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 […]

The linked letter has been sent to The Rt. Hon. James Brokenshire MP calling on him to call-in the decision of Uttlesford District Council’s Planning Committee to expand the throughput of Stansted Airport. I told local newspapers this week: “The decision was made on national party-political grounds. It should have been based on local planning policies, […]

Uttlesford’s planning committee has voted to allow the number of  passengers using Stansted Airport to increase by over 50%. They claimed that this was necessary to help save the national economy from the effects of Brexit. The chairman of the committee had to break a tied five-all vote by using his casting vote to permit […]

Over two days this week, seventy-eight people spoke to Uttlesford’s Planning Committee. I was one of them. They were giving their views on whether or not Stansted Airport Limited (STAL) should be allowed to lift the existing passenger cap of 35 million per annum (mppa). Needless to say there were passionate speeches in favour of […]

Conservatives and Liberal Democrats backed the draft Local Plan at 4 minutes to midnight last Tuesday night. The meeting lasted from 7 p.m. for just shy of five hours, with the first 90 minutes used by members of the public, who mostly were opposed to Garden Settlements on their own doorsteps near Great Chesterford, Little Easton/Great […]

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 […]

I wrote the following article in March for the April edition of Stansted’s magazine The Link. The full article can be read here at page 22. NEWS FROM UTTLESFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL Cllr Alan Dean writes: The long-awaited planning application from the airport to raise the limit on passenger numbers was received by UDC in February. They […]

The following press release as issued today (PDF): Uttlesford’s Liberal Democrat group leader, Cllr Alan Dean, says “Uttlesford must step up to the mark over airport expansion at Stansted. Its approach so far has been too laid back and opaque. UDC has given the impression that the airport’s application to have 43 million passengers a […]

Yesterday evening the sun crossed the equator on its annual journey south and away from the northern hemisphere. Looked at from the sun, it was us in northern latitudes who are tilting away from our source of natural heat and light. Like much of life, what you see depends on where you stand. Earlier in the day Mrs Theresa May gave […]

A six weeks’ public consultation began yesterday, following Tuesday night’s council decision to approve the Draft Local Plan for publication. See a summary of the plan here.   UTTLESFORD COUNCIL MEETING 11TH JULY 2017 The following is what I said at the meeting: Tonight, I will be supporting the recommendation to start public consultation on […]