In case you didn’t know, on May 2 there are local elections going on.  These elections are important to your interests and life in your local community.  As well as the Tandridge Council Elections, there are also the Parish Council Elections and the vote to support the Limpsfield Neighbourhood Plan.  These votes will all be cast at the same time.

We’ve learned a big lesson over the last couple of years in terms of the dangers of not voting, so make your votes count…

Tandridge Elections

On May 2, this vote is for the person who will represent each ward in the Tandridge District Council. The Candidates for the Limpsfield Ward are:

Claire Blackwell – Oxted & Limpsfield Residents Group (Independent). Local lass born and bred, educated at Oxted School. Green Belt protector and cat lover.

Martin Caxton – Lib Dems. Lived in Limpsfield for over 20 years. Aims to see local health services better resourced and is concerned about the lack of affordable housing in the Oxted area.

Richard Adamson – Conservative – thoroughly nice chap, local family man, born, bred and schooled in Oxted/Limpsfield; member of Oxted Hockey and Oxted & Limpsfield Cricket Club. Allotment lover. Potato grower.

Limpsfield Parish Council

On May 2 you will also be asked to vote for your Limpsfield Parish Council members.

In case of confusion, the Parish Council has nothing to do with the Church and acts in the interest of residents and businesses within the Limpsfield parish boundary. It is a council of nine elected members who have the specific interests of Limpsfield at heart and work with Tandridge District and Surrey County Council to make sure these interests are heard and upheld as far as possible.

Voting for your Parish council is really important on a very local level, in terms of electing members of the local community to help implement local projects and ongoing policies that will to shape the future of Limpsfield, such as planning, infrastructure, green spaces, heritage and conservation and local business development.

There are a number of people standing for election to the Parish Council – many of whom have already been serving for some time and have spearheaded the Limpsfield Neighbourhood Plan.

Current candidates up for re-election are John Thompson, Bob Harvey, Bernie De Halvedang and Mark Wilson (current chair). They are joined by new faces – Laila Turner, Ann Osborn, Thomas Briggs and Ashley Fosdike.

These candidates are all standing as Independents Supporting the Limpsfield Neighbourhood Plan – these are not affiliated to any political party, but are just standing on behalf of Limpsfield residents with the objective of implementing the Limpsfield Neighbourhood Plan.

Also, in support of the plan is former chairman and conservative candidate Philip Bailey.

The Neighbourhood Plan referendum

Finally on May 2 you will be asked to vote in the referendum to support and implement the Limpsfield Neighbourhood Plan.

If you don’t know anything about it, this has been in the planning since 2015 and will set out how local people would like to shape Limpsfield until 2033.

The policies contained in the plan will seek to protect our local countryside and green spaces, as well as influencing the type, scale and location of any future development in the Parish and the local infrastructure provision necessary to support Limpsfield’s residents.

‘By taking control of the framework for decision making about the Parish, we can influence the way Limpsfield develops over the next fifteen years and ensure a strong and sustainable future for our area, while at the same time protecting the character and attributes of Limpsfield, which are so valued by residents.’

Many people have been actively involved in the drafting of the plan over the last two years; with steering groups set up to discuss different topic areas, including housing, planning, heritage and landscape, open space/green space, infrastructure and communications, business and economy, community, leisure and recreation.

To download the plan, click here.

“I must congratulate Limpsfield Parish Council for preparing what is a locally distinct neighbourhood plan, which seeks to deliver on the expressed priorities of the residents of Limpsfield. The plan will provide a sound basis for dealing with planning applications in the parish in the next few years”.

Independent Examiner

Referendums are important.  Even on a very local level.  We know what can happen when you don’t vote…