Council History
Loughton Town Council was established in its present form on the 1st April 1996 as a result of the review of local government in England and Wales instigated by the government of the day. Since the current Town Council's inception it has taken over a number of functions from Epping Forest District Council and has also developed its own activities. The Town Council has premises in Loughton which house the offices and Council Chamber, and also has various other properties throughout the town for which it is responsible.

A Loughton Parish Council was set up in the 1890s, pursuant to the Local Government Act, which replaced the old system of vestries with elected councils and parish meetings. Loughton at this time had as its "principal council" the Epping Rural District Council. In 1900, the Parish Council was constituted an Urban District Council with greater powers, but with the same area as the parish council. The parish council was abolished, and Loughton was taken out of the Epping RDC. But in 1933, Loughton UDC was amalgamated with Chigwell Parish Council and Buckhurst Hill UDC, rather incongruously taking the title "Chigwell UDC" (that is the reason Loughton is missing from so many older maps).

It might have been logical at this point to re-establish the parish councils for purely Loughton matters, but the Order which set up the UDC did not permit this. In 1974, Chigwell UDC was merged with Epping UDC, Epping and Ongar RDC, and Waltham Holy Cross UDC to form Epping Forest District Council. Epping and Waltham Abbey were given Town Councils, but there was a political majority in the 70s and 80s against doing this for Loughton, Chigwell, and Buckhurst Hill.

The tide turned during the early 1990s, when the idea of subsidiarity was being espoused, and local political composition changed. The Review of Local Government provided for the setting up of new parish councils if there was demonstrable public demand. This was the case in Loughton and in 1995 the Essex Parishes Order was signed by the Secretary of State for the Environment setting up the new parish. Loughton parish councillors were elected in May 1996, although the parish was in being from the previous December. One of the Parish Council's first acts was to resolve to become a Town Council.
The Council's website was established in 1997. The Council became one of the first accredited "Quality Councils" in 2003.
In 2004 the Council resolved that its Chairman and Vice Chairman would adopt the titles of Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor.

Council Logo
When the Loughton Town Council was established in 1996 one of its first actions was to hold a competition to design a logo for the new council. All local schools and colleges were invited to take part. Judging of the entries took place in Spring 1997. The judges were looking for an emblem which embodied the spirit of the town, yet would be suitable for reproduction. The winning entry was designed by Adrian Jalal, a student at Epping Forest College in Loughton. His design reflected the influence of Epping Forest on the town of Loughton by showing a deer (a pricket - a year-old deer) and oak leaves (oak trees are a major species in the ancient forest), set in a visually attractive framework. The design was passed to a local graphic designer who worked it into the logo which is seen today.

Loughton Urban District Council Chairmen's board
An historic gilt-lettered wooden board has been found in Epping Forest District Museum’s store. The board contains a list of the chairmen of the Town Council’s predecessor, Loughton Urban District Council, which existed from 1900 to 1933.
The council was in those days merged in the larger, and less local, Chigwell Urban District Council.
Loughton Urban District Council is important because it was the only truly local council Loughton had before the current Town Council was established in May 1996. The council was formed in 1900 out of the old parish council.
Loughton society was then very polarised between church and chapel, Conservative and Liberal, but all the councillors stood for election without overt party labels.
The board has now been loaned to the Town Council and is hanging in the Town Council chamber at Buckingham Court. The Council thanks the Waltham Abbey museum for the loan of this fascinating link with its history.
The picture shows Cllr Roger Pearce, Chairman of Loughton Town Council 2003-04, with the Loughton Urban District Council Chairmen's board.

The LUDC Chairmen listed are :
JW Maitland (1900-01) was rector and squire of Loughton and a prominent Tory. He had the sumptuous Loughton Hall built, at a cost that would have built no fewer than 300 cottages in Smarts Lane or Forest Road.
JH Gould (1901-02 & 1906-08) The Goulds were non-conformist landowners, proprietors of the Albion Granaries, and Liberals. Their ‘seat’ was Brooklyn, a mansion pulled down in the 1960s for Loughton Library.
CS Foster (1902-04 & 1908-09) The Fosters were builders, responsible for The Uplands, High Beech Road etc. Sir Frank Foster, who latterly knighted for services to Essex County Council.
Arthur ‘Shotty ’ Leech (1904-06 & 1925-26) was a prominent Liberal and Methodist. He ran the post office stores at Goldings Hill.
Sir Joseph Lowrey (1909-10), knighted for services to salvage in World War I, lived in Upper Park. He was also a non-conformist and a notable benefactor to the town.
Henry G Sharp (1910-12 & 1926-27) ran the corner shop at 27 York Hill and lived in Queens Road.
John Herd (1912-14) and Duncan Davey (1914-16) were self-made builders. Davey built the lych-gate at St John’s Church.
Dr Berthon Pendred (1916-18 & 1927-28) was one of Loughton’s GPs, the more ‘progressive’ of the two. He lived at Holmdale, 199 High Road (now Brown’s motors).
Percy Thompson (1918-1920) was a local historian, who lived at 62 The Uplands. His collections of material, owned by the Loughton & the Guildhall Library, are very important.
Charles Jacobs (1920-22 & 1928-29) was a magistrate who lived at 26 Stony Path.
Bernard Farmborough Howard (1929-30 & 1932-33) lived at 30 Albion Hill. The family were pioneers of large-scale outdoor operatic performances, which took place in their garden.
William Nelson Wyles (1931-32) was a Methodist solicitor who lived at 18 The Drive.