Esher and Walton Liberal Democrats

About the councillors

There are five Liberal Democrat Councillors on Elmbridge Borough Council who work to achieve a greener, cleaner, fairer and safer community, while ensuring value for money from our council tax. Information on the Councillors from the Esher and Walton constituency is below and their contact details are in the 'Contact Us' section (which includes details on our Councillors in Weybridge).

Cllr Jimmy Cartwright (Claygate ward)

Cllr Cartwright is a Liberal Democrat Member and a Claygate Ward Councillor. He is also a member of Claygate Parish Council. He is a member of the East Area Planning Sub Committee, the Licensing and Gambling Committee and the Audit and Standards Committee. On the Parish Council he is a member of the Highways and Transportation Committee. Cllr Cartwright is now in his fifth year as a member of the Borough Council and was elected a member of the Parish Council when it was first started and for a year was Chairman.

His wife's family moved to Claygate in 1946 and they were married there in 1958. They moved back to Claygate in 1960 and after several moves within Claygate are now back in his wife's old family home in Hare Lane (where the banners are displayed).

Cllr Alex Coomes (Claygate ward)

Alex has lived in Claygate since he was four months old and is a Parish Councillor.

He enjoys the benefits of living in Claygate and wants to help it remain a lovely village and to work for the residents on Council matters.

He has worked hard on the Parish Planning Committee considering the views of residents on planning applications, the merits of any application and how these opinions should be transmitted to Elmbridge. He has been active in making comments to Elmbridge Borough Council on the Elmbridge Plan.

Alex was a very active supporter of the campaign against the imposition of metered car parking charges by Surrey County Council. If elected, Alex will work hard for the benefit of Claygate, but promises however to continue to find time for his allotment.

Group Leader Cllr Barry Fairbank (Long Ditton ward)

Barry Fairbank was first elected to the Council in 2000 and re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2011

He is a member of The Appointments Committee, The Older People's Advisory Body, The Performance and Finance Standing Panel, The Health Working Group, The Surrey County Council Local; Committee in Elmbridge, Audit & Standards.

Over time he has served on many Overview & Scrutiny task and working groups covering a range of subjects including:- waste collection and disposal; council partnerships; council service performance; the dissemination of financial information; Overview & Scrutiny; the replacement Leisure Centre; customer service improvement; the Elmbridge Museum; land charge searches; the discharge of elderly people from hospital; and others.

He has lived in Elmbridge for more than 15 years, living previously in Wimbledon. He is married to Gill a headteacher, with 2 sons, one of whom is working as a political researcher and the other studying at university. He was educated at Sir Walter St John's Grammar School, Battersea and following the closure of the School has served as a Trustee of the residual body providing educational grants to individuals; voluntary groups and project groups based in the former catchment area of the school.

He spent most of his working life in the City starting at a merchant bank, Samuel Montagu, and subsequently joining a number of specialist investment management organisations including Invesco, NatWest, Midland Montagu and Gartmore. Before retiring, he become self-employed specialising in investment related financial investigations and risk appraisals.

Barry is also involved with a number of local organisations namely:- HomeStart Elmbridge; Long Ditton Village Hall; Long Ditton Youth Project; St Mary's Church Community Hall; Long Ditton Children's Centre. He is also a Governor at 2 schools: Long Ditton St Mary's Junior where he is Chairman and Cranmere Primary in Weston Green.

Barry is a member of the campaign group : Save Our Surrey Community Hospitals. Other interests include: current affairs; sport; reading; walking; music; humour; and theatre.

Cllr Toni Izard (Long Ditton ward)

Toni Izard was born in Hinchley Wood and has lived in Long Ditton for the last ten years. She is committed to Long Ditton and to working for its residents.

For the last four years, Toni has been Chair of the volunteer run Long Ditton Youth Club which she helped to found. She and her husband Ben regularly volunteer to run sessions as they feel it is very important to offer a safe but stimulating environment for local 10 - 15 year olds.

She takes a keen interest in sustainable living, joining in with community food growing projects and running a cookery workshop to promote home cooking. To save food being wasted she volunteers for the Abundance project, helping to harvest local fruit which residents do not want for distribution to local schools and disadvantaged groups. She has campaigned against GM Foods and for sustainable farming with Friends of the Earth.

Toni is also a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator, co-runs a sewing group and has started to teach English to speakers of other languages.

Professionally, she trained as a Speech and Language Therapist and worked in the NHS for many years, but now works part-time as a Property Manager. She has two grown-up daughters.

Cllr Shweta Kapadia (Long Ditton ward)

Shweta Kapadia has been Councillor for Long Ditton, since 2000.

She is a member of, and previously Chairman and Vice Chairman of, Elmbridge's Planning Committee, and the East Area Planning Sub-Committee. She is the Council's Design and Heritage Champion She is on the Council's Affordable Housing Member Panel and on the Local Development Framework Group that is working on Elmbridge Planning Policy to 2026

Other current appointments:

Council appointed Board Member of the Elmbridge Housing Trust

Council Member, Arts Council England South East

Trustee, R C Sherriff Trust

She has served on the management committee of the Elmbridge Multi-Faith Forum and has been a school governor.

Shweta has lived in Long Ditton for the last 20 years. She was educated in India where she qualified as an architect and worked in the profession for many years. . She is also a reflexologist and did voluntary work in a reflexology clinic.

Her hobbies/interests include painting on China and Porcelain for which she has received several awards playing bridge, Western and Indian Classical music, and Art.

Lib Dem Cllrs in Weybridge

Miles Macleod and Andrew Davis are also Liberal Democrat Councillors on Elmbridge Borough Council. They represent the Weybridge North ward which falls into the Runnymede and Weybridge parliamentary constituency. Visit www.weybridgelibdems.org.uk