Main content
Councillor Les Burrows has been elected as Chairman of Epping Forest District Council (EFDC).
Councillor Louise Mead is the council’s new Vice-Chairman. Both were elected at the annual council meeting on 23 May.
Following the recent local elections 14 new councillors were welcomed which saw new electoral ward boundaries being introduced. Epping Forest District Council now has 54 councillors who represent 18 wards. Each ward is served by 3 councillors.
New chairman of council
Les Burrows was first elected as a district councillor 6 years ago and remarked on the fact that he never imagined he would one day be chairman.
A great honour I humbly accept
Addressing councillors, Chairman Les Burrows said:
As councillors, we all know not to take the will of our residents for granted. I would therefore like to say a very big thank you to the residents of Epping Forest who returned me at the elections for another term in office. Without them I really would not have been here tonight.
It is a great honour that I humbly accept, and this chain of office represents the responsibility you have placed upon me. I shall do my utmost to live up to your expectations.
Councillor Burrows will be supporting Essex and Herts Air Ambulance as his chosen charity for the next year.
A fantastic year
Outgoing chairman, Councillor Darshan Sunger was the first Sikh chairman of Epping Forest District Council and continues to be a councillor for Chigwell and Lambourne ward.
During his time as chairman, Councillor Sunger attended many notable events. He participated in various religious festivals, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the community and honoured residents who go above and beyond for their own community at the civic awards.
In July, Epping Forest Youth Council celebrated its 15th anniversary and 1 April 2024, marked the 50th anniversary of Epping Forest District Council.
Councillor Sunger said:
I have been so proud to represent our district at events throughout my year as chairman and call Epping Forest my home. It has been a fantastic year and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you.
Councillor Burrows thanked Councillor Sunger for his service as chairman over the last 12 months, saying:
It has been a pleasure to support Darshan with his official engagements. Darshan, you have inspired me with confidence, and I hope I can live up to the high standards that you have set.
New Vice-Chairman
New Vice-Chairman of Council, Councillor Louise Mead was welcomed by all councillors. She thanked them for putting their trust in her, stating what a privilege it is to be elected Vice-Chairman for the district that is so close to her heart.
Long-service awards
5 councillors were awarded long-service awards at annual council.
Former Chairman, Caroline Pond received a gold long-service medal in recognition of 22 years as a district councillor. John Philip and David Wixley were awarded a silver long-service medal for 16 years’ service. Helen Kane, also a former chairman and Heather Brady received bronze medals for 12 years’ service.
Cabinet appointments
Councillor Chris Whitbread continues his role as Leader of Council. He has taken the opportunity to make changes to his Cabinet and updating portfolios, adding 3 new Councillors on his team: Councillors Paul Keska, Tim Matthews and Kaz Rizvi.
- Leader – Councillor Chris Whitbread
- Deputy Leader, Housing and HGGT – Councillor Nigel Bedford
- Shaping our District – Councillor Ken Williamson
- Finance and Economic Development – Councillor Holly Whitbread
- Commercial and Estates – Councillor Tim Matthews
- Transformation – Councillor Smruti Patel
- Community, Health and Wellbeing – Councillor Kaz Rizvi
- Contracts Delivery – Councillor Ray Balcombe
- Regulatory, Technical and Community Safety Services – Councillor Paul Keska
Other key appointments
- Chairman Plans Sub Committee East – Councillor Richard Morgan
- Chairman Plans Sub Committee West – Councillor Steven Heather
- Chairman Plans Sub Committee South – Councillor Alan Lion
- Chairman District Development Management Committee – Councillor Sue Jones
- Chairman Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Roger Baldwin
- Chairman Communities Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Jodie Lucas
- Chairman Place Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Joseph Parsons
The Audit and Governance chairman will be decided at the first meeting.
Leader Councillor Chris Whitbread noted that the planning committees are temporary. This is due to a Planning Advisory Service report, coming to Cabinet on Tuesday 28 May. It suggests major changes to the way in which EFDC makes planning decisions.
Keep up to date
Keep in touch with our latest news, service updates and reports.