Tandridge District

Tandridge is a local government district in east Surrey, England. Its council is based in Oxted, although the largest settlement is Caterham; other notable settlements include Warlingham, Godstone and Lingfield. In mid-2019, the district had an estimated population of 88,129.

Tandridge borders the Borough of Reigate and Banstead to the west, the London Borough of Croydon to the north, the London Borough of Bromley to the north-east, the Sevenoaks District of Kent to the east, the Wealden District of East Sussex to the south-east, the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex to the south and the Borough of Crawley, also in West Sussex, to the south-west.

The district contains parts of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Weald. It also contains several woodlands and some open heathland. Elevations above sea level range from Template:Convert at Botley Hill, in the North Downs near Oxted, to Template:Convert near Edenbridge.<ref>Local Authority Map. Accessed 2012-04-23</ref>

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the whole area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

• Caterham and Warlingham Urban District
• Godstone Rural District

The new district was named after the medieval Tandridge Hundred, which had covered a similar area.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From the seventeenth century onwards, hundreds gradually declined in importance as administrative divisions, with their functions passing to other bodies such as the county courts. The final administrative functions of hundreds had been extinguished in 1886.<ref>Riot (Damages) Act 1886 (49 & 50 Vict. c. 38), s.2</ref> The Tandridge hundred was named after the hillside village and ridge of the North Downs, Tandridge.

The vast majority of the district is covered by the Metropolitan Green Belt to prevent extension of the London urban area.<ref>London Green Belt Council http://londongreenbeltcouncil.org.uk/threats_map/ Template:Webarchive</ref>

The district is not currently twinned, but one of its towns, Lingfield, is twinned with Plaisance-du-Touch, a commune on the outskirts of Toulouse, France.<ref>District Council link to external website. Accessed 2012-04-23</ref>

Governance

Tandridge District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2019. It has been led since 2021 by a minority administration comprising local party the Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group (OLRG) and some of the independent councillors.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Tandridge" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name="vote2014">Template:Cite news</ref>

Party in control		Years
Template:Party name with colour	1974–1990
Template:Party name with colour	1990–1994
Template:Party name with colour	1994–1995
Template:Party name with colour	1995–2000
Template:Party name with colour	2000–2019
Template:Party name with colour	2019–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2000 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Gordon Keymer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	May 2000	May 2016
Martin Fisher<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	26 May 2016	May 2019
Tony Elias<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	21 May 2019	May 2021
Catherine Sayer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	27 May 2021

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council is:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party		Councillors
Template:Party name with colour	12
Template:Party name with colour	8
RA total		Template:Align
Template:Party name with colour	11
Template:Party name with colour	7
Template:Party name with colour	5
Total		43

The twelve Residents Association councillors sit with the Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group as the "Residents' Alliance" which forms the council's administration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next election is due 7 May 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Premises

The council is based at the Council Offices on Station Road East in Oxted (the building is actually in the parish of Limpsfield). The building was purpose-built for the council in 1989 on the site of the old Godstone Rural District Council's headquarters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Elections

Template:See also Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 18 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with roughly a third of the council elected each time to serve a four-year term. Surrey County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Parishes

The entire district is divided into civil parishes. The former Caterham and Warlingham Urban District was an unparished area until 2000, when six parishes were created covering that area: Caterham-on-the-Hill, Caterham Valley, Chaldon, Warlingham, Whyteleafe and Woldingham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> None of Tandridge's parish councils are styled as a "town council".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Royal Mail classes Caterham, Godstone, Lingfield, Oxted, Warlingham, and Whytleafe as post towns.

Civil Parishes in Tandridge District

Town, village or neighbourhood	Parish 1	Parish 2
Bletchingley which includes South Park, Brewer Street and Warwick Wold	Bletchingley
Burstow which includes Smallfield** and Weatherhill	Burstow
Caterham	Caterham on the Hill	Caterham Valley
Chaldon	Chaldon
Chelsham	Chelsham and Farleigh
Crowhurst	Crowhurst
Dormansland which includes Dormans Park and Haxted	Dormansland
Farleigh which includes Fickleshole	Chelsham and Farleigh
Felbridge which includes Domewood	Felbridge
Godstone which includes South Godstone*, Tyler's Green, Church Town, Tilburstow and Blindley Heath*	Godstone
Horne which includes Newchapel and Whitewood	Horne
Limpsfield which includes Limpsfield Chart*, Paines Hill and Langhurst	Limpsfield
Lingfield which includes Felcourt	Lingfield
Outwood	Outwood
Oxted which includes Hurst Green* and Holland	Oxted
Nutfield which includes South Nutfield* and Ridge Green	Nutfield
Tandridge which includes Crowhurst Lane End	Tandridge
Tatsfield	Tatsfield
Titsey	Titsey
Warlingham which includes Hamsey Green*	Warlingham
Whyteleafe	Whyteleafe
Woldingham which includes Woldingham Garden Village	Woldingham

<ref>Map Template:Webarchive created by Ordnance Survey, courtesy of English Heritage</ref>

Each civil parish is named after one of its towns or villages which has been established around an Anglican church. All other settlements/neighbourhoods with their own Anglican church or chapel and therefore traditionally in England defined as "a village" are marked with an asterisk. A double asterisk indicates the locality has a church hall used as a Church of England church.<ref>Church of England website - ecclesiastical parish finder</ref> One chapel in Limpsfield ecclesiastical parish and civil parish has no adjoining settlement, in Staffhurst Wood.

See also

• List of places of worship in Tandridge (district)

References

<references/>

External links

• District Council website