2023 Epping Forest District Council election

2023 Epping Forest District Council election
18 out of 58 seats to Epping Forest District Council; 30 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	26.1%
	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
Party		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Conservative	14	1	77.8	20	34	58.6	7,214	48.3	+8.0
	Loughton Residents	0		0.0	13	13	22.4	N/A	N/A	–17.3
	Liberal Democrats	3	2	16.7	3	6	10.3	3,349	22.4	+4.1
	Independent	1		5.6	2	3	5.2	690	4.6	–1.3
	Green	0		0.0	2	2	3.4	314	2.1	–1.3
	Labour	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	2,940	19.7	+6.5
	British Democrats	0	1	0.0	0	0	0.0	187	1.3	N/A
	Reform UK	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	107	0.7	+0.6
	English Democrat	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	34	0.2	–0.1
	Shared Ground	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	32	0.2	–0.5
	TUSC	0		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	5.0

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	2.1

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	2.6

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	9.9

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	20.3

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	5.7

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	12.9

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	6.8

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	5.3

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	8.8

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	9.7

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

^ Including one vacant seat in Lambourne ward previously held by Conservative councillor Brian Rolfe until his death in February 2023.^[1]

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

[2] 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.

[3] "Notice of Election" (PDF). Epping Forest District Council. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.

[4] "Local elections 2023: Conservatives lose control of Brentwood Council". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[5] "Epping Forest election result". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[6] "Nominations of district councillors". Epping Forest District Council. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.

[7] Ridler, Charlie (13 April 2023). "Every candidate standing in Epping Forest local elections 2023". Essex Live. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[8] "Epping Forest District Council elections (Cycle 2) - Thursday 4th May 2023". Epping Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[9] Boothroyd, David (7 April 2023). "Happy New Local Government Year". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[10] Boothroyd, David (9 December 2022). "Labour's Christmas wishes come true". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

[11] "Councillor Julian Leppert joins the British Democrats". British Democrats. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

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