1982 Epping Forest District Council election

Local election in Epping Forest September 2025 September 2025 1982 Epping Forest District Council election Essex parliamentary 1980 Epping Forest District Council election 1980 1982 5 6 y 1983 Epping Forest District Council election 1983 19 seats to Epping Forest District Council1 by-election to Loughton Broadway 30 95x50px|Blank Conservative Party (UK) 45 seats, 51.8% 45 42 3 14,493 47.5% 4.3% 95x50px|Blank Labour Party (UK) 12 seats, 37.2% 12 12 6,240 20.4% 16.8% 95x50px|Blank Loughton Residents Association N/A 0 3 3 2,696 8.8% N/A 95x50px|Blank SDP-Liberal Alliance 0 seats, 6.7% 1 0 6,583 21.6% 14.9% 95x50px|Blank Independent (politician) 2 seats, 4.1% 2 2 179 0.5% 3.6% 1981 Epping Forest District Council local election results map (1).png 400px Winner of each seat at the 1982 Epping Forest District Council election Rectangular inset (Loughton Broadway): By-election result Leader Leader after election Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) The 1982 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 6 May 1982 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. 19 members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex were elected. The council remained under Conservative majority control. Background The 1982 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 6 May 1982 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. The election saw the emergence of the Loughton Residents Association (LRA), a new local political grouping formed in 1981 by residents of Loughton who sought greater consultation and openness in local government. The LRA, originally called the Central Loughton Residents' Association, was established amid growing concerns that local government decisions were being taken without adequately involving the community. The group fielded candidates to represent Loughton residents more directly at all levels of local government. The national political context in 1982 was turbulent. The Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher faced widespread criticism for its handling of the economy, with unemployment reaching postwar highs. The year also saw the creation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following a split from Labour, which reshaped the political landscape nationally. Against this backdrop, the local elections provided an opportunity for residents’ groups and independents to gain ground. In Epping Forest, the Conservatives retained control of the council but suffered losses in Loughton. The LRA made an immediate impact, winning three seats directly from the Conservatives. This breakthrough signalled the start of a long-standing role for the LRA in local politics, with the group becoming a major force in Loughton over the following decades. Labour and the Liberals also contested seats but did not make the same level of progress locally as the LRA. Overall, the 1982 election marked a turning point in the district’s political history, introducing a durable residents’ movement that challenged the dominance of national parties in local affairs. Notably, the SDP-Liberal Alliance won more votes than Labour, whose vote share dropped sharply, particularly in its heartlands in Loughton, Debden, and Waltham Abbey. This marked the first time one of the two main parties had not placed second in terms of vote share. Results summary 1982 Epping Forest District Council electionSource:Colin Rallings Michael Thrasher Epping Forest District Council Election Results 1973-2012 https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Epping-Forest-1973-2012.pdf The elections centre Plymouth University https://web.archive.org/web/20250202104615/https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Epping-Forest-1973-2012.pdf 2 February 2025 en 2013 live Conservative Party (UK) 13 3 72.2 29 42 71.1 14,493 47.5 4.3 Labour Party (UK) 4 6.7 8 12 20.3 6,240 20.4 16.8 Loughton Residents Association 3 3 5.0 0 3 5.0 2,696 8.8 N/A Independent (politician) 0 0.0 2 2 3.3 179 0.5 3.6 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 6,583 21.6 14.9 Epping Residents #008000 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 173 0.5 N/A Ecology Party 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 103 0.3 N/A Ward results Buckhurst Hill East Buckhurst Hill East Conservative Party (UK) G. Smith 904 49.8 2.1 SDP–Liberal Alliance Ms F. Osborn 581 32.0 16.2 Labour Party (UK) J. Markham 330 18.2 14.0 323 17.8 1.9 1,815 46.3 16.0 3,918 Conservative Party (UK) Buckhurst Hill West Buckhurst Hill West Conservative Party (UK) V. Milner* 1,299 65.1 2.4 SDP–Liberal Alliance R. Eveling 522 26.2 5.0 Labour Party (UK) Ms S. Staddon 174 8.7 2.6 777 38.9 7.3 1,995 42.2 4.0 4,725 Conservative Party (UK) Chigwell Row Chigwell Row Conservative Party (UK) R. McGregor* 456 62.4 9.0 SDP–Liberal Alliance G. West 221 30.2 N/A Labour Party (UK) Ms A. Fowl 54 7.4 21.2 235 32.1 10.8 731 41.3 32.8 1,768 Conservative Party (UK) Chigwell Village Chigwell Village Conservative Party (UK) B. Gunby* 813 62.4 28.1 SDP–Liberal Alliance A. Thompson 452 34.1 N/A Labour Party (UK) P. Speake 62 4.7 4.8 361 27.2 53.9 1,327 40.9 8.0 3,812 Conservative Party (UK) Debden Green Debden Green Labour Party (UK) P. Bostock* 644 46.0 29.8 Loughton Residents Association M. Wardle 262 18.7 N/A Conservative Party (UK) Ms K. Bellamy 252 18.0 6.2 SDP–Liberal Alliance L. Martin 241 17.2 N/A 382 27.3 24.4 1,399 36.7 4.9 3,812 Labour Party (UK) Epping Hemnall Epping Hemnall Conservative Party (UK) R. Hill* 889 48.3 1.0 SDP–Liberal Alliance J. Eves 608 33.0 12.4 Labour Party (UK) Ms M. Jackson 314 17.1 13.0 Ecology Party R. Boenke 29 1.6 N/A 281 15.3 3.8 1,840 40.4 2.9 4,559 Conservative Party (UK) Epping Lindsey Epping Lindsey Conservative Party (UK) F. Limer* 989 44.2 4.7 SDP–Liberal Alliance A. Payne 668 29.9 11.7 Labour Party (UK) G. Scales 354 15.8 17.2 Epping Residents #008000 Ms M. Jucker 173 7.7 N/A Ecology Party T. Broughton 52 2.3 N/A 321 14.4 1.5 2,236 45.3 6.7 4,936 Conservative Party (UK) Grange Hill Grange Hill Conservative Party (UK) A. Marshall 1,051 66.5 16.3 SDP–Liberal Alliance J. Fuller 389 24.6 N/A Labour Party (UK) R. Opasiak 140 8.9 8.3 662 41.9 23.7 1,580 35.5 12.5 4,451 Conservative Party (UK) Loughton Broadway Loughton Broadway Labour Party (UK) Stephen Murray 799 44.4 40.7 Labour Party (UK) H. Worby* 792 N/A SDP–Liberal Alliance M. Pettman* 673 37.4 N/A SDP–Liberal Alliance G. McNamara 651 N/A Conservative Party (UK) M. Kerwood 327 18.2 3.3 Conservative Party (UK) Ms P. Torr 306 N/A 119 7.0 63.2 1,799 39.7 6.6 4,527 Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) Loughton Forest Loughton Forest Loughton Residents Association R. Gow 819 54.9 N/A Conservative Party (UK) Ms A. Macdonald 502 33.6 41.8 SDP–Liberal Alliance W. Randall 109 7.3 N/A Labour Party (UK) C. Martin 63 4.2 4.8 317 21.2 N/A 1,493 50.8 15.9 2,940 Loughton Residents Association Conservative Party (UK) Loughton Roding Loughton Roding Conservative Party (UK) Ms A. Miller 862 43.3 0.9 Labour Party (UK) C. Huckle 667 33.5 22.3 SDP–Liberal Alliance A. Hilton 461 23.2 N/A 195 9.8 5.2 1,990 45.4 5.5 4,387 Conservative Party (UK) Loughton St. Johns Loughton St. Johns Loughton Residents Association Ms D. Rhodes 822 43.5 N/A Conservative Party (UK) J. Phillips 710 37.6 33.5 SDP–Liberal Alliance P. Richardson 211 11.2 3.7 Labour Party (UK) R. Cornell 145 7.7 13.7 112 5.9 N/A 1,888 45.5 4.1 4,387 Loughton Residents Association Conservative Party (UK) Loughton St. Marys Loughton Marys Loughton Residents Association T. Webb 793 51.1 N/A Conservative Party (UK) A. Swallow* 442 28.5 40.3 SDP–Liberal Alliance G. Hall 198 12.7 N/A Labour Party (UK) J. Davy 120 7.7 23.5 351 22.6 N/A 1,553 47.6 16.5 3,266 Loughton Residents Association Conservative Party (UK) Nazeing Nazeing Conservative Party (UK) M. Welch* 997 74.6 25.4 Labour Party (UK) K. Morris 339 25.4 N/A 658 49.3 50.7 1,336 35.7 N/A 3,745 Conservative Party (UK) North Weald Bassett North Weald Bassett Conservative Party (UK) B. Greenhill* 1,001 60.2 4.7 Labour Party (UK) P. Vickery 482 29.0 6.1 Independent (politician) R. Wyness 179 10.8 N/A 519 31.2 0.4 1,662 41.5 31.2 4,004 Conservative Party (UK) Theydon Bois Theydon Bois Conservative Party (UK) Ms J. Wainwright* 969 73.0 27.0 SDP-Liberal Alliance O. Dunseath 250 18.8 N/A Labour Party (UK) Ms F. Davy 86 6.5 N/A Ecology Party Ms L. Boenke 22 1.7 N/A 719 54.2 45.8 1,327 40.6 N/A 3,268 Conservative Party (UK) Waltham Abbey East Waltham Abbey East Conservative Party (UK) J. O'Reilly 1,074 57.7 9.4 Labour Party (UK) J. Popely 488 26.2 25.5 SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms G. Pettman 299 16.1 N/A 586 31.5 28.0 1,861 39.4 1.8 4,721 Conservative Party (UK) Waltham Abbey Paternoster Waltham Abbey Paternoster Labour Party (UK) S. Riley* 608 45.3 27.5 Conservative Party (UK) J. Macdougall 416 31.0 3.8 SDP-Liberal Alliance J. Stewart 317 23.6 N/A 192 14.3 31.3 1,341 37.0 0.6 3,620 Labour Party (UK) Waltham Abbey West Waltham Abbey West Conservative Party (UK) G. Jailler* 540 41.7 9.4 SDP-Liberal Alliance Ms M. Lermit 383 29.6 N/A Labour Party (UK) D. Grenville-Brown 371 28.7 20.2 157 12.1 9.9 1,294 34.8 39.6 3,720 Conservative Party (UK) References Epping Forest District Council election Epping Forest District Council election, 1982 Category:Epping Forest District Council elections