About the Mayor
Councillor Louise Phelan - the current Mayor of the London Borough of Sutton
On Monday 19 May 2025, Sutton Council held its Annual Council meeting. Councillor Louise Phelan was appointed as the Mayor of Sutton.
Councillor Louise Phelan has been appointed as the Mayor of the London Borough of Sutton for the forthcoming Mayoral year, 2025-2026.
Louise is deeply connected to the borough. Her family's connection spans more than a century with her parents living in the borough after they married and her great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and sisters living in the Sutton Common area and the St Helier estate. Louise grew up in Morden but now calls Sutton home, having lived and worked here for over 25 years.
Louise is a single parent to a teenage son. Her son was born in St Helier Hospital and completed his education within the borough before moving on to further education. He has been an active supporter, serving as Consort over the past two years while she was Deputy Mayor and will continue in this role during her tenure as Mayor.
Louise has held positions in retail management and hospitality. Additionally, she dedicated nearly 10 years to running a local library on Sundays. Beyond her professional life, Louise has been actively involved in numerous local community groups and organisations, taking on roles such as Chair, Trustee, and Volunteer.
Louise was first elected as a Councillor in May 2022, representing Sutton South ward. Initially, she held the position of Vice Chair of the Licencing Committee. In May 2023, she became Deputy Mayor, serving alongside Councillor Colin Stears, who was Mayor at the time. In May 2024 she became the Chair of the Licencing Committee and the Chair of the Nonsuch Park Joint Committee. She also continued in her role as Deputy Mayor for a second consecutive term.
Louise expressed that she thoroughly enjoyed her two years as Deputy Mayor, particularly working alongside Cllr Colin Stears. She found it a joy to visit and engage with many residents and organisations throughout the borough. She considers it a privilege to have been involved in a large number of events with communities and people from all walks of life, races, and ages.
Louise feels deeply honoured to assume the position of Mayor for the 2025/2026 term and eagerly anticipates the opportunities and responsibilities that lie ahead. She is keen to serve the community and is dedicated to making a positive impact during her time in office.
Councillor Cumar Sahathevan was elected as Councillor Phelans' Deputy Mayor and has lived in Sutton for more than 32 years. Cumar is an electronics engineering graduate from the University of Westminster. He is married with three children. All his children have been educated in the local Sutton and Wallington schools. One of them is an Oxford educated Medical Doctor who works as a leading Eye Surgeon in Morefield Hospital in London for the NHS.
Cumar is a dedicated telecommunication engineer / senior director now retired and has helped Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton in maintaining their communication system to the highest standard by resolving complex issues with the hospital communication systems.
He was also a dedicated teacher in Mathematics and Physics and helped the local schools in Sutton and Epsom and was running a community school on weekends. He helps the community in many ways and he helped the council in providing meals on wheels services for many years. At present Cumar is an appointed Governor in an NHS Foundation Trust.
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