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Elmbridge is made up of 60 elected members representing 22 wards. Councillors serve a 4 year term with elections taking place every year, except 1 in 4, when County Council elections are held.
The current political breakdown is:
Each political group has a leader, known as the [party or group] Group Leader.
The Group Leaders and Deputies are as follows:
Conservatives Group Leader |Cllr R. Taylor
(Deputy) | (Cllr R.G. Whittaker)
Liberal Democrats Group Leader |Cllr B. Fairbank
(Deputy) |(Cllr M.A. Courtney)
Residents' Association Group Leader |Cllr C. Sadler
(Deputy) not specified
Hinchley Wood Group Leader |Cllr Mrs J.R. Turner
(Deputy) |(Cllr J. Mulder)
The names of all our councillors and the wards they represent can be found:
they are also listed in full in the Elmbridge Yearbook.
Local authorities are large organisations responsible for many services. Councillors are responsible for the overall policy and strategy which is decided at meetings of the Council. It would not be possible for all this activity to be controlled by one body - the full council itself - so the Local Government Act of 1972 provides the ability to delegate, allowing committees, sub-committees and officers to take decisions on the council's behalf. The responsibility for the decisions taken, however, still remains with the Council.
Interested in representing local people and taking decisions that affect the local community? Why not have a look at our webpage on |standing as a Borough Councillor.
Elmbridge council's business is conducted through the following:
Also see the |list of Committees and their meeting dates.
There are also numerous sub-committees, details of which can be found in the Yearbook, along with a |schedule of committee meetings.
Where a committee has delegated power to make the final decision on a matter it considers, the matter is said to be 'Resolved'. The decision may then be acted upon immediately.
Where the committee does not have delegated powers, a 'recommendation' would be made to the Cabinet or full Council meeting for the final decision. In a few instances, such as the setting of council tax, the law provides that the decision can only be made by the full council.
Also see the |Decision Making Structure
Chairmen
The Chairmen of the Committees are usually elected at the first meeting of the Committee. The Chairman has responsibility for regulating the conduct of meetings as well as the authority to instruct a member to withdraw from the meeting, order a member to be removed or adjourn the meeting. They also have the power to deal with interruptions from members of the public attending the meeting and more general disturbances.
All Council and Committee meetings are open to the press and public (subject to various exclusions) and |agendas and reports are available online. Should you wish to attend a meeting, most start at 7.45pm and are held either in the Council Chamber or in Committee Rooms at the Civic Centre. Cabinet meetings and Audit & Standards Committee meetings commence at 7.00pm.
|The Mayor
The council elects a new mayor each May at the Annual Meeting of the Council. The Mayor is the first citizen of the borough and acts as chairman at Council meetings. The mayor also represents the borough on formal and ceremonial occasions.
Declaration of Interest
Local Councillors have to abide by a Code of Conduct, part of which requires them to declare any interests, gifts or hospitality which they have or receive which could influence any decisions they may make as Councillors. Please contact our |Legal Division for more information.
|Allowances for Councillors
Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel