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.
Background 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. 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.
Boundary changes 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. The change reduces the number of councillors by 4.
Old wards 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
Summary 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.
Council composition After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 34 34 29 13 13 13 6 5 7 2 4 3 2 2 1 0 0 1 Changes: January 2024: Cherry McCredie leaves Liberal Democrats to sit as an independent
Election result
By ward Sources:
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. WardConservativeLabourLiberal DemocratLRAGreenIndependent inc. EFIG / E&RIReform UKUKIPEnglish DemocratsBritish Democrats % %%%% %%%%% Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge15.915.6–33.527.1 7.9–––– Buckhurst Hill West32.916.813.3–23.313.7––––Chigwell with Lambourne56.621.2–––22.2––––Epping East20.310.644.7–– 24.3––––Epping West & Rural36.18.541.0–– 14.4––––Grange Hill35.620.59.1––34.8––––Loughton Fairmead14.122.0–63.9– –––––Loughton Forest17.113.28.457.9– –––––Loughton Roding5.513.7–34.7–46.1––––Loughton St. John's19.714.8–65.5– –––––North Weald Bassett32.020.8–––47.2––––Ongar60.722.516.8–– –––––Roydon & Lower Nazeing55.629.6––– ––14.8––Rural East33.116.428.2–– –13.1–9.2–Theydon Bois with Passingford34.67.847.1–– 10.5––––Waltham Abbey North32.735.2––– ––––21.1Waltham Abbey South & Rural58.741.3––– –––––Waltham Abbey West55.544.5––– –––––
Close seats Third place seat where the margin of victory was under 5%: Theydon Bois with Passingford, 0.2% (3 votes) Epping West & Rural, 0.9% (17 votes) Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge, 1.2% (22 votes) Rural East, 2.2% (40 votes) Waltham Abbey West, 5.1% (66 votes)
Ward results
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.
Buckhurst Hill East & Whitebridge
Buckhurst Hill West
Chigwell with Lambourne
Epping East
Epping West & Rural
Grange Hill
Loughton Fairmead
Loughton Forest
Loughton Roding
Loughton St. John's
North Weald Bassett
Ongar
Roydon & Lower Nazeing
Rural East
Theydon Bois with Passingford
Waltham Abbey North
Waltham Abbey South & Rural
Waltham Abbey West
Parish council results
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 Overall parish results Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Conservative4,94248.711.655 Green3,18531.38.4651EFIG1,54415.2N/A00 Independent4764.6N/A011Turnout10,1471111
Buckhurst Hill East Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Green2,63169.17.1541 Conservative 702 18.419.600 Independent 476 12.5N/A011Turnout1,19735.0Electorate5,198
Buckhurst Hill West Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Conservative4,24061.08.055EFIG1,54422.0N/A00 Green1,18417.03.011Turnout1,75434.0Electorate5,319
Chigwell Parish Overall parish results Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Conservative5,48657.531.51156EFIG3,57037.4N/A066 Green4734.9N/A00Turnout9,5291111
Chigwell Row Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after±EFIGN/A—022 ConservativeN/A—202TurnoutN/AN/AElectorateN/A
Chigwell Village Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Conservative98166.023.0422EFIG48934.0N/A00Turnout1,47036.0Electorate2,360
Grange Hill Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Conservative4,50555.9N/A532EFIG3,08138.3N/A044 Green4735.9N/A00Turnout8,05930.0Electorate6,142
Loughton Town Overall town results Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA14,48188.64.62121 Conservative1,3718.32.800 Independent3592.13.311EFIG1250.7N/A00Turnout16,3362222
Loughton Alderton Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA1,74687.36.033 Conservative1296.53.000EFIG1256.35.300Turnout2,00025.0Electorate3,267
Loughton Broadway Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA28483.86.0321 Conservative5516.26.500Turnout33922.0Electorate939
Loughton Debden Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA41477.0N/AN/A11 Conservative12523.0N/AN/A0Turnout53923.0Electorate2,414
Loughton Fairmead Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA1,78794.11.833 Conservative1125.91.800Turnout1,89925.0Electorate3,139
Loughton Forest Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA2,46588.810.933 Conservative31111.25.700Turnout2,77634.0Electorate3,347
Loughton Roding Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± Independent35994.061.311 Conservative246.00.800 LRAN/AN/A303Turnout38335.0Electorate1,159
Loughton St. John's Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA5,61794.16.3352 Conservative3505.92.600Turnout5,96730.0Electorate5,363
Loughton St. Mary's Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA1,08088.55.8321 Conservative14111.53.500Turnout1,22135.0Electorate1,948
Loughton Whitebridge Party Vote %±Seats beforeSeats after± LRA1,08889.8N/AN/A22 Conservative12410.2N/AN/A0Turnout1,21230.0Electorate2,363
Notes
References