Conservatives lose control of Epping district council
That's for the first time in 19 years
The Conservatives have lost overall control of Epping Forest District Council for the first time in 19 years with the resignation of two councillors who now sit as independents.
The resignation of Waltham Abbey councillors Maria Markham and her son Shane Yerrell from the Conservatives means the group now has 26 seats with 28 other councillors making up the 54-seat council.
Epping Forest District Council had been under Conservative control since 2006.
Councillor Chris Whitbread, Leader of Epping Forest District Council said: “I’m sorry that two councillors have left the group.
“We are living through an unprecedented period of national political upheaval, alongside local disruption, which inevitably affects us at a local authority level.
“Epping Forest District Council continues to deliver for residents. We provide affordable council homes to around 6,500 families and are building more, including 28 new homes nearing completion at Roundhills in Waltham Abbey.
“We are also investing in health and well-being. The new state-of-the-art Epping Leisure Centre, complete with the town’s first public swimming pool, is just weeks from completion. Our new waste and recycling company, TVS, has significantly improved service quality, introduced additional recycling options, and maintained a 99 per cent collection rate.
“Epping Forest district has the lowest council tax precept of any comparable council in Essex, offering excellent value for money.
“Of course, we would prefer to maintain the overall majority. However, it remains the responsibility of all councillors to work together in the best interests of our district.”
Reacting to the news, Reform UK Epping Forest District Councillor Jaymey McIvor said: “This is a historic moment for Epping Forest and proves that moving forward this will be a council controlled not by the Conservatives.”
Councillors Markham and Yerrell have been asked for comment.
Their decision comes amid Epping Forest District Council’s legal battle with the Home Office over using the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers.
The council lost an appeal at the end of August after first securing a temporary injunction to stop the hotel from being used to accommodate migrants.
However, the council’s legal bid for a full injunction could still be granted if it is successful at a three-day hearing at the High Court beginning October 15.