5.4 | |
| Loughton Residents | Rose Brookes | 367 | 30.1 | +1.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Neil Woollcott | 172 | 14.1 | +10.5 | |
| Conservative | Edward Stacey | 163 | 13.3 | −3.1 | |
| Labour | Stephen Barnes | 98 | 8.0 | −5.2 | |
| UKIP | Andrew Smith | 28 | 2.3 | +2.3 | |
| Majority | 26 | 2.1 | |||
| Turnout | 1,221 | 36.7 | |||
| BNPhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Adam Clark | 719 | 49.0 | −7.3 | |
| BNP | Tony Frankland | 372 | 25.4 | +25.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Phil Chadburn | 223 | 15.2 | +15.2 | |
| Labour | Mitch Diamond-Conway | 152 | 10.4 | +7.3 | |
| Majority | 347 | 23.6 | |||
| Turnout | 1,466 | 32.0 | |||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alan Lion | 453 | 52.4 | −31.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Gavin Chambers | 411 | 47.6 | +31.1 | |
| Majority | 42 | 4.8 | |||
| Turnout | 864 | 17.2 | |||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charlotte Edwards | 302 | 76.5 | +0.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ingrid Black | 93 | 23.5 | −0.7 | |
| Majority | 209 | 53.0 | |||
| Turnout | 395 | 21.4 | |||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UKIP | Rod Butler | 465 | 50.5 | +50.5 | |
| Conservative | Christine Ball | 455 | 49.5 | −13.7 | |
| Majority | 10 | 1.0 | |||
| Turnout | 920 | ||||
| UKIPgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Glozier | 155 | 50.5 | −33.4 | |
| UKIP | Ron McEvoy | 122 | 39.7 | +39.7 | |
| Green | William Hartington | 23 | 7.5 | −2.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Arnold Verrall | 7 | 2.3 | −3.9 | |
| Majority | 33 | 10.7 | |||
| Turnout | 307 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Kim Adams | 607 | 43.3 | +0.8 | |
| Conservative | Nigel Avey | 386 | 27.6 | +6.5 | |
| UKIP | Andrew Smith | 339 | 24.2 | −1.4 | |
| Green | Anna Widdup | 69 | 4.9 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 221 | 15.8 | |||
| Turnout | 1,401 | ||||
| Liberal Democratsgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Darshan Singh Sunger | 453 | 76.0 | +0.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Joanne Alexander-Sefre | 143 | 24.0 | +24.0 | |
| Majority | 310 | 52.0 | |||
| Turnout | 596 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Paul Stalker | 220 | 80.9 | +11.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ingrid Black | 52 | 19.1 | +19.1 | |
| Majority | 168 | 61.8 | |||
| Turnout | 272 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Joseph Parsons | 260 | 55.2 | −13.9 | |
| Green | David Plummer | 211 | 44.8 | +39.6 | |
| Majority | 49 | 10.4 | |||
| Turnout | 471 | ||||
| Conservativegain fromGreen | Swing | ||||