Independent candidate Christopher Whinney took a seat from the Tories
THE Tories have tightened their grip across Surrey with wins in all six councils that went to the polls this week.
They retained control on five local authorities and won another one.
The Tories had great success in Elmbridge, winning overall control of the borough after nearly two decades.
Despite their gains, there were a few close calls and they lost some seats in Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead.
The UK Independence Party have made inroads in some areas, but Labour did not gain any seats.
Reigate and Banstead
The Tories retained overall control in Reigate and Banstead, but not without a struggle.
They lost two seats bringing their total down from 41 to 39.
The British National Party performed well and came second to the Tories in Chipstead, Hooley and Woodmansterne ward with 269 votes, beating Labour by 110 and UKIP by 129.
The Lib Dems gained a Tory seat in Meadvale and St Johns, while Independent candidate Christopher Whinney took another one from the Conservatives in Reigate Central.
UKIP came second in Banstead Village, and Jonathan Essex narrowly missed winning a seat for the Green Party in Redhill East.
After losing by just 20 votes, Mr Essex said: "It shows the Tories can be defeated. I had no idea how it was going and in the last week the Tories stepped up their campaign so to be in with a chance after they mobilised their election machine was quite promising."
Tim Rait, BNP spokesman for the South East, welcomed his party’s results.
“These results show we are making an increasing impact in Surrey and in Chipstead we are particularly encouraged by the fact that we came ahead of UKIP, the Lib Dems and the Labour Party," he said.
"It shows we are making worthwhile progress in this region.”
Rowan Cole, aged 20, is now an Elmbridge borough councillor
Elmbridge
The Conservatives gained four seats and took overall control of the borough for the first time since 1990.
The big names losing out on the night were Roy Green in Hersham North and Torquil Stewart in Long Ditton.
Roy Green (Hersham Village Society) said two weeks ago that the people of Hersham had persuaded him to stand for re-election - he had represented the area on and off since 1979.
He polled 436 votes and lost his seat to Tory Doug Packer who won 847 votes.
Torquil Stewart was deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and was hotly tipped to take over the leadership role from Graham Winton, who had decided not to stand for re-election in Weybridge North.
Walton South had been vacated by Donagh Curwen (The Walton Society) who had decided not to stand for re-election. The seat was won by Conservative Rowan Cole, who now becomes the youngest Elmbridge borough councillor at the tender age of 20.
“It wasn’t a shock,” Mr Cole said. “I put so much work into it. It was closely fought and I’m very happy.”
Former editor of The Sun, Kelvin Mackenzie (Independent), came second in Weybridge South with 227 votes but lost to Conservative Glenn Dearlove, who won 679 votes.
Overall turnout in Elmbridge was 37.3%, up slightly from last year’s 35.2%.
Weston Green had the highest turnout with 46.2% with the fewest voters going to the polls in Walton North (27.8%).
Mole Valley Lib Dem leader Margaret Cooksey
Mole Valley
The Conservatives managed to retain power in the district, despite losing some seats to the Liberal Democrat opposition.
Voter turnout in Mole Valley was 46.5% compared with last year’s 47.2%, but still above the national average of 35%.
Lib Dem leader Margaret Cooksey was very disappointed about a couple of their losses.
“We would have hoped to have made inroads to the Conservative majority,” she said.
“[But] overall we had a good night and we are pleased. In the wards that we won we had good majorities."
The Lib Dems lost Wescott to the Conservatives after Cllr Terry Ellis stood down.
“Westcott has always been a knife-edge and the difference between votes has always been very small,” Cllr Cooksey said.
In the past, she has represented the ward for six years.
The Lib Dems have held it for four years and before that the Tories had it for four years.
The opposition are, however, celebrating in Leatherhead North, which is now all yellow after Bob Hedgeland beat Tory Kyle Green by 245 votes.
“That was a very good outcome,” she said. “It really consolidated our position in Leatherhead North.”
UKIP garnered 269 votes in Holmwoods, almost half the number secured by the Conservatives (269).
Council leader Tim Hall welcomed his party’s success.
He even had a positive outlook on losing Leatherhead North. “We actually increased our vote. Four years ago we got 511 and this year we got 621.”
Cllr Hall is looking forward to a long list of projects for his party to implement.
“We’re very cheered we’re still in control,” he said.
He was pleased with overall voter turnout and thought the weather - "hail and torrential rain" - might have partly accounted for the slight drop compared to last year.
Runnymede
Although there was no change in the overall political balance here, there was room for some new faces, including the youngest winner in the borough.
Conservative Chris Chapman, aged 21, won 755 votes as the party held onto the Chertsey St Ann’s ward.
“I am delighted,” he said.
“We weren’t counting our chickens until they’d hatched, watching the votes pouring in was a very nerve-racking experience.
“I will now look to see that the things I said in my manifesto can become a reality.
“I will try to improve the flood defences along the river, to make sure the Environment Agency are aware of the problems.
“I will also look at recycling and anti-social behaviour.”
Runnymede Independent Residents’ Group bucked the trend of Conservative success across the county when both of their candidates were elected in Thorpe.
Elaine Gill, who led the way with 1,024 votes, said: “I’m very, very pleased indeed.
“I was a bit anxious to begin with because I thought the Conservatives would give us quite a close run, but in the end it was quite a comfortable majority.
“I think our success is because the residents acknowledge that the independents accept that we are working for them.
“We now have a lot of things to sort out. We have a proposed incinerator [at Trumps Farm, Longcross], that is a huge issue and although I am personally in favour of incineration, it is clearly in the wrong place.
“I would love to put candidates out in other wards, even in the county council elections next year.
“It’s just about finding the right candidates for the right areas and it takes a lot more work than people realise.”
UKIP’s Toby Micklethwait made significant gains in Englefield Green West for Runnymede Borough Council, polling 264 votes to Conservative Hugh Meares’ 464.
Councillor Gordon Keymer
Tandridge
Voter turnout in Tandridge was 42.3% compared with 42% last year.
Conservative leader of Tandridge council, Gordon Keymer, retained his seat in Oxted North, winning 1,262 seats to Lib Dem Matthew Griffiths’ 630.
Despite retaining overall control the Tories did lose Westway to the Lib Dems, by 88 votes.
Cllr Keymer said: “It was a good night for us, we made some big gains.
“It was a very jolly atmosphere. People are very pleased because some of the wards we won were very interestingly poised.
“Personally I am delighted with the result in my ward because it has been a difficult election period, possibly the most difficult I’ve ever known.
“In a way the problems we have faced made it difficult to call, and I was pleased to see a large increase in turnout which benefited us.
“I shall now continue to make sure my residents interests are represented as best I can.”
Philip Goldenberg (right) is no longer a Woking councillor
Woking
The Conservatives are still in power in Woking, with 19 seats, with the Lib Dems holding 17 seats.
UKIP were level with Labour in Brookwood, with 19 votes each, and beat them in Goldsworth East by six votes. Labour were also 35 votes behind UKIP in Horsell West.
Long-standing Lib Dem councillor Philip Goldenberg lost out to Conservative candidate David Bittleston, who won with 942 votes compared to Mr Goldenberg’s 736 votes in Mount Hermon East.
Derek McCrum (Lib Dem) retained his seat in Kingfield and Westfield, beating Tory Carl Thomson by 190 votes.
Cllr McCrum said: “I will be looking at the cleanliness of the streets and particularly I’d like to challenge Surrey County Council about safer children's crossings and the speed of traffic.”
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