Elections, Thursday 2nd May, for:

Elmbridge Borough Council  and
Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner

 

Elmbridge Borough Council Elections
Since the 1930s Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents' Association has put forward candidates for local Council.  Currently the Association has four Borough Councillors in two of Elmbridge's wards - Thames Ditton ward and Hinchley Wood & Weston Green ward.  A third of all Councillors in Elmbridge are elected each year.

Why vote Residents' Association? 

For this election we hope to have your support. If you're unfamiliar with the Residents' Association, here's what puts RAs ahead of other parties:

• Residents' Councillors are independent of national political party agendas and truly represent those who elect them.
• They live locally and work solely for their communities' interests, putting residents at the heart of everything they do.
• They are hard-working and effective councillors - they get things done.
• They fight to protect our Green Belt and other green spaces.
• The RA keeps in contact with you through regular open meetings, dedicated website, Twitter and quarterly magazine.
• RAs work together in the Residents' Group, forming the second largest party in Elmbridge, ensuring the Council, is run effectively and efficiently.

To see what TD & WG Residents' Association has done for our area,
go to:  https://www.residents-association.com/raatwork

On 2nd May  -  vote Residents' Association to keep residents first in Elmbridge

 

Thames Ditton Ward

Our Residents' Association Candidate:                   Alex Batchelor   -   Elected

It's a privilege to have represented the residents of Thames Ditton ward these past three years, helping residents and working to enhance our lovely area. The issues councillors have to deal with are often about trying to find an elusive balance – eg. between desperately needed new homes and preserving our green spaces; between positive change that improves our lives and continuing to do things the way we have in the past. I have lived in Thames Ditton and Weston Green for 30 years, with Geraldine, and have been lucky to bring up 4 children here. I am proud of what the RA has done in that time, and continues to do.

Some issues can be fraught when local opinion is divided - here the RA aims to find the majority view. The vast majority of you did not want a new Aldi store, or indeed any supermarket, on the Portsmouth Road, and so the RA actively opposed that planning application and subsequent appeal.

Social media can be a distorting element in contentious issues, and I have read many things that are not true, particularly in relation to the Thames Ditton Community Centre. I am very happy to talk to people and hear their views, but would encourage civility. We can all do better in finding ways to discuss the choices we make to ensure that our area thrives and develops, whilst preserving the sense of community that makes it special.

To enable me to continue with this, please vote for me as your RA Councillor on Thursday 2nd May.

Click here to download our manifesto for Thames Ditton ward

 

Hinchley Wood & Weston Green Ward
RA coverage in Hinchley Wood & Weston Green ward is been provided jointly by Thames Ditton & Weston Green RA and Hinchley Wood RA. Currently all three serving Councillors are RA representatives, with both our RAs working very closely together.

 

Our Residents' Association Candidate:                    Gill Coates    -    Elected

I was elected as one of your RA councillors in May 2021. Since then I have been working hard to protect this lovely corner of Elmbridge and serve your best interests.

I was appointed to the Cabinet in May 2022 and I have served two years as Portfolio Holder for Community Care. I am passionate about helping our elderly and vulnerable residents, having been a carer for my mum and a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and I work tirelessly to champion these services within Council.

Locally, some of you may have met me at the Nature & Climate Festival, which I co-founded in 2022. This has brought over 60 speakers, workshops and activities to encourage everyone to think about climate change and how we can live sustainably. Or perhaps at one of the monthly litter picks in Weston Green or Hinchley Wood. I’m very active with the TD&WGRA – Secret Gardens events, Nature & Climate Photography Competition, and more. I also support most Hinchley Wood RA events and work closely with my fellow councillors in the HWRA.

I also serve on the East Area Planning Committee, and have been pleased help a number of local residents on planning concerns in their neighbourhoods. Elmbridge needs more small and affordable homes, and I believe that can be achieved through appropriate development that respects the character of our surroundings.

Life is not always easy in local politics. Recently there has been considerable misinformation on social media about me and the Council’s community services. However I prefer not to engage with this - I just get on with the job. But the simple fact is - Elmbridge Council is committed to helping more people, not fewer and our community centres are not under threat of closure. Please remember this when you read the other leaflets that come through your door.

RA councillors are committed to helping people and communities to thrive, and if you vote for me on 2nd May that is what you will get - a Councillor who puts residents first, not political ambition.

Gill is promoted under the joint banner, Hinchley Wood & Weston Green Residents' Associations.

Click here to download our manifesto for Hinchley Wood & Weston Green ward

Click here to go to the Hinchley Wood & Weston Green Residents' Associations' website

 

Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner Election

PCC elections in Surrey take place every four years (the previous election in 2021 having been delayed a year due to Covid). There are four candidates in this year's election - three from the main political parties and one independent. Click here to download a list of the candidates.

As is the case for our Borough Councillors, Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents' Association believes the post of Police & Crime Commissioner should be free of national party politics. We support the candidacy of independent Alex Coley, a member of the West Ewell & Ruxley Residents Association, and a Borough Councillor in Epsom & Ewell.

Click here to download Alex's PCC election leaflet

Click here for more details about Alex on the West Ewell & Ruxley RA website

 

Voter Information

Registration

If you are not already on the electoral register, then to vote on 2nd May you must register by 11.59pm on Tuesday 16th April. You can register online, or request a paper registration form to be sent to you. Go to: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote .

Postal Voting

If you wish to switch to postal voting, you must submit an application by 5pm on Wednesday 17th April. Note that if you have voted by post in the previous election, your postal-vote registration will still be current and postal ballot papers will be sent to you. For more information, go to: https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/how-vote/vote-post .

Voting at a Polling Station - Don't forget to bring photo ID

You must now show an approved form of photo ID to vote at a polling station. Acceptable forms of ID are shown on your poll card. For more information, including how to apply for free voter ID document, go to: https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/how-vote/voter-photo-id .

Note - on 2nd May you can vote only at your designated polling station - shown on your poll card. Go to: https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/how-vote/polling-stations to find your polling station. If you are unsure where you should vote, email: membership@residents-association.com, indicating your address.

Polling stations will be open 7am-10pm.

Please visit: https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/elections-may-2024 for further election information.