Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) has announced that it is fielding candidates to contest the four Uttlesford seats at Essex County Council. The local party says that if elected, R4U councillors will work to break the ‘cycle of failure’ at ECC, and will hold the council to spend council taxes sent from Uttlesford on Uttlesford priorities.


Essex County Council - Your Residents Candidates
There are 4 county divisions in Uttlesford. Here are our candidates.
Cllr Geoff Bagnall
Experienced councillor Geoff Bagnall is the chair of the new UDC Local Plan working group. He’s standing against the ECC councillor whose 2 previous failed Local Plans cost Uttlesford taxpayers £6m. Outside of the council he has a career fixing performance at financial companies and the skills to drive improvements. He’s standing for the ECC Dunmow Division.

Bianca Donald
Bianca Donald has taught in our schools since 2004 and understands parents’ frustration as budgets have been slashed and local school choice eradicated.

Cllr Martin Foley
Thaxted resident Martin has been a UDC councillor since 1995. His long tenure is because he’s very active in his community and always focuses on putting his ward residents’ needs first. He’s a visible campaigner for our rural environment and has worked to save Thaxted library from ECC cuts. He’s fought against airport expansion and the proposed new green-field town in Easton Park.
District Council and Town Council By-Elections - Your Residents Candidates
There are by-elections in Newport, the Sampfords and Saffron Walden wards.
Uli Gerhard
Uli has PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge and a career in investment banking. During the pandemic he has also been volunteering in local vaccination centres. Uli cares passionately about our rural environment and his spare time he’s an avid beekeeper. He and his wife, local GP Dr Yvonne Girgis-Hanna, live in Radwinter and their children attend SWCHS.

Cllr Katherine Gregory
As the daughter of a heritage architect, Katherine is keen to make sure our built environment is protected and enhanced as our area develops. She is a freelance journalist who has worked for many national and regional titles and is a councillor for Saffron Walden Town Council Little Walden Ward.