128-574: Cherkley Court , at the extreme southeast of Leatherhead , Surrey , in England , is a late Victorian neo-classical mansion and estate of 370 acres (1.5 km), once the home of Canadian-born press baron Lord Beaverbrook . The main house is listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England . The house was built in 1866–70 for Birmingham exporter of metal goods Abraham Dixon (1815–1907) and rebuilt for him in 1893 after
256-565: A multistorey car park , was constructed in its place. At the same time a one-way system was created and the High Street was pedestrianised. By September 1981, the scheme was already attracting criticism from local traders and residents, who blamed the traffic alterations for a steep decline in footfall . In January 1983, the County Planning Officer admitted that the "complexity of present routes undoubtedly detracts from
384-476: A progressive approach to social policies such as civil liberties , animal rights , LGBT rights , and drug policy reform . The party also believes strongly in non-violence , universal basic income , a living wage , and democratic participation. It is split into various regional divisions, including the semi-autonomous Wales Green Party , and is internationally affiliated with the Global Greens and
512-481: A shout , a type of boat up to 16 metres (52 ft) in length, used to transport produce to market. Several schemes were proposed to make the Mole navigable in the 17th and 18th centuries, but none were enacted. The turnpike road between Epsom and Horsham , which ran through Leatherhead, was authorised by Parliament in 1755. Turnpikes to Guildford and Kingston were opened in 1758 and 1811 respectively and one of
640-593: A "no day tickets or guest players" policy and with a membership fee allegedly in excess of six figures. Cherkley Court itself reopened in 2017 as the "Beaverbrook", a 5-star hotel and private leisure estate and the golf course club house finally opened in 2018. The club house was significantly damaged by a fire in March 2022. Cherkley Court is off the A24 (where it forms the Leatherhead bypass) and its main drive begins near
768-545: A Liberal Democrat seat where June 2014 polling put the Greens in second place behind Labour, Bristol West , another Liberal Democrat seat, where they targeted the student vote, St. Ives , where they received an average of 18% of the vote in county elections, Sheffield Central , Liverpool Riverside , Oxford East , Solihull , Reading East , and three more seats with high student populations – York Central , Cambridge , and Holborn and St. Pancras , where leader Bennett stood as
896-462: A Sustainable Society before February 2010). The party publishes a manifesto for each of its election campaigns. Separate from this, the Greens have a set of Core Values, a Philosophical Basis and a series of Long-term Goals. For the 2015 general election , the party's manifesto outlined many new policies, including a Robin Hood tax on banks and a 60% tax on those earning over £150,000. For
1024-538: A breakthrough in Northern England by winning their first ever seats on Newcastle City Council and Sefton Council . It was noted that the Greens benefited from anger at Labour over the Israel–Gaza war when they won their first seat on Bolton Council . After gaining 74 seats across England and increasing their total to 812, the Greens hailed 2024 as their best ever local election result. On 8 June 2023,
1152-497: A fire, being lived in by his wife until her death in 1909. Cherkley Court was acquired in 1910 by Lord Beaverbrook, politician and owner of the Express Newspapers group, and he lived there for the next fifty years. During Beaverbrook's time, the house attracted many famous weekend guests including Winston Churchill , Bonar Law , Rebecca West , H. G. Wells , Harold Macmillan and Rudyard Kipling . Beaverbrook passed
1280-703: A gain of two. It held seats in Camden and Lewisham , and gaining seats in Islington and Lambeth . In 2013, there were allegations of factionalism and infighting in the party between liberal, socialist , and eco-anarchist factions. At the 2014 European elections , the Green Party finished fourth, above the Liberal Democrats , winning over 1.2 million votes. The party also increased its European Parliament representation, gaining one seat in
1408-561: A lack of clear and effective party leadership was a significant reason in their decision. The party fielded more candidates than it had ever done before in the 1992 general election but performed poorly. In 1993, the party adopted its "Basis for Renewal" program in an attempt to bring together conflicting factions and thus saved the party from bankruptcy and potential demise. The party sought to escape its reputation as an environmentalist single-issue party by placing greater emphasis on social policies. Recognising their poor performance in
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#17327915171581536-633: A large service block attached at the north-east corner and a flat-roofed pavilion at the south-east corner. By 2002 Cherkley Court had fallen into disrepair but over seven years the Beaverbrook Foundation restored the property, with the intention of opening it to the public in the same way as the great houses owned by the National Trust . On 1 April 2007 it opened its 16 acres (65,000 m) of formal gardens and walks to paying visitors. As well as grand terraces, garden pavilions,
1664-477: A mesne lord to the tenant-in-chief, Bishop Odo of Bayeux . Finally there are sporadic mentions in surviving documents of a manor called "Minchin", which may have belonged to Kilburn Priory in Middlesex . For the majority of its history, Thorncroft Manor appears to have remained as a single, intact entity, with the exception of the subinfeudation of Bocketts Farm , which took place before 1300. In 1086,
1792-404: A more local level. They also want to limit the power of big business , which, they argue, upholds the unsustainable trend of globalisation , and is detrimental to local trade and economies. The Green Party publishes a party platform : a full set of its policies, as approved by successive party conferences, collectively entitled Policies for a Sustainable Society (originally The Manifesto for
1920-560: A new drama festival. Leatherhead began to expand at the start of the 20th century and the population grew from in 4,694 in 1901 to 5,491 in 1911. New housing developments were built between 1900 and 1905 in Fairfield, Highlands and Kingston Roads, and Queen Anne's Garden. Later in the decade, houses were constructed in Copthorne, Clinton, Reigate and Woodville Roads, Kingston Avenue and St Nicholas Hill. The first council housing in
2048-573: A party that did not share all of the Greens' views. In April 1995, the Green National Executive ruled that the party should withdraw from this alliance due to ideological differences. As the Labour Party shifted to the political centre under the leadership of Tony Blair and his New Labour project, the Greens sought to gain the support of the party's disaffected leftists. During the 1999 European Parliament elections ,
2176-452: A point where a continuation of Elm Road would meet the river. The first indication of a bridge at Leatherhead is a local deed dated to 1250, which was witnessed by a "Simon of the Bridge". Later that century, in around 1286, a Peter Dryaw of Fetcham is recorded as mortgaging the annual rent of a house "at the bridge in the town of Ledderede" to Merton College, Oxford . It is possible that
2304-481: A positive alternative to the establishment parties, and finding it in the Greens"; in the first national electoral test of the new leadership in the 2022 local elections the Green Party made a net gain of 71 seats – including in both Conservative and Labour "safe seats". On 7 September 2022, it was announced that Zack Polanski had been elected as the party's new deputy leader, defeating three election opponents and replacing Amelia Womack, who chose not to re-stand for
2432-402: A serious fire had destroyed much of Leatherhead, Wimbledon defaulted on the rent and was accused of dismantling several of the manor buildings. From the start of the 15th century, the land was divided between twelve lessees and the manor then disappears from the historical record. Surviving records of Pachenesham Parva from around 1330 suggest that it covered an area of 46 ha (114 acres) on
2560-900: A share of seats in Parliament based on their national vote share. The Green Party of England and Wales has its origins in the PEOPLE Party , which was founded in Coventry in November 1972. It was renamed to the Ecology Party in 1975; in 1985, the party changed its name to the Green Party . In 1989, the party's Scottish branch evolved to establish the independent Scottish Green Party, with an independent Green Party in Northern Ireland evolving shortly after, leaving
2688-549: A stone grotto and an Italianate garden there are wild flower meadows, a walnut grove and woodland walks. However, in December 2009 it was announced that the house would no longer be open to the public from 2010, the Foundation having decided that it could not be profitable. In September 2010 the house and estate were put on the market at £20 million and purchased by a company called Longshot Cherkley Court, whose plans to turn
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#17327915171582816-669: A terminus, but its line was extended westwards to Bookham in 1885. The two railway companies were amalgamated in 1923, when the Southern Railway was formed. All railway lines through Leatherhead were electrified in 1925 and the LSWR station was closed in 1927. In the late 1930s, a southward extension of the Chessington branch line was proposed, but the creation of the Metropolitan Green Belt prevented
2944-517: Is in Leatherhead. Green Party of England and Wales The Green Party of England and Wales ( GPEW ; Welsh : Plaid Werdd Cymru a Lloegr ; Cornish : Parti Gwer Pow Sows ha Kembra ; often known simply as the Green Party or the Greens ) is a green , left-wing political party in England and Wales . Since October 2021, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay have served as the party's co-leaders. The party currently has four representatives in
3072-497: Is sustainable and keeps environmental damage to a minimum. The party also supports the implementation of a nationwide retrofit insulation programme (for both homeowners and renters). This would be in order to reduce energy consumption, provide warm homes and lower people's energy bills. The party supports bringing energy and water companies, public transport including buses and railways, as well as Royal Mail into public ownership. They have also called for social care to be free at
3200-631: The 1841 census , 18.5% of the town's inhabitants were employed in agriculture-related trades, but forty years later , the proportion had fallen to 5.4%. Larger-scale industries arrived in Leatherhead in the first half of the 20th century. In 1928, the Rayon manufacturing company opened a factory in Ermyn Way, close to the border with Ashtead parish and was replaced ten years later by the manufacturing plant for Goblin Vacuum Cleaners . Also in
3328-573: The 1st Canadian Division was posted to Dorking and Leatherhead, and was responsible for completing the construction of Young Street between Givons Grove and Fetcham. The local unit of the Home Guard , Company F of the 6th Battalion of South Eastern Command, was formed with 200 recruits in May 1940. The training centres for the company included the Drill Hall on Kingston Road and an anti-tank obstacle
3456-433: The 2012 London Assembly election . At the 2012 London mayoral election , the party's candidate Jenny Jones finished third; she lost her deposit. In May 2012, Lucas announced that she would not seek re-election to the post of party leader. In September, Australian-born former journalist Natalie Bennett was elected party leader and Will Duckworth deputy leader in the leadership election took place . Bennett would take
3584-631: The 2018 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election and would stand down as co-leader. On 1 June 2018, Bartley announced a co-leadership bid alongside Siân Berry , former candidate for the Mayor of London in 2008 and 2016. Bartley and Berry were elected as co-leaders in September 2018, winning 6,279 of 8,329 votes. In the 2019 local elections , the Green Party secured their best ever local election result, more than doubling their number of council seats from 178 to 372 councillors. This success
3712-515: The 2019 general election , the party's manifesto had four key sections: "remain and transform", which advocated for the UK to reverse its decision to leave the EU and increase cross-border co-operation with the EU; "grow democracy", which aimed to overhaul the UK's current voting system and rebalance government power by lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 and redefining the jurisdiction of local governments;
3840-448: The 2024 general election , the party's manifesto followed the slogan "Real hope. Real change." Their manifesto focused on providing a "secure future", solving the climate crisis , and providing social equality, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals where they believe previous governments have failed. The Green Party believes in "an economy that works for all". This includes steps to eliminate poverty with social policies such as increasing
3968-718: The European Green Party . Alongside the Scottish Greens and the Green Party Northern Ireland , the party was established in 1990 through the division of the pre-existing Green Party , which had initially been established as the PEOPLE Party in 1973. The party went through centralising reforms spearheaded by the Green 2000 group in early 1990, and also sought to emphasise growth in local governance, doing so throughout 1990. In 2010,
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4096-557: The House of Commons and two in the House of Lords , in addition to over 800 councillors at the local government level and three members of the London Assembly . The party's ideology combines environmentalism with left-wing economic policies, including well-funded and locally controlled public services. It advocates a steady-state economy with the regulation of capitalism , and supports proportional representation . It takes
4224-475: The Iron Age . Flints , a probable well and two pits were discovered in 2012 during building work on Garlands Road and the finds suggest that the site was also used in the early Roman period . Traces of Iron Age field systems and settlement activity have been observed at Hawks Hill, Fetcham (about 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of the town centre) and on Mickleham Downs (about 3 km (2 mi) to
4352-465: The M25 was opened between Wisley and Reigate. The right to hold a weekly market and an annual fair was granted to Leatherhead in 1248 by Henry III . The market place is thought to have been at the junction of Bridge Street, North Street and High Street and the town stocks were probably in the same area. The market appears to have ended in the mid- Elizabethan era , however the annual fair continued and in
4480-522: The River Mole , from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leatherhead was a royal vill and is first mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great in 880 AD. The first bridge across the Mole may have been constructed in around 1200 and this may have coincided with the expansion of the town and the enlargement of the parish church. For much of its history, Leatherhead
4608-534: The South West England region. In September 2014, the Green Party held its 2014 leadership elections . Incumbent leader Bennett ran uncontested and retained her status as a party leader. The election also saw a change in the elective format for the position of deputy leader. The party opted to elect two, gender-balanced deputy leaders, instead of one. Amelia Womack and Shahrar Ali won the two positions, succeeding former deputy leader Duckworth. In
4736-560: The Wimbledon -Woking main via a 132 kV substation at Leatherhead. Leatherhead Police Station was on Kingston Road, to the north of the town centre. It closed in 2011. The building was demolished and retirement apartments were built on the site. In 2021, the local police force is Surrey Police and the nearest police station to the town is at Reigate . The headquarters of the Police Federation of England and Wales
4864-438: The minimum wage in line with the living wage . In October 2021, the party stated its support for a £15 an hour minimum wage. The party supports moving towards a four-day work week ; which it is claimed would boost productivity and growth, with Mondays and Fridays being the least productive days in the week. In November 2019, the Greens pledged to introduce a universal basic income by 2025, which will give every adult in
4992-457: The tollhouses was sited near to the present Leatherhead Institute. Stagecoaches , which had begun to run through Leatherhead to London in the 1680s, increased in frequency after the building of the turnpikes. By 1838 there were daily coaches to Arundel , Bognor and Worthing , which typically stopped at the Swan Inn in the High Street. With the arrival of the railway at Epsom in 1847,
5120-541: The "green quality of life guarantee", which addressed social issues such as housing, the NHS , education, countryside conservation, discrimination, crime, drug reform, animal rights, and the implementation of a universal basic income ; and the "new deal for tax and spend", which outlined the party's economic policies such as simplifying income tax, increasing corporation tax to make big businesses pay their fair share, supporting small businesses, and ending wasteful spending. For
5248-666: The 1930s, a silk-making farm and electrical cable factory were established in the town. Following the end of the Second World War, Ronson , the US-based manufacturer of cigarette lighters , opened a manufacturing plant at Dorincourt, to the north of the town. The factory moved to Randalls Road in 1953, but it closed in 1981 when the company went into liquidation. A business park opened in its place. The Ex-services Welfare Society purchased Long House on Ermin Way following
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5376-482: The 1992 national elections, the party decided to focus on gaining support in local elections, targeting wards where there was a pre-existing support base of Green activists. In 1993, future party leader and MP Caroline Lucas gained a seat in Oxfordshire County Council , with other gains following in the 1995 and 1996 local elections. The Greens sought to build alliances with other parties in
5504-523: The 2010 general election, the Green Party contested roughly 50% of seats. The party announced in October 2014 that Green candidates would be standing for parliament in at least 75% of constituencies in the 2015 general election. Following its rapid increase in membership and support, the Green Party also announced it was targeting twelve key seats for the 2015 general election: its one current seat, Brighton Pavilion , held by Lucas since 2010, Norwich South ,
5632-760: The 20th Battalion of the University and Public Schools Brigade of the Royal Fusiliers were billeted with local residents. The recruits were primarily drawn from the Manchester area and underwent training at Randalls Farm. The Kensington Rifles of the London Regiment were also garrisoned in the town in the month before their deployment to the Western Front in April 1915. Later that year,
5760-641: The Beaverbrook roundabout ( grid reference TQ178544 : Landranger Sheet 187, or Explorer 146). The back drive begins north of the William IV pub in Mickleham, but is not used for guests or the golf course. Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley district of Surrey , England, about 17 mi (27 km) south of Central London . The settlement grew up beside a ford on
5888-622: The CPRE, the Surrey Green Party and the Leatherhead Residents' Association , won a High Court appeal to overturn that decision, on the basis that the project would have an adverse effect on a landscape and area of outstanding natural beauty, and that Surrey did not need another golf course, having 141 already. The CPRE said it expected the developer to repair damage caused by work already started. However, in May 2014,
6016-558: The Court of Appeal reversed the High Court decision, reinstating planning permission to Longshot. In October 2014, a request for a second judicial review, by The Cherkley Campaign, now leading opposition to the development, was rejected by a High Court judge. The group vowed to pursue further legal action to prevent the development of the golf course going ahead, but this proved impossible. The new golf course opened in September 2016, with
6144-726: The Dorking and Leatherhead Battalion of the Volunteer Training Corps , which was formed with the intention to defend the local area in the event of invasion. In October 1914, a Red Cross Hospital opened on Bull Hill. By March 1915 it had 33 beds and was fully occupied. It closed in February 1919. Elsewhere in the town, the Forty Foot recreation ground was used to grow wheat and Venthams, a local firm of coachbuilders , began to manufacture munitions . Leatherhead
6272-486: The Green AMs proved vital in passing the annual budget of former Mayor Ken Livingstone . At the 2001 general election , they polled 0.7% of the vote and gained no seats. At the 2004 European Parliamentary elections , the party returned two MEPs the same as in 1999; overall, the party polled 1,033,093 votes. In the 2005 general election , the party gained over 1% of the vote for the first time and polled over 10% in
6400-523: The Green Party's only MP, Caroline Lucas , announced she would not be standing for re-election at the 2024 general election . Former party co-leader, Siân Berry , stood as the Green candidate in Brighton Pavilion . Along with Brighton Pavillion, the Greens targeted three other seats in the general election: Bristol Central , Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire . In what turned out to be
6528-475: The Greens became the largest party on East Hertfordshire District Council and Lewes District Council . 2023 saw the party's best ever results in a local election. In the 2024 local elections , the Greens aimed to make gains in Stroud , Hastings and Worcester . In the south west the Greens became the largest party on Bristol City Council failing to win an outright majority by a single seat. They made
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#17327915171586656-750: The Greens' best ever general election, Berry held Brighton Pavilion, while Denyer gained Bristol Central, defeating Labour incumbent and Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire ; Ramsay won Waveney Valley, a notional gain from the Conservatives, and Ellie Chowns won North Herefordshire, defeating Conservative incumbent Bill Wiggin . Sociologist Chris Rootes stated that the Green Party took "the left-libertarian " vote, while Dennison and Goodwin characterised it as reflecting "libertarian-universalistic values". The party wants an end to big government , which it sees as hindering open and transparent democracy, instead devolving and decentralising power to
6784-634: The Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru to stand in a future snap election in English and Welsh seats. The Green Party stood in 457 seats in the 2017 general election , securing 1.6% of the overall vote, and an average of 2.2% in seats it stood in. While it was a disappointing result after the 2015 success, this was still the second-best Green result in a general election, and Brighton Pavilion remained Green with an increased majority. On 30 May 2018, Lucas announced she would not seek re-election in
6912-406: The Liberal Democrats, and gaining over 25% of the vote with 18 to 24-year-olds. This rapid increase in support for the party is referred to by media as the "Green Surge". The hashtag "#GreenSurge" has also been popular on social media (such as Twitter ) from Green Party members and supporters and, as of 15 January 2015 , the combined Green Party membership in the UK stood at 44,713; greater than
7040-516: The UDCs of Leatherhead and Dorking with the majority of the Dorking and Horley Rural District. Leatherhead developed at a crossing point of the River Mole at the intersection between the north–south Kingston –Dorking and east–west Epsom–Guildford roads. The original position of the ford is unclear, but it may have been around 90 m (100 yd) upstream of the present Leatherhead Bridge at
7168-527: The UK headquarters of Esso . The UK head offices of Unilever (on the site of the former CERL) and Hyundai were opened in Leatherhead in 2008 and 2020 respectively. A controversial redevelopment of the road network in the town centre took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The project began with the demolition of the Prince of Wales pub in 1979 and the Swan Centre, a covered shopping centre with
7296-418: The United Kingdom (unemployed or not) at least £89 a week (with additional payments to those facing barriers to work, including disabled people and single parents). This is in order to tackle poverty, give people financial security, give people more freedom of choice to cut their working hours, start a green new business, take part in the community, or improve their own well-being. The policy also aims to tackle
7424-417: The appeal of the town to car-borne shoppers." In 2002, BBC News named Leatherhead as having one of the worst High Streets in the country. Five years later, in 2007, the local press reported that the town was "bustling with people, and packed full with an abundance of shops, entertainment facilities and job opportunities." The revival in fortunes was attributed to a variety of community initiatives, including
7552-425: The border with Ashtead. The clubhouse of the golf club suffered a direct hit, but the civilians taking cover in the shelter beneath it were fully protected and survived without injury. In October of the same year, the oil storage tanks next to the waterworks were set alight by an incendiary bomb . The resulting fires could not be extinguished until more than 24 hours later. In March 1941, St Andrew's Catholic School
7680-414: The borders of Mickleham and Headley . Paths into the widest part of North Downs to the east adjoin, and the North Downs Way is fairly close. The yews trees around the house were formerly famous, with a notable closed-canopy yew wood in the little valley immediately to the south of the house. Some of the trees were ancient. However, major storm damage began in the late 19th century and continued until
7808-408: The branches in England and Wales to form their own party. The Green Party of England and Wales is registered with the Electoral Commission , only as "the Green Party". In the 1989 European Parliament elections , the Green Party polled 15% of the vote with 2.3 million votes, the best performance of a "green" party in a nationwide election. This election gave the Green Party the third-largest share of
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#17327915171587936-405: The candidate. In December 2014, the Green Party announced that it had more than doubled its overall membership from 1 January that year to 30,809. This reflected the increase seen in opinion polls in 2014, with Green Party voting intentions trebling from 2–3% at the start of the year, to 7–8% at the end of the year, on many occasions, coming in fourth place with YouGov 's national polls, ahead of
8064-413: The college in Oxford that he had founded in 1264. Merton College remained the lords of the manor until 1904 and the continuity of ownership ensured that an almost complete set of manorial rolls from 1278 onwards has been preserved. In 1497, Richard FitzJames , the Warden of the College , authorised the expenditure of £37 for a new manor house , which was used until the Georgian era . In contrast,
8192-436: The constituencies of Brighton Pavilion and Lewisham Deptford . This growth was due in part to the increasing public visibility of the party as well as growth in support for smaller parties in the UK. In November 2007, the party held an internal referendum to decide on whether it should replace its use of two "principal speakers", one male and the other female, with the more conventional roles of "leader" and "deputy leader";
8320-425: The construction of the first bridge coincided with an expansion of the town and the enlargement of the parish church, which took place around 1200. It is not clear to what extent the Mole was used for navigation in the past, but in the early Middle Ages, it is likely that shallow-bottomed craft were able to reach Leatherhead from the Thames for much of the year. In the late 13th century, Thorncroft Manor purchased
8448-454: The east bank of the River Mole, to the north west of the town centre. The manor appears to have remained intact through the Middle Ages and land was added to the estate as the remainder of Pachesham was broken up. By the early 17th century, the area was known as Randalls Farm and, in 1805, the associated land totalled 182 ha (450 acres). Reforms during the Tudor period replaced the day-to-day administration of towns such as Leatherhead in
8576-440: The economy. The environmental economic policy also includes a Green deal that the Green Party say will generate new jobs and reduce Britain's energy costs. The Green Party wants to increase Britain's development and its position on the Human Development Index and free time index. They believe that uncontrolled economic growth has contributed to pollution and global warming and that more steps should be taken to ensure that growth
8704-446: The election, Keith Taylor succeeded her as MEP for South East England. They also saved their deposit in Hove , and Brighton Kemptown . In the 2011 local government elections in England and Wales , the Green Party in Brighton and Hove took minority control of the City Council by winning 23 seats, five short of an overall majority. At the 2012 local government elections , the Green Party gained five seats and retained both AMs at
8832-434: The end of the First World War. The charity constructed a factory in the grounds to provide employment for disabled veterans, producing electrical items, such as electric blankets . In 1933, the organisation opened a treatment centre at Tyrwhitt House in Oaklawn Road, named after Reginald Tyrwhitt , its president at the time. In 1981, the factory was purchased by Remploy . It continued to manufacture electrical goods, but under
8960-494: The end of the month to give the party time to choose new leadership before the next general election. This triggered the 2021 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election . Berry remained as acting leader, but said she would not stand in the leadership election following disagreements within the party. The Bristol councillor, Carla Denyer and the former deputy leader, Adrian Ramsay were elected as co-leaders on 1 October 2021. Ramsay stated that "People are looking for
9088-426: The first of 63 Belgian refugees arrived in Leatherhead, remaining in the town until the end of the war. Concerns that the town's water supply might be poisoned by enemy spies, prompted the authorities to arrange a guard on the waterworks on Guildford Road. Many of the duties were undertaken by the local Scout troop and members of the Boys' Brigade , which was affiliated with St Mary's Church. Many local men joined
9216-484: The first to be held in the UK using proportional representation , the Greens gained their first Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Lucas ( South East England ) and Jean Lambert ( London ). At the inaugural London Assembly Elections in 2000 , the party gained 11% of the vote and returned three Assembly Members (AMs). Although this dropped to two following the 2004 London Assembly elections ,
9344-485: The great storms of 1987 and 1990 cause massive destruction. Some scattered trees survive, in the valley mentioned and along the back driveway towards Mickleham. The garden has three, separately listed, original features: The building is of eclectic style with classical features, notably Tuscan columns . It is made of mostly stuccoed brick, with some uniformly cut stone blocks ( ashlar ), and slate roofs. It has semi-hexagonal protruding side wings, an irregular plan with
9472-432: The hands of the vestry of the parish church. The vestry was charged with appointing a parish constable , maintaining a lock-up and organising a basic fire service. Until 1834, it also administered poor relief and was responsible for building a workhouse on Kingston Road in 1808. During the 19th century, local government reforms gradually removed the duties of running of the town's infrastructure and services from
9600-520: The hope of gaining representation at the parliamentary level. In Wales, the Greens endorsed Plaid Cymru candidate Cynog Dafis in the 1992 general election, having worked with him on several environmental initiatives. For the 1997 general election , the Ceredigion branch of the Greens endorsed Cynog Dafis as a joint Plaid Cymru/Green candidate, but this generated controversy with the party, with critics believing it improper to build an alliance with
9728-482: The hotel, spa, golf course and woodland management would provide, outweighed such opposition, and instructed its planning officers to negotiate conditions with the new owners. In September 2012, planning permission was granted to Longshot Cherkley Court to create a hotel including a health club and spa, plus an 18-hole golf course. This decision met with strong opposition from some and in August 2013 campaigners, including
9856-479: The house on to his son Max some years before his death in 1964. After the death of Beaverbrook's second wife in 1994, the house became the property of the Beaverbrook Foundation , a charitable foundation set up by Lord Beaverbrook. Lord Beaverbrooks's daughter, Janet Gladys Aitken , served as a trustee of the foundation. The formal garden of the house is dwarfed by its hilltop woods, which reach
9984-740: The late 17th century was held on 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Mary . The construction of the turnpikes, and later the railways, attracted wealthier residents to Leatherhead. Many of these incomers had accumulated their wealth as entrepreneurs in London and had no previous connection to the area. By the start of the Victorian era , they were beginning to influence the local economy. Small, family-based manufacturing firms began to grow, engaged in industries such as brick-making , milling of logs , tanning , shoemaking , malting and brewing . In
10112-469: The lexical field of lēd (grey) can also extend to brown, but this is not widely accepted. Leatherhead is a town in central Surrey , around 17 mi (27 km) south of the centre of London. It lies on the southern edge of the London Basin and the highest point in the parish, at Leatherhead Downs, is 135 m (443 ft) above ordnance datum . The High Street runs roughly west to east and
10240-528: The line through Worcester Park enabled these services to be extended to London Waterloo from April of the same year and, in August 1859, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) began to run trains from Leatherhead to London Bridge . The Mole Gap through the North Downs had been identified as a potential railway corridor as early as the 1830s, but the line south from Leatherhead to Dorking
10368-496: The local government elections the party lost 9 out of their 20 seats on the Brighton and Hove council, losing minority control. Nationwide, the Greens increased their share of councillors, gaining an additional 10 council seats while failing to gain overall control of any individual council. On 15 May 2016, Bennett announced she would not be standing for re-election in the party's biennial leadership election due to take place in
10496-561: The long-distance coaches were discontinued and horse-drawn omnibuses took over local journeys. The first railway to arrive in Leatherhead was built by the Epsom and Leatherhead Railway Company. The line, which terminated at a station in Kingston Road, opened on 1 February 1859. Initially all trains were operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) and, for the first two months, only ran as far as Epsom . The completion of
10624-469: The main house into a hotel and part of the estate into a golf course were being opposed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) from before the purchase was completed. In April 2012, the local planning committee considered the proposals in detail and concluded that the opportunity to safeguard the historic building and protect the integrity of the estate, together with the employment prospects that
10752-425: The manor house in around 1293, which he enclosed with a moat . Excavations of the manor house site (now known as The Mounts) in the mid-20th century provided evidence of several medieval buildings, including a hall, a chapel and a probable stable block. The value of the manor appears to have declined in the mid-14th century and, in 1386, it was let to William Wimbledon for an annual sum of £20. In 1393, one year after
10880-524: The manor of Pachesham became fragmented as the Middle Ages progressed. By the time of the Domesday Book, it was already divided into two parts, the smaller of which was later referred to as "Pachenesham Parva". No written record of either part of the manor survives from the subsequent 200 years, but in 1286 land belongong to Pachesham was recorded as passing to Eustace de Hacche. De Haache rebuilt
11008-565: The manor was held by Richard fitz Gilbert and it passed through his family (the Clares ) to his granddaughter, Margaret de Clare, who married into the de Montfitchet family of Essex. Her great-grandson, Richard de Montfichet , sold the manor to John de Cheresbure in around 1190 and it was next purchased by Philip Basset and his second wife, Ela, Countess of Warwick in around 1255. In 1266, they granted Thorncroft (which provided an income of £20 per year) to Walter de Merton , who used it to endow
11136-417: The motion passed with 73% of the vote. In September 2008, the party then elected its first leader, Caroline Lucas , with Adrian Ramsay elected deputy leader. In the party's first election with Lucas as leader, it retained both its MEPs in the 2009 European elections . In the 2010 general election , the party returned its first MP. Lucas was returned as MP for the seat of Brighton Pavilion . Following
11264-513: The name 'Leatherhead' are uncertain. Early spellings include Leodridan (880), Leret (1086), Lereda (1156), Ledreda (1160) and Leddrede (1195). The name is usually thought to derive from the Old English lēode (people) + rida (a riding path or ford that can be ridden), and thus meaning 'a public ford'. Richard Coates has suggested a derivation from the primitive Welsh lēd-rïd (Brittonic *letorito-) meaning 'grey ford', where
11392-413: The new ownership, its operations expanded to include the assembly and packaging of mechanical equipment. The Remploy factory closed in 2007, with the loss of 43 jobs. The Ex-services Welfare Society, now known as Combat Stress , continues to operate its treatment centre at Tyrwhitt House in north Leatherhead. Large-scale manufacturing in Leatherhead was short lived and, as the 20th century progressed,
11520-473: The number of members of UKIP (at 41,943), and the Liberal Democrats (at 44,576). Views subsequently fell back as the 2015 general election opinion polls arrived: a Press Association poll of polls on 3 April, for example, put the Greens fifth with 5.4%. However, membership statistics continued to surge, with the party attaining 60,000 in England and Wales that April. At the 2015 general election , Lucas
11648-473: The party further to the left, aiming to make it an anti-austerity party to the left of the Labour Party . The 2013 local government elections saw overall gains of five seats. The party returned representation for the first time on the councils of Cornwall, Devon, and Essex. At the local government elections the following year , the Greens gained 18 seats overall. In London, the party won four seats,
11776-451: The party gained its first member of Parliament in its then-leader Caroline Lucas . As the party's support is spread out across the UK, and is rarely found in electorally significant clusters, the party held only one seat in the House of Commons from 2010 to 2019, before reaching four seats in 2024. The Green Party supports replacing the UK's first-past-the-post voting system with proportional representation , which would grant all parties
11904-623: The party's leaders in a job share. Lucas first suggested "progressive pacts" to work on a number of issues including combating climate change and for electoral reform, following the results of the 2015 general election . She then reiterated the call alongside Bartley as they announced their plan to share the leadership of the party. Following the vote to leave the European Union in June 2016, Bennett published an open letter, calling for an "anti-Brexit alliance" potentially comprising Labour,
12032-475: The position in the election. In October 2022, at their national conference the Scottish Greens voted to sever ties with the Green Party of England and Wales, specially over the issue of transphobia . In response the Green Party of England and Wales said that trans rights are human rights, that it has strong policies of trans inclusion and that a goal of the party is to be welcoming, inclusive and promote diversity. The party also said it would continue to support
12160-450: The reforms, believing that they would undermine the party's internal democracy and, amid the arguments, some members left the party. Although Green 2000 proposals were defeated at the party's 1990 conference, they were overwhelmingly carried at their 1991 conference, resulting in an internal restructuring of the party. Between the end of 1990 and mid-1992, the party lost over half its members, with those polled indicating that frustration over
12288-494: The regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). The town gasworks , close to the junction of Kingston Road and Barnett Wood Lane, were built in 1850 by the Leatherhead Gas Company. The first gas was produced in February 1851 and
12416-401: The rights of trans people, women and oppressed groups. The LGBTIQA+ Greens also responded by saying it would "continue to fight transphobia". At the 2023 local elections , the Green Party gained over 200 councillors across England, and won majority control of Mid Suffolk District Council , the party's first ever council majority. Despite losing control of Brighton and Hove City Council ,
12544-533: The rising levels of automation that threaten to put millions out of work and fundamentally change British industry. The Green Party wants to raise corporation tax from the current 19%; this is designed to generate more government revenue and ensure large corporations do not become too powerful. The party wants to end subsidies for fossil fuels and replace them with subsidies for renewable energy sources such as wind, solar power and tidal power. Investment in green energy could potentially create more jobs and boost
12672-504: The scheme from being enacted. The construction of the A24 bypass (between Givons Grove and Leatherhead Common) started in 1931 and the final section opened in May 1934. Young Street (the A246 between Bocketts Farm and Givons Grove) was built by the Corps of Royal Canadian Military Engineers between June 1940 and May 1941. In October 1985, the town was joined to the UK motorway system when
12800-621: The settlement is in the will of Alfred the Great in 880, in which land at Leodridan was bequeathed to his son, Edward the Elder . By the 10th century, there was a minster church in Leatherhead, and the town was administered as part of the Copthorne Hundred . The medieval history of Leatherhead is complex, since the parish was divided into a number of manors. The town appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Leret and
12928-422: The site of the former Goblin factory in Ermyn Way (now the location of the offices of Esso ). Excavations uncovered the remains of at least 40 individuals and the artefacts found, including knives, buckles and necklaces, suggest that they were pagan burials. From the mid-9th century, Leatherhead was the centre of a royal vill , which encompassed Ashtead , Fetcham and Bookham . The first known reference to
13056-463: The south). Also to the south, the Druid's Grove at Norbury Park may have been used for pre-Christian pagan gatherings. An Anglo-Saxon settlement at Leatherhead was most likely founded on the east side of the River Mole in the second half of the 6th century. A burial ground, dating to the same period, has been identified on the west side at Hawks Hill. A second cemetery was discovered in 1984 on
13184-537: The summer. Former leader Lucas and Jonathan Bartley announced two weeks later that they intended to stand for leadership as a job share arrangement. Nominations closed at the end of June, with the campaign period taking place in July and voting period in August and the results announced at the party's Autumn Conference in Birmingham from 2–4 September. It was announced on 4 September that Lucas and Bartley would become
13312-470: The town centre in the early 1980s, which included the construction of the Swan Centre. The work, which also included the pedestrianisation of the main shopping area, was widely blamed for a decline in the local retail economy. In 2002, the BBC identified Leatherhead as having one of the worst High Streets in England, but in 2007, the local press described the town centre as "bustling". The origins and meaning of
13440-428: The town centre. The Givons Grove estate, to the south of the town, was developed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Originally a constituent of Thorncroft Manor, it was an area of arable land, known as "Gibbons Farm", named after a prominent local family. In 1919, the estate was bought by the aircraft manufacturer, Humphrey Verdon Roe , whose wife, Marie Stopes , would live at Norbury Park for 20 years from 1938. It
13568-744: The town included Ronson and Goblin Vacuum Cleaners . Several organisations working with disabled people also opened treatment and training facilities, including The Royal School for the Blind , Queen Elizabeth's Foundation and the Ex-services Welfare Society . Towards the end of the 20th century, manufacturing in Leatherhead had begun to decline and the town was instead starting to attract service sector employers . The former industrial areas were converted to business parks , which attracted multinational companies, including Esso and Unilever . A controversial redevelopment took place in
13696-598: The town on Mole Valley District Council (the headquarters of which are in Dorking): Leatherhead is represented by a swan on the crest of the Mole Valley District Council coat of arms . Since 2004, Leatherhead has been twinned with Triel-sur-Seine ( Île-de-France , France). Region-wide, 28% of dwellings were detached houses and 22.6% were apartments. The proportion of households who owned their home outright compares to
13824-505: The town started to attract service sector industries . Among the research institutes formerly based in the town, Leatherhead Food Research was founded in 1919 and the Central Electricity Research Laboratories (CERL) opened in 1950. Both organisations left the town in the early 2000s. The Ronson and Goblin factories closed in the early 1980s and their sites were redeveloped, in the latter case for
13952-521: The town, a development of 59 houses in Poplar Road, was built by Leatherhead UDC in 1921. Preference for rehousing was given to ex-servicemen and their families. In 1925, 90 council houses were constructed in Kingston Road. Private residential developments also occurred around the same time, including the construction of the St Mary's Road estate, on the site of the former Elm Bank mansion, south of
14080-550: The two formations results in a high water table and springs are found at regular intervals along the boundary between them. Several settlements were established along this spring line in Anglo-Saxon and early medieval times, including the villages of Ashtead , Fetcham and Effingham , which are linked to Leatherhead by the Guildford to Epsom road. The earliest evidence of human activity in Leatherhead comes from
14208-564: The vestry. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 placed the workhouse in the care of a board of guardians at Epsom and the Local Government Act 1888 transferred many administrative responsibilities to the newly formed Surrey County Council . The Leatherhead Urban District Council (UDC) was formed six years later and in 1903 the county council was placed in charge of the town's National schools . The Local Government Act 1972 created Mole Valley District Council , by combining
14336-479: The vote after the Conservative and Labour parties; because of the first-past-the-post voting system, however, it failed to gain a seat. Many say the success of the party is due to increased respect for environmentalism and the effects of the development boom in southern England in the late 1980s. Seeking to capitalise on the Greens' success in the European Parliament elections, a group named Green 2000
14464-574: Was again a garrison town in the Second World War. Troops from the Royal Corps of Signals were billeted in late 1939 and a year later, the first Canadian soldiers began to arrive in the local area. From September 1939, children from Streatham and Dulwich were evacuated to Leatherhead and the Royal School for the Blind was taken over by King's College Hospital . The cottage hospital on Poplar Road opened in May 1940 and by June of that year
14592-475: Was almost completely destroyed by a bomb. During the second period of bombing, in the summer of 1944, 16 V-1 flying bombs landed in the Leatherhead area, including one at Thorncroft Manor. Leatherhead is in the Epsom and Ewell parliamentary constituency . Councillors are elected to Surrey County Council every four years. The town is part of the 'Leatherhead and Fetcham East' ward. Five councillors represent
14720-562: Was announced that Bartley and Berry had won re-election for another two-year term. In the 2021 local elections , the Green Party gained their first ever councillors in Northumberland and Stockport , as well as making significant gains in Suffolk and Sheffield . In total 88 seats were gained, challenging the Liberal Democrats to become England's third-largest party. In July 2021, Bartley announced that he would stand down at
14848-525: Was created in 1884, when a stream-driven pumping station was constructed in Waterways Road. The works, designed by John William Grover , were capable of lifting 90,000 litres (20,000 imp gal) per hour to a reservoir on Reigate Road. A second diesel-powered station was constructed alongside the first in 1935 and was later converted to electric power . The steam-powered works were demolished in 1992. An electricity generating station
14976-470: Was established in July 1990, arguing for an internal reorganisation of the party in order to develop it into an active electoral force capable of securing seats in the House of Commons. Its proposed reforms included a more centralised structure, the replacement of the existing party council with a smaller party executive, and the establishment of delegate voting at party conferences. Many party members opposed
15104-648: Was followed by a similarly successful European election where Greens won (including Scottish Greens and the Green Party in Northern Ireland) over two million votes for the first time since 1989, securing 7 MEPs, up from 3. This included winning seats for the first time in the East of England, North West England, West Midlands and Yorkshire & the Humber. The membership also saw another climb in 2019, returning to 50,000 members in September. In September 2020, it
15232-404: Was held by Osbern de Ow as a mesne lord to William I . Its Domesday assets were one church, belonging to Ewell , and 40 acres (160,000 m ) of land. It was valued at an annual income of £1. To the south was the manor of Thorncroft, which was held by Richard son of Gilbert as tenant-in-chief . To the north was the manor of Pachesham, subdivided into two parts, each of which was held by
15360-502: Was installed at the east end of the High Street, close to the Leatherhead Institute. The Home Guard company was disbanded four years later, once the threat of invasion had passed. Leatherhead experienced two main periods of bombing during the war. The first wave of attacks took place from late 1940 until early 1941. During the first raid, early in the morning on 27 August 1940, 20 high-explosive bombs were dropped along
15488-449: Was not opened until 1867. The Kingston Road station, which had been laid out as a terminus, was closed and two new adjacent stations (either side of the present Station Approach) were opened. The LBSCR station, which was closer to the town centre, was initially the only one connected to the line to Dorking. It was designed by C. H. Driver in a fine Gothic Revival style and is the station that survives today. The LSWR built its station as
15616-596: Was opened in Bridge Street in 1902. Initially it was capable of generating 75 kW of power, but by the time of its closure in 1941, its installed capacity was 2.2 MW. Under the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 , Leatherhead was connected to the National Grid , initially to a 33 kV supply ring , which linked the town to Croydon , Epsom, Dorking and Reigate. In 1939, the ring was connected to
15744-599: Was part of the Guildford to Epsom road, which crossed the River Mole at the Town Bridge. The Mole, which passes to the west of the centre, has cut a steep-sided valley through the North Downs , south of the town. Leatherhead is at the southern edge of the London Basin , where the permeable upper chalk of the North Downs dips beneath the impermeable London Clay . The difference in properties between
15872-485: Was primarily an agricultural settlement, with a weekly market being held until the mid- Elizabethan era . The construction of turnpike roads in the mid-18th century and the arrival of the railways in the second half of the 19th century attracted newcomers and began to stimulate the local economy. Large-scale manufacturing industries arrived following the end of the First World War and companies with factories in
16000-551: Was primarily used for street lighting, but was also supplied to some private houses. Until the railway was opened in 1859, coal was delivered by road from Epsom. In 1911, the Leatherhead company acquired that of Cobham and, from 1929, also supplied gas to Woking via a connection at Effingham Junction . In 1936, the company was acquired by the Wandsworth Gas Company and the Leatherhead gasworks closed two years later. The first public water supply in Leatherhead
16128-502: Was re-elected in Brighton Pavilion with an increased majority, but the party did not win any other seats. In part due to the greatly increased the number of contested seats of 538 from the 310 at the 2010 election, the Greens received their highest-ever vote share (over 1.1 million votes), and increased their national share of the vote from 1% to 3.8%. Overnight, the membership numbers increased to over 63,000. However, at
16256-414: Was sold to a consortium of developers in 1927, who divided the land into plots for housing. Similarly in 1935, Yarm Court was sold and the estate developed for housing. Following the end of the Second World War, new housing was constructed to the north of the town centre, along Cleeve, Kingston and Copthorne Roads, to replace properties damaged by bombing. At the start of the First World War, members of
16384-560: Was treating 78 members of the British Expeditionary Force , who had been evacuated from Dunkirk . The Goblin factory in Ermyn Way was used to make munitions, including mine sinkers, shell fuses and camouflage netting. From the outbreak of war, the defence of Leatherhead was coordinated by the XII Corps of Eastern Command , reinforced from July 1940 by VII Corps GHQ Mobile Reserve. The 3rd Infantry Brigade of
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