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. 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.

Elmbridge Borough Council, along with all Surrey district councils and Surrey County Council will be abolished in 2027 as part of ongoing local government restructuring, with the area of Elmbridge to become part of East Surrey, administered by East Surrey Council.

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.

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: (Put "Elmbridge" in search box to see specific results.) Party in control Years 1974–1986 1986–1988 1988–1991 1991–2002 2002–2005 2005–2008 2008–2016 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 May 2010 John O'Reilly 19 May 2010 May 2016 Stuart Selleck 18 May 2016 16 May 2018 Tim Oliver 16 May 2018 Jan 2019 James Browne 27 Feb 2019 15 May 2019 Stuart Selleck 15 May 2019 May 2021 Chris Sadler 19 May 2021 May 2023 Bruce McDonald 17 May 2023 May 2024 Mike Rollings 15 May 2024

Composition Following the 2024 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party Councillors 21 10 Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association4 Esher Residents' Association3 Molesey Residents' Association3 Hinchley Wood Residents' Association2 1 The Walton Society1 Weybridge and St George's Independents1 Independent2Total48 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.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections were 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 were held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.

The borough council elections which had been due to take place in 2026 were cancelled. An election for the new East Surrey Council was held instead. East Surrey Council will formally come into being and take over local government functions in the area on 1 April 2027, at which point Elmbridge Borough Council and the borough of Elmbridge will be abolished.

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.

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. 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.

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