Local election in Epping Forest, England
2024 Epping Forest District Council election
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
Chris Whitbread
Ian Allgood
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
5
1
Popular vote
11,326
5,020
4,654
Percentage
38.2%
17.0%
15.7%
Swing
10.1%
N/A
6.7%
Fourth party
Fifth party
Sixth party
Leader
None
Elizabeth Gabbett
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
1
1
1
Popular vote
5,285
1,220
6,667
Percentage
17.8%
4.1%
22.5%
Swing
13.2%
2.0%
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
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. The council remained under Conservative majority control.
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 previous 2023 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.
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
Prior to the election the council was under Conservative majority control. The Conservatives retained their majority at this election, albeit with a reduced share of the seats.[ 4]
Council composition [ edit ]
Changes:
January 2024: Cherry McCredie leaves Liberal Democrats to sit as an independent[ 7]
Sources:[ 8] [ 9]
Shaded figures indicate that a party won at least one of three ward seats, whilst boldened figures indicate which party won the popular vote in each ward.
Ward
Conservative
Labour
EFIG
Liberal Democrat
LRA
Green
Other
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge
15.9
15.6
–
–
33.5
27.1
7.9
Buckhurst Hill West
32.9
16.8
13.7
13.3
–
23.3
–
Chigwell with Lambourne
56.6
21.2
22.2
–
–
–
–
Epping East
20.3
10.6
–
44.7
–
–
24.3
Epping West & Rural
36.1
8.5
–
41.0
–
–
14.4
Grange Hill
35.6
20.5
34.8
9.1
–
–
–
Loughton Fairmead
14.1
22.0
–
–
63.9
–
–
Loughton Forest
17.1
13.2
–
8.4
57.9
–
3.3
Loughton Roding
5.5
13.7
6.1
–
34.7
–
40.0
Loughton St. John's
19.7
14.8
–
–
65.5
–
–
North Weald Bassett
32.0
20.8
47.2
–
–
–
–
Ongar
60.7
22.5
–
16.8
–
–
–
Roydon & Lower Nazeing
55.6
29.6
–
–
–
–
14.8
Rural East
33.1
16.4
–
28.2
–
–
22.3
Theydon Bois with Passingford
34.6
7.8
–
47.1
–
–
10.5
Waltham Abbey North
32.7
35.2
–
–
–
–
32.2
Waltham Abbey South & Rural
58.7
41.3
–
–
–
–
–
Waltham Abbey West
55.5
44.5
–
–
–
–
–
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.[ 10]
Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge[ edit ]
Buckhurst Hill West [ edit ]
Chigwell with Lambourne [ edit ]
Epping West & Rural[ edit ]
Loughton St. John's[ edit ]
North Weald Bassett [ edit ]
Roydon & Lower Nazeing[ edit ]
Theydon Bois with Passingford [ edit ]
Waltham Abbey North [ edit ]
Waltham Abbey South & Rural[ edit ]
Parish council results [ edit ]
Below are the results from the three parish and town councils that had contested elections. There were uncontested elections to several other parish councils in the district, but given these parish councillors were not elected via a vote, they have been omitted from this list.
Buckhurst Hill Parish [ edit ]
Overall parish results
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Conservative
4,942
48.7
11.6
5
5
Green
3,185
31.3
8.4
6
5
1
EFIG
1,544
15.2
N/A
0
0
Independent
476
4.6
N/A
0
1
1
Turnout
10,147
11
11
Buckhurst Hill East [ edit ]
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Green
2,631
69.1
7.1
5
4
1
Conservative
702
18.4
19.6
0
0
Independent
476
12.5
N/A
0
1
1
Turnout
1,197
35.0
Electorate
5,198
Buckhurst Hill West [ edit ]
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Conservative
4,240
61.0
8.0
5
5
EFIG
1,544
22.0
N/A
0
0
Green
1,184
17.0
3.0
1
1
Turnout
1,754
34.0
Electorate
5,319
Overall parish results
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Conservative
5,486
57.5
31.5
11
5
6
EFIG
3,570
37.4
N/A
0
6
6
Green
473
4.9
N/A
0
0
Turnout
9,529
11
11
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
EFIG
N/A
—
0
2
2
Conservative
N/A
—
2
0
2
Turnout
N/A
N/A
Electorate
N/A
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Conservative
981
66.0
23.0
4
2
2
EFIG
489
34.0
N/A
0
0
Turnout
1,470
36.0
Electorate
2,360
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Conservative
4,505
55.9
N/A
5
3
2
EFIG
3,081
38.3
N/A
0
4
4
Green
473
5.9
N/A
0
0
Turnout
8,059
30.0
Electorate
6,142
Overall town results
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
14,481
88.6
4.6
21
21
Conservative
1,371
8.3
2.8
0
0
Independent
359
2.1
3.3
1
1
EFIG
125
0.7
N/A
0
0
Turnout
16,336
22
22
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
1,746
87.3
6.0
3
3
Conservative
129
6.5
3.0
0
0
EFIG
125
6.3
5.3
0
0
Turnout
2,000
25.0
Electorate
3,267
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
284
83.8
6.0
3
2
1
Conservative
55
16.2
6.5
0
0
Turnout
339
22.0
Electorate
939
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
414
77.0
N/A
N/A
1
1
Conservative
125
23.0
N/A
N/A
0
Turnout
539
23.0
Electorate
2,414
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
1,787
94.1
1.8
3
3
Conservative
112
5.9
1.8
0
0
Turnout
1,899
25.0
Electorate
3,139
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
2,465
88.8
10.9
3
3
Conservative
311
11.2
5.7
0
0
Turnout
2,776
34.0
Electorate
3,347
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
Independent
359
94.0
61.3
1
1
Conservative
24
6.0
0.8
0
0
LRA
N/A
N/A
3
0
3
Turnout
383
35.0
Electorate
1,159
Loughton St. John's[ edit ]
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
5,617
94.1
6.3
3
5
2
Conservative
350
5.9
2.6
0
0
Turnout
5,967
30.0
Electorate
5,363
Loughton St. Mary's[ edit ]
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
1,080
88.5
5.8
3
2
1
Conservative
141
11.5
3.5
0
0
Turnout
1,221
35.0
Electorate
1,948
Loughton Whitebridge [ edit ]
Party
Vote
%
±
Seats before
Seats after
±
LRA
1,088
89.8
N/A
N/A
2
2
Conservative
124
10.2
N/A
N/A
0
Turnout
1,212
30.0
Electorate
2,363
^ "Epping Forest District Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF) . Elections Centre . Retrieved 11 March 2024 .
^ "The Epping Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2023" , legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives , SI 2023/819, retrieved 11 March 2024
^ "The District of Epping Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2001" , legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives , SI 2001/2444, retrieved 11 March 2024
^ Burnett, Tom (4 May 2024). "Epping Forest 2024 local election results as Conservatives retain control after second day of counting" . Essex Live . Retrieved 29 May 2024 .
^ "Your Councillors by party" . Epping Forest District Council . 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024 .
^ "Epping Forest result - Local Elections 2024" . BBC News . Retrieved 2024-05-04 .
^ Boothroyd, David. "STIRLING CONSERVATIVE HOLD, FOR A' THAT" . Local Councils . Retrieved 10 March 2024 .
^ "Local Elections Archive Project - 2024 - Epping Forest" . www.andrewteale.me.uk . Retrieved 2024-12-12 .
^ Walker, Ben (2024-05-02). "Britain Elects – The 2024 local election results" . State of the Nation . Retrieved 2024-12-12 .
^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" . Epping Forest District Council . 8 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024 .
^ "Election results for Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Buckhurst Hill West, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Chigwell with Lambourne, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Epping East, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Epping West and Rural, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Grange Hill, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Loughton Fairmead, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Loughton Forest, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Loughton Roding, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Loughton St John's, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for North Weald Bassett, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Ongar, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Roydon and Lower Nazeing, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Rural East, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Theydon Bois with Passingford, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Waltham Abbey North, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Waltham Abbey South and Rural, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.
^ "Election results for Waltham Abbey West, 2 May 2024" . www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk . May 2, 2024.