Elmbridge Borough Council
Non-metropolitan district council in Surrey, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elmbridge Borough Council provides district-level services to the Borough of Elmbridge, in Surrey, in South East England. It is based in the town of Esher. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council.[2] Claygate is a civil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough only; the rest of the borough is an unparished area.[3]
since 2022
Elmbridge Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Adam Chalmers since 2022 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 48 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
First election | 7 June 1973 |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2016. Since the 2023 election the council has been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats and most of the residents' associations (RA), with a Liberal Democrat leader of the council.[4]
The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[5]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1986 | |
| No overall control | 1986–1988 | |
| Conservative | 1988–1991 | |
| No overall control | 1991–2002 | |
| Independent | 2002–2005 | |
| No overall control | 2005–2008 | |
| Conservative | 2008–2016 | |
| No overall control | 2016–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Elmbridge. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Taylor[6] | Conservative | May 2010 | ||
| John O'Reilly[7][8] | Conservative | 19 May 2010 | May 2016 | |
| Stuart Selleck[9][10] | Molesey Residents' Association | 18 May 2016 | 16 May 2018 | |
| Tim Oliver[10][11] | Conservative | 16 May 2018 | Jan 2019 | |
| James Browne[11][12] | Conservative | 27 Feb 2019 | 15 May 2019 | |
| Stuart Selleck[12][13] | Molesey Residents' Association | 15 May 2019 | May 2021 | |
| Chris Sadler[13][4] | The Walton Society | 19 May 2021 | May 2023 | |
| Bruce McDonald[4][14][15] | Liberal Democrats | 17 May 2023 | May 2024 | |
| Mike Rollings[16] | Liberal Democrats | 15 May 2024 | ||
Composition
Following the 2024 election,[17] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:[18]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 21 | |
| Conservative | 10 | |
| Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association | 4 | |
| Esher Residents' Association | 3 | |
| Molesey Residents' Association | 3 | |
| Hinchley Wood Residents' Association | 2 | |
| Reform | 1 | |
| The Walton Society | 1 | |
| Weybridge and St George's Independents | 1 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Total | 48 | |
The Thames Ditton and Weston Green RA, Esher RA, Molesey RA, Walton Society, and Weybridge and St George's Independents sit together as the "Residents' Associations Group", which forms the council's administration in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.[19] The next election is due in 2026.[18]
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for a four-year term of office. Surrey County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[20]
Premises
The council is based at the Civic Centre, off the High Street in the centre in Esher, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991.[21][22]
When the council was created in 1974 it inherited offices at the Town Hall on New Zealand Avenue in Walton-on-Thames from Walton and Weybridge Urban District Council, and at Sandown House at 1 High Street from Esher Urban District Council. It initially used Walton Town Hall, a 1960s building, as its headquarters, retaining Sandown House as additional offices.[23] The new Civic Centre was built on land behind Sandown House, which has since been converted into flats, whilst Walton Town Hall has been demolished.