Who would spend a sunny, hot Bank Holiday Saturday indoors? Well, new and long-standing local Lib Dems did just that this weekend. What follows is the press statement they issued after the event. Local members and supporters of the Liberal Democrats are up by more than a third so far this year, with the biggest […]

The Liberal Democrats have published their election manifesto for the Uttlesford District Council elections on May 2nd: IMPROVING LIFE IN UTTLESFORD AFTER MAY 2019 AN AMBITIOUS LIBERAL DEMOCRAT VISION FOR UTTLESFORD DISTRICT It is in five sections: Growing local businesses and local employment Delivering housing that is truly affordable for everyone Protecting and enhancing the […]

I wrote to the local press today:- Something is wrong at the heart of Uttlesford District Council as it struggles to complete two major exercises that are important not only for this district. The first is a critically important Local Plan for the future of the district. If UDC does not publish an updated plan […]

The planning appeal about the latest proposed development behind Tesco and the Coop on Cambridge Road, Stansted begins next Tuesday, April 26th. You are warmly welcome to attend to show your interest in what happens at this 14 Cambridge Road central site; especially if you agree with your councillors that the appealed scheme would be an overdevelopment that will […]

This is what I want the Planning Inspector to read before deciding, I hope, to dismiss the appeal on land behind Tesco on Cambridge Road, Stansted. Have you told the Planning Inspectorate about your experiences on Cambridge Road and what you think should be done with this appeal? Details can be found here about what […]

Uttlesford’s Liberal Democrat councillors aim to amend the Tories’ budget for 2015/16 to make it greener and fairer. The Liberal Democrat alternative budget proposals call for improved recycling, solar energy panels on council building and a fairer way to refund surplus New Homes Bonus to taxpayers. In a press release issued today I said “The Lib Dem […]

This afternoon the council arranged a consultation with residents of Churchfields, Stansted to improve the environment of the central garden area. The likely plan is to take down an ugly dividing fence and to install a picnic table. A new tree will be planted to provide shade. Various other ideas were put forward including a […]

The Hundred Parishes is an thoughtful, new initiative to promote 100 mainly rural parishes in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire centred on the Essex countryside south of Saffron Walden. The website gives details of the towns and villages and walks within and between them. Annual family membership is available at the modest price of £10. Here […]

Uttlesford council is coming under mounting pressure to come clean over what the public sees as favoured treatment of Hellsenham and its promoters, the Fairfield Partnership.  In this post I will continue to report on Tuesday’s discredited council meeting that agreed the pre-submission Local Plan by one vote only (23 votes) above one-half of the […]

Saturday morning in Stansted. A team of 30-40 people set out to clean up the village of litter and rubbish that makes the place scruffy.   My wife, Catherine, our next door neighbour, Peter Brown, and I tackled Platt’s Alley leading from the recreation ground to Silver Street. We filled 13 large sacks with leaf […]