Category: Council Area

• Saffron Walden Town Council - Audley Ward (Councillor)
• Essex County Saffron Walden Division (Councillor)

Find about roles and responsibilities by reading the councillor profiles, declarations of interest, portfolio ownership and committee membership on specific council websites

• Saffron Walden Town Council
• Essex County Council

Paul Gadd has been a Saffron Walden Town Councillor since 2015 and an Essex County Councillor for the Saffron Walden Division since 2021.

Professionally Paul is a lawyer, and former partner in a leading solicitors firm in London. He now works part time for an investment company.  He is one of the founder members of Residents for Uttlesford.

Paul is highly active in the community. He is a volunteer with Saffron Walden Cricket Club, the Fry Art Gallery and Bridge End Gardens as well as being heavily involved with the local branches of Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International.

• Uttlesford District Elsenham and Henham Ward (Councillor)

Find about roles and responsibilities by reading the councillor profiles, declarations of interest, portfolio ownership and committee membership on specific council websites

• Uttlesford District Council

Petrina Lees is a very active member of her community. She has lived in Elsenham for over 20 years with her husband, and their family. She cooks for the Lunch Club, runs the Elsenham Rainbow Guides and manages the village rounders team.

She is also well qualified as a councillor. She served on Elsenham parish council for 17 years including 3 years as chair. Petrina has been part of the leadership team of Save Our Villages for 9 years, helping secure last year’s planning rejection of ‘Hellsenham’ by the Secretary of State. She is also a member of the Joint Parishes Council Steering Group.

Outside of the home she enjoyed a career in nursing of more than 30 years, most recently caring for the terminally ill, but left the NHS a couple of years ago to concentrate on her family and community activities.

Petrina stood as an Independent in 2015 and was elected as an R4U councillor for the Uttlesford District Elsenham and Henham ward in 2017.

Petrina said “The first thing we addressed after being elected was the appalling state of the road outside the local shops in Elsenham.  For over 15 years there have been numerous complaints. As Parish Councillors we were always told by District Councillors that they were ‘unable to help or fix it because it was the responsibility of the county council’. That’s as may be, but it is shirking and rubbish, and that attitude holds no truck with me. People don’t care what council you are elected to. As a district councillors part of your job is to advocate for local people and hold those responsible to account, even at other authorities. Within 6 months of being elected we facilitated and contributed to the road being resurfaced. My motto is ‘never give up’ – there is always a way, you just have to think outside the box sometimes.”

• Uttlesford District Great Dunmow South and Barnston Ward (Councillor)

Find about roles and responsibilities by reading the councillor profiles, declarations of interest, portfolio ownership and committee membership on specific council websites

• Uttlesford District Council

Rod lives in Dunmow with his wife and their dog Freddie. He retired from the Armed forces after 25 years in 2015. He became a member of R4U a few years later and was elected to both Uttlesford District Council and Great Dunmow Town Council.

Where do you live and how long have you lived in the area?

I live in Great Dunmow and moved here in 2015 after retiring from the Armed Forces after 25 years of service.  I have visited and worked in many counties and countries; Dunmow is where we have chosen to make our home.

What councillor (e.g., parish) or political experience do you have?

I was elected as a Great Dunmow Town and District Councillor in May 2019.

Are their work details that you may want to highlight that add to your experience?

The military teaches you to be direct, make decisions based on the information to hand and then get on with the job!  As a councillor you do exactly the same thing, but working with a democratic mandate.  Any decision-making system requires honesty, the willingness to learn, and the ability to take responsibility for the decisions you make whether as a collective or individually.

Are you involved in a community or residents’ groups, boards, charities, or volunteering?

I am a member of the Friends Of The Flitch Way and when I can spare the time, I volunteer for their work parties to help maintain the nationally recognised bridleway and cycle trail.

I have campaigned and continue to improve a local byway damaged by irresponsible ‘off-roaders’

I have been active in trying to get a safer crossing built across the Ongar Road and the Chelmsford Road.  I have long campaigned for improvements to the ‘Little Monsters’ and Hoblongs Junctions due to the number of accidents that have and continue to occur at these junctions.

I am a trustee of the Dunmow Museum as part of my role as a District Councillor.

I am the Armed Forces Covenant Champion for Uttlesford; a role I hope to continue into the future.

I volunteered during the pandemic at Stansted Surgery for updating patient records and reception helper. My wife also volunteered to administer vaccines.

Why did you first stand for election, what are your hot topics and what would you like to achieve?

I stood as a councillor because I believe local decisions should be made by local people that are neither affiliated to or represent national party politics.  To be truly local means putting those you represent before your own or your parties’ interests.

Why did you think that standing for Residents for Uttlesford was important?

Local government decisions should not be based on the colour of a rosette or how your national party ‘whips’ you. Hard decisions have to be made and so should be done on evidence, cross party, and without forgetting the effect on current and future generations. After all, making people’s lives better or trying to mitigate the negative effects of things outside of our control is what we all should be striving to achieve.

R4U became the majority party in the District Council for good reason.  The work to improve the district is ongoing.  In the first term of R4U leadership years I have seen the dedication of fellow R4U Councillors in representing their wards and parishes.  I have witnessed R4U Councillors work above and beyond in order to improve Uttlesford.  R4U councillors have the courage to publicly disagree with their peers and party.  I am honoured to be a member of and stand for such a party of diverse personal and political opinion, work and life experience.