We are delighted that Simon Leifer will be standing as the ERA candidate for the Esher Ward in the Elmbridge Borough Council local election on Thursday 2nd May.

Simon has been a member of the ERA for many years and is currently the ERA Chairman. He is passionate about standing up for the residents of Esher and Hersham. His manifesto will be distributed to your letterbox soon. 

His key focus if you elect him to be your Esher Ward Councillor will be:

Green Belt
Protecting the Green Belt and opposing inappropriate development.

Change Esher
Building on our campaign for reduced traffic, less pollution and for safer road crossings.

Civic Centre
Creating a Civic Centre redevelopment that meets the needs of residents and improves the High Street.

Hersham
Fighting for Hersham residents in the Esher Ward against unwanted developments such as Hersham Golf Course and the shopping centre

If you would like to speak to Simon he can be reached on esher.ra@gmail.com or 07411 043123.

A number of people have written to us asking for a more comprehensive biography of Simon:

He is a longstanding Esher resident married with three children and four grandchildren and is Chair of the ERA.

Simon qualified as a solicitor and has worked in the banking industry for most of his career, latterly as a part time consultant and a non-executive director in the financial services industry. In his legal career he twice took ground breaking cases to the House of Lords (now the Supreme Court) and also wrote the legal chapter to a banking industry ‘financial bible’.

He is a keen rower and punter and was a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic rowing team. He is also president of the Thames Punting Club and Hampton Court & Dittons Regatta and enjoys being on the River Thames whenever he can.

Simon strongly believes in giving back to the community and has served as an LEA school governor and been involved in various community initiatives but never shouts about it and just gets on with it. He led the project to re-house and build a boathouse for the Dittons Skiff & Punting Club in Thames Ditton (DSPC), successfully negotiating with EBC and with grant aid organisations and he still serves as a DSPC trustee and vice-president.

He is absolutely clear that this project would not have succeeded with the tremendous help, advice and support from local residents association councillors.

Simon is the ERA’s representative on the London Green Belt Council formed in 1955 to protect London’s precious Green Belt. He also represents the ERA on the Esher Chamber of Commerce and sits on two steering committees opposed to threatened inappropriate development in Hersham Village Shopping Centre and on Hersham Golf Course.