EFIG Wins Grange Hill By-Election in Chigwell

Grange Hill has chosen a local independent voice. On Thursday 6 November, Erika Skingsley won the Grange Hill ward by-election for Chigwell Parish Council, beating the Conservative candidate by 357 votes to 265 – a majority of 92.

The seat was previously held by Independent Cllr Alana Aradeon, and it stays in independent hands. We thank Alana for her service and congratulate Erika on a hard-fought campaign built on listening to residents, door by door.

The Result

• Erika Skingsley (Independent) – 357 votes (57.4%)

• Shivaje Singh Karari (Conservative) – 265 votes (42.6%)

Turnout was disappointing at just 10.11%, with 626 ballot papers issued from an electorate of 6,192. Erika took well over half of the votes cast, a clear mandate from the residents who turned out.

A Straight Contest

Reform UK did not stand a candidate, which made this a straight contest between EFIG and the Conservatives. Residents were given a simple choice between a party candidate and a local independent who answers only to the community. They chose the independent.

That matters beyond one seat. Across Epping Forest, people tell us they are tired of party politics getting in the way of common-sense local decisions. Grange Hill has shown that when voters are offered a genuine alternative, they will back it.

A Campaign Built on Listening

Erika’s campaign launched with 15 local supporters from across Grange Hill and Limes Farm, and their energy carried it from the first weekend to polling day. The team delivered happy Diwali leaflets to Hindu and Sikh households, sharing good wishes for the Festival of Lights, and knocked on doors across the Limes Farm Estate.

On those doorsteps, one issue came up again and again: street lights. Residents told us they want the lights kept on all night, not switched off at midnight. We heard you, and so did Erika.

Who Is the New Cllr Erika Skingsley?

Erika has lived in the area all her life, and she is no newcomer to community work. A hands-on volunteer and fundraiser, she has helped coach Limes Farm Colts FC and secured funding for the local food pantry to support vulnerable residents. She has also served as an Epping Forest Youth Councillor and received the Young Citizen of the Year Award.

Long before she stood for election, Erika was reporting damaged street signs, potholes and dozens of fly-tipping incidents so they could be put right. As Lynne Moir, Chair of the Limes Farm Community Group, put it during the campaign: “By electing Erika, I am confident Grange Hill will benefit from renewed energy, fresh perspectives, and commitment to serving our community.”

Erika’s Priorities

Erika has committed to:

• End Grange Hill’s midnight street light blackout.
• Target potholes, anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, littering and speeding.
• Oppose “unnecessary overdevelopment until we have a Chigwell GP surgery, schools, parking and more youth facilities to support it.”

That last commitment sums up our approach. New development has to come with the services to support it, not leave residents waiting for them.

What Happens Next

Erika will now take up her seat on Chigwell Parish Council and get to work on those commitments. Parish councils may be the smallest tier of local government, but they are the closest to residents, and a powerful place to press for action on the issues that shape daily life.

Thank You

Thank you to the volunteers who launched and sustained this campaign, to everyone who opened their door, took a leaflet or shared a kind word, and to the 357 residents who put their trust in Erika. Congratulations, Erika. Grange Hill is in good hands.

If you have spotted a pothole, fly-tip or faulty street light, you can report it through our Support Hub at efig.uk/support. And if you like what you have read, please share this post and help us grow the independent voice in Epping Forest.

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