Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell

Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell
LeaderRobert Bevan
Nominating OfficerRichard Baker
TreasurerKeith Lugton
Founded1937
Headquarters49 Harefield Avenue
Epsom and Ewell
Surrey
Surrey County Council
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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
21 / 35
Website
www.epsomewellra.org.uk

The Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell is a local political party in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. They have held majority control of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council since its formation in 1937. The party is sometimes recorded as Other in national results lists and otherwise recorded alongside residents associations with a single Articles of Association. It consists of ward or multiple ward based residents associations with their own candidate selection rules. These include Ewell Court Residents' Association, Epsom Town Residents' Association and West Ewell and Ruxley Residents’ Association.

Since the 2023 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council election, the Residents Association has controlled the council.

History

The majority of Residents' Associations were formed from the expansion of housing provision in the 1930s, with the aim of bettering the lives of residents and forming a community. This tradition of forming residents' groups on new developments in the borough continues today, such as with Clarendon Park Residents' Association, which was formed in 2001.

Traditionally, throughout the UK, local councillors would stand as independents. However, throughout the 20th century, it became common for councillors to be elected with a party affiliation. Today, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and Uttlesford District Council in Essex are the only two councils in England where Residents' Associations have overall control. In 2017, the party faced criticism from the Conservatives for standing candidates to the county council outside where they lived, but said they were focussing of safety, fly-tipping, and finances.

Structure

There are eleven independent Residents Associations that form the Residents' Associations of Epsom and Ewell. The Standing Committee of Residents Associations (SCoRA) provides a forum for the Residents' Associations to discuss common issues or borough-wide concerns. These meetings are for the chair and secretary of the respective groups; however, councillors may be asked to attend these forums to update SCoRA on progress or concerns with the council.

WERRA

WERRA logo

The West Ewell and Ruxley Residents Association (WERRA was formed in 1956 as a voluntary and unincorporated association, composed of members and a committee, with annual membership fees. The committee has a chair, vice-chair, secretary and a treasurer. There are also sub-groups for Revenue & Communications, Highways & Safety and Environment. Committee members are drawn from a variety of backgrounds with experience ranging from the armed forces, the police, the NHS and the civil service. Some are also small business owners or work in the corporate world. All committee members live in the local area, some having lived in the wards all their lives. The WERRA committee also features three former mayors of Epsom and Ewell.

The area spans two wards and is represented on the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council by six councillors Candidates from the WERRA committee contest all six available ward councillor seats and one divisional county councillor seat, standing for election under the Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell. They have had all six elected councillors on Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, three for West Ewell and three for Ruxley. At county level the division is West Ewell, with one county councillor on Surrey County Council.

Election results

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

The RA contests all 35 available ward councillor seats and are the controlling group on Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, a long-standing domination of the borough council. They currently have 25 elected councillors in the following multiple member wards:

Surrey County Council

Candidates from local residents associations contest county elections under the banner of the Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell, which is a registered political party. This differs from borough elections, where some residents associations are registered as political parties in their own right, while some are not. The RAs of Epsom & Ewell currently have four elected county councillors, in the following single member divisions:

The other division has a Conservative councillor:

Notes

1.^By-elections were held in Cuddington ward in 2021 and West Ewell ward in 2022, following the deaths of two councillors.

References

  1. ↑ https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0
  2. ↑ https://democracy.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0
  3. ↑ Woodbridge, Clive (22 January 2019). "Clive Woodbridge: Independents must combine to beat the big two". LGC.
  4. ↑ "Ewell Court Residents Association". ECRA. 25 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Epsom Town Residents Association". ETRA. 25 February 2017.[dead link]
  6. ↑ "Epsom & Ewell result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Clarendon Park RA Facebook page". Facebook. 25 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "England local elections 2019". BBC. 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  9. ↑ Richard, Craig (10 April 2017). "Epsom and Ewell Residents' Association insist there are more serious issues at stake in Surrey County Council elections than Conservatives' criticisms of 'conflicts of interests'". Your Local Guardian.
  10. ↑ "New mayor takes the reins at Downs 'weighing in'". Get Surrey. Trinity Mirror Southern. 2 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Mayor unveils new therapy centre". Get Surrey. Trinity Mirror Southern. 3 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Mayor celebrates cornish themed birthday". Epsom Guardian. 3 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Councillors of West Ewell and Ruxley". West Ewell and Ruxley Resident's Association. 6 April 2019.
  14. ↑ Foster, Alice (5 April 2013). "Names unveiled for Surrey County Council election in Epsom and Ewell". Surrey Comet.
  15. ↑ "Local elections – Borough Council election results". Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. 14 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "West Ewell WARD". EEGRA.
  17. ↑ "Ruxley WARD". EEGRA.
  18. ↑ Smurthwaite, Tom (12 May 2015). "Residents' associations councillors 'working for Epsom and Ewell'". Get Surrey. Trinity Mirror Southern.
  19. ↑ "Election results for West Ewell". Surrey County Council. 2 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Mrs Jan Mason". Surrey County Council. 14 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Residents hold control of Epsom". BBC News. 4 May 2007.
  22. ↑ "Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Election Results 2019". Epsom Borough Council. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "Cuddington By-Election Results 2021" (PDF). Epsom Borough Council. 23 September 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "West Ewell By-Election Results 2022" (PDF). Epsom Borough Council. 7 July 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell". Electoral Commission. 2 February 2001. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "Stoneleigh and Auriol Residents' Association". Electoral Commission. 17 October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  27. ↑ "Election results for Ewell". Surrey County Council. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Election results for Ewell Court, Auriol & Cuddington". Surrey County Council. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  29. ↑ "Election results for West Ewell". Surrey County Council. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  30. ↑ "Election results for Epsom Town and Downs". Surrey County Council. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  31. ↑ "Election results for Epsom West". Surrey County Council. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.

Bibliography