Tandridge District

Tandridge District
Non-metropolitan district
Caterham, the largest town in Tandridge
Motto(s):  Concordia (Latin: Harmony)
Tandridge shown within Surrey
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South East England
Non-metropolitan county	Surrey
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Oxted
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Tandridge District Council
• Leadership	Alternative - Sec.31
• MPs	Claire Coutinho
Area
• Total	95.8 sq mi (248.2 km2)
• Rank	134th (of 296) Highest point  : Botley Hill
Population  (2022)
• Total	88,707
• Rank	268th (of 296)
• Density	930/sq mi (360/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
• Ethnic groups	List 89.4% White 3.8% Mixed 3.7% Asian 2.2% Black 0.9% other
Religion (2021) [1]
• Religion	List 51.2% Christianity 38.9% no religion 6.4% not stated 1.3% Islam 1.2% Hinduism 0.4% other 0.4% Buddhism 0.2% Judaism 0.1% Sikhism
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	43UK (ONS) E07000215 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TQ3954252860

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 267 m (876 ft) at Botley Hill, in the North Downs near Oxted, to 42 m (138 ft) near Edenbridge.^[2]

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:^[3]

• Caterham and Warlingham Urban District
• Godstone Rural District

The new district was named after the medieval Tandridge Hundred, which had covered a similar area.^[4][5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

Tandridge District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
History
Founded	1 April 1974
Leadership
Chair	Sue Farr, Residents’ Alliance since 22 May 2024[9]
Leader	Catherine Sayer, OLRG since 27 May 2021
Chief Executive	David Ford since 21 June 2021[10]
Structure
Seats	43 councillors
Political groups	Administration (20)   Residents Association (12)   OLRG (8) Other parties (23)   Liberal Democrats (11)   Conservative (7)   Independent (5)
Elections
Last election	2 May 2024
Next election	7 May 2026
Meeting place
Council Offices, Station Road East, Oxted, RH8 0BT
Website
www.tandridge.gov.uk

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.^[11]

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:^[12][13]

The leaders of the council since 2007 have been:^[14]

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council is:^[15]

The twelve Residents Association councillors sit with the Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group as the "Residents' Alliance" which forms the council's administration.^[16] The next election is due 7 May 2026.

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.^[17]

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.^[18]

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.^[19] None of Tandridge's parish councils are styled as a "town council".^[20] The Royal Mail classes Caterham, Godstone, Lingfield, Oxted, Warlingham, and Whytleafe as post towns.

^[21]

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.^[22] One chapel in Limpsfield ecclesiastical parish and civil parish has no adjoining settlement, in Staffhurst Wood.

Coat of arms of Tandridge District

Notes Granted 17 March 1977 Crest Upon a mural crown Or a grasshopper Vert. Escutcheon Gules three bezants each charged with an estoile of eight rays also Gules. Supporters On either side a griffin Or holding a sword erect Proper the quillons formed of a vol Or the pommel Azure. Motto Concordia (Harmony)[23] Badge Four Tau crosses joined in cross at the foot Or.

• List of places of worship in Tandridge (district)

• District Council website

51°15′26″N 0°00′00″E / 51.2573°N 0.0000°E / 51.2573; 0.0000