About the councillors

There are eight 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. Background information on our six Councillors from the Esher and Walton parliamentary constituency is below. All contact details are in the 'Contact Us' section.

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 Michael Courtney (Claygate ward)

Cllr Courtney is a Liberal Democrat Member and Claygate Ward Councillor. He is Vice-Chairman of the Corporate Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Barry Fairbank (Long Ditton ward)

Barry was elected to the Council in 2000 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. He is a member of the Community Affairs Overview & Scrutiny Committee and also the Older People's Advisory Body.

He has served on many scrutiny panels and working groups, including those covering anti social behaviour; composting and recycling; financial reporting; and customer service improvement.

Barry has lived in Elmbridge for 12 years. He is married with 2 sons, both of whom are at university. He spent most of his working life in the City starting in a merchant bank, Samuel Montagu and subsequently working for a number of specialist investment management organisations. More recently he has become self-employed specialising in investment related financial investigations and risk appraisals.

Barry is also involved with a number of local organisations namely Home-Start Elmbridge, Long Ditton Village Hall, Long Ditton Youth Project and is a Governor at 2 Elmbridge schools, Long Ditton St Mary's and Cranmere, Esher.

Cllr Shweta Kapadia (Long Ditton ward)

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

She is Chairman of Elmbridge's Planning Committee and the East Area Planning Sub-Committee. She is the Council's Design and Heritage Champion.

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.

Cllr Steve Wells (Claygate ward)

Steve has lived in Claygate since 1984 and is a former Chair of Claygate Parish Council and Claygate Village Residents Association. During his three year stint as Chair of the Parish Council he was actively involved in a number of campaigns against threats to the Claygate community, including the now defunct proposal for a massive housing development around Claygate Station.

After a successful career in management consultancy, Steve is now reducing his workload and will be joined in semi-retirement later this year by his wife Linda who is a teacher at Esher Church School. Steve is a member of the Community Affairs Overview and Scrutiny Committee and a member of the Employee Advisory Group. He also serves on the Elmbridge Sports Council and Claygate Recreational Ground Trust.