Cllr Judy Emanuel

Judy is a Newport District and Parish councillor who is very involved in her community. As part of her work as a parish councillor she’s successfully defended against speculative developments at appeal, and helped develop the adopted Newport, Quendon and Rickling Neighbourhood Plan.

“It’s critical that the voices of residents play a key role in shaping our communities. I’m passionate about planning – particularly delivering improved infrastructure for our district alongside new housing. I am diligent about detail and continuously seek to improve our council processes to do the best we possibly can for our district.” Judy Emanuel

Judy Emanuel has a degree in Industrial Information Technology. Her career background is in IT consultancy/project management in financial services. Judy has been a parish councillor since 2015 and a district councillor since 2021 where she serves on the planning and appointment committees.

She lives in Newport with her family.

WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

Judy Emanuel has a degree in Industrial Information Technology. Her career spans from IT start-ups, recruitment, IT consultancy to financial services – and she is also an event florist in her spare time. She lives with her family in Newport where she’s very involved in the community. She’s been an active member of the Friends of Newport Primary School for 10 years, and was previously chair of the charity. She’s also a member of the Newport Parents Association of Joyce Frankland Academy.

Judy serves on the Parish Council and Uttlesford District Council. She says she joined R4U and became a councillor because of a deep concern over the volume of speculative housing development in the area with no infrastructure to support it. Over the past five years on the council she’s tracked and documented the scale of development in the area and been responsible for drafting planning application responses.  She’s represented residents at planning appeals, where as part of a team she’s successfully prevented more than 200 unsustainable houses in Newport. She’s also lobbied to mitigate the impact of any development that has happened.

Judy has been a key member of the team responsible for the delivery of the Newport, Quendon and Rickling Neighbourhood Plan and has supported the parish council with online communications.

    First Name (required)

    Last Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your house number or name (required)

    Your Postcode (required)

    Subject

    Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

    Cllr Richard Freeman

    Twice Mayor of Saffron Walden, and a Town and District Councillor, Dr Richard Freeman is well respected locally and has lots of experience. In the private sector his professional background is running complex projects for manufacturing and high-tech businesses. He has lived in Saffron Walden for more than 20 years.

    “Saffron Walden is a good place to live; but it needs skilful management if it is not to become just a pretty dormitory town for the well-heeled and the wealthy.” Richard Freeman

    Richard joined R4U from the Liberal Democrats in 2014 to become a founding councillor.

    WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

    Richard Freeman has lived in Saffron Walden for over 20 years.  For most of that time, he has represented residents as a Castle Ward councillor.  He has twice served as Town Mayor. In 2014 he joined R4U from the Liberal Democrats, becoming a founder councillor  to better serve local residents.

    Much of his professional life has been spent in the manufacturing industries, particularly pharmaceuticals and also foodstuffs.  Latterly, he has worked for large international consultancies, providing technical and project management expertise to multinationals and governments.

    Much of Richard’s time as a councillor has been devoted to making developers deliver on their Section 106 obligations.  These are legal requirements, often in the form of infrastructure payments made to the council that are designed to mitigate the impact of new housing.  Frequently, developers under-deliver on these.  As a direct result of Richard’s efforts, the town will soon receive two excellent new playing fields off Little Walden Road completed to Sport England standard,  Likewise, after much hard work, the new development of Tudor Park now has a RoSPA-approved children’s playground

    Richard says that he believes that “local government has a duty to ensure the supply of homes for ordinary people – not just mansions for the fortunate rich! The limited supply of so-called ‘affordable’ homes linked to housing developments is not enough.  We need new social housing as well; homes that people can rent at prices they can afford. “

    He has a particular interest in architecture, and has modernized several listed buildings. This interest was amply expressed when he was involved in managing the repair and refurbishment of Saffron Walden’s listed Town Hall.  Left in a sorry state by previous Conservative administrations, he helped plan and monitor its repair and restoration.  Richard was also able to assist with the design and installation of a very efficient and modern heating system for the building, making this iconic building usable all year, and much cheaper to heat.

      First Name (required)

      Last Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Your house number or name (required)

      Your Postcode (required)

      Subject

      Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

      Cllr Heather Asker

      Heather, a councillor since 2007, serves on numerous town and district committees, and works on many ward issues, including parking, road safety and speed reduction. She was the Saffron Walden Mayor in 2015, 2016, 2019 is very active in promoting the market and the vitality of the town centre.

      “I am passionate about the heart of our town, our fabulous market, now known as one of the best in East Anglia & regularly featured in the national press. I am particularly proud of the achievements within the Town and District I have been involved with, including the refurbishments to the Saffron Walden Town Hall and Market Square, new paths on The Common, new play equipment, and the improvement street cleaning since taking it over from UDC.” Cllr Heather Asker

      She resigned the Conservative Party whip in October 2014 to join Residents for Uttlesford as a founding councillor so that she could better serve the local residents that elected her.

      WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

      Cllr Heather Asker is a well respected and experienced Uttlesford District Councillor, Saffron Walden Town Councillor and has been town Mayor a number of times. She was first elected in 2007 for Saffron Walden Castle ward, where she has worked on numerous residents’ issues.

      Whilst being a councillor she has worked on many local ward and town centre issues, including planning and development, parking, road safety and speed reduction programmes. She is particualry proud of the initiatives that she’s driven and supported in Saffron Walden including the refurbishment of the Town Hall, new Common paths and play equipment, the takeover of street cleaning from UDC, and the paving of the market square.

      She says she’s “Passionate about the heart of the Town, our fabulous market, now known as one of the best in East Anglia which is regularly featured in the national press.

      She works closely with her other ward councillor, R4U’s Richard Freeman. Both have recently worked tirelessly to hold developer Persimmon to account to deliver a safe play area on Tudor Park and new sports fields on Line Avenue.

      Professionally Heather has a career in sales. She has lived in Saffron Walden since 1984 where her daughter attended the County High School.

      She joined Residents for Uttlesford as a founding councillor from the Conservatives in October 2014.

       

        First Name (required)

        Last Name (required)

        Your Email (required)

        Your house number or name (required)

        Your Postcode (required)

        Subject

        Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

        Cllr Stewart Luck

        A Debden resident for over 40 years, Stewart is a district and parish councillor. At UDC he serves on the scrutiny and governance committees, and is topic lead for aviation. He’s a qualified Jumbo pilot and STEM ambassador, and an active organiser of community activities, events and volunteering programmes.

        “ I believe that you get back what you put in. I’m dedicated both to Debden & Wimbish villages and helping the next generation develop the skills and confidence they need to be successful.” Stewart Luck

        WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

        Stewart is committed to Debden village and the local area having lived there for about 40 years. He has organised Debden fetes, barn dances and other events. He served as a councillor in his 40s and again now that he has retired for the last 6 years. He’s both a Debden parish and a district councillor. At UDC he serves on the scrutiny and governance committees, and is topic lead for aviation.

        Stewart is a keen member of the Royal British Legion and until 2018 was a local Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Coordinator. In 2018 he trained as a Standard Bearer and represented Debden on the Royal British Legion GP90 pilgrimage march to Ypres and the WW1 battlefields.

        He has spent a career in aviation. Stewart remains a qualified flying instructor, air display organiser, display pilot, training captain, and Jumbo Jet pilot. With this expertise and local knowledge, he served on Stansted Airport Consultative Group with a particular interest in dealing with aircraft noise and overflight issues for the surrounding villages. This experience makes him the ideal candidate to support Council brief for Uttlesford’s biggest employer, Stansted Airport.

        Stewart is particularly supportive of youth and education initiatives, where he seeks to combine his passion for flying with developing life skills in the next generation.  He started out as a member of the Air Cadets, an organisation for which Stewart says he has a high regard. He is a past chairman of 1824 Sqdn (Saffron Walden) ATC and past leader of Debden Youth Club and supports Scouts weekend aviation camps.

        As an Executive Committee Member of the Light Aircraft Association Stewart championed flying for younger members. In 2003 he invented and sponsored the first UK Youth Build-a- Plane Project, which is now sponsored by Boeing and The Royal Aeronautical Society. On the back of Stewart’s initial endeavours over 30 kit planes have been built and/or flown by young people.

        Stewart also volunteers as a STEM Ambassador visiting schools in Essex to inspire young people about life & career options, and has been a member of the General Aviation All Party Parliamentary Group for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

        In his spare time Stewart enjoys family life, playing badminton, sailing & boating, flying in light aircraft and driving classic cars.

         

          First Name (required)

          Last Name (required)

          Your Email (required)

          Your house number or name (required)

          Your Postcode (required)

          Subject

          Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

          Cllr Petrina Lees

          A proven champion of her community and local causes, Petrina Lees previously served on the Elsenham Parish Council for 17 years, including 3 as chair; enjoyed a 30 year career in nursing; and has been part of the leadership team of Save Our Villages for 9 years. Petrina stood for district council as an Independent in 2015 and was elected as an R4U councillor for the Uttlesford District Elsenham and Henham ward in 2017. She is the first female Leader of Uttlesford District Council, where she is leading R4U’s programme of improvement at the authority.

          “I’m passionate about fairness and regularly jump in to volunteer to create a better community. I don’t seek an easy life – I’m not afraid to challenge the norm, roll up my sleeves and get things done. People who know me know I work tirelessly for local residents and their causes and will have seen that since I was elected I have done so.” Petrina Lees

           

          WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

          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.”

            First Name (required)

            Last Name (required)

            Your Email (required)

            Your house number or name (required)

            Your Postcode (required)

            Subject

            Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

            Cllr Rod Jones

            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.

            “To be a councillor is a great honour and privilege. I will always be fair, transparent and responsible to the people that I represent. I can’t promise perfection or that I can change the world; I can promise to be open, approachable and act in your interest and not mine.” Rod Jones

            WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

            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.

              First Name (required)

              Last Name (required)

              Your Email (required)

              Your house number or name (required)

              Your Postcode (required)

              Subject

              Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

              ‘Olympic legacy’ investment in facilities at Thaxted Skatepark by R4U administration

              Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) is delighted that its councillors at R4U-led Uttlesford District Council have unanimously approved a £35,000 grant to refurbish the skatepark operated by the Thaxted Youth Club. …read more →

              Residents’ champions stand up for Newport and Sampford in Uttlesford District Council By-Elections

              Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) is fielding candidates in both Uttlesford District Council by-elections on 6th May for the Newport and Sampfords wards. Newport Uttlesford District ward councillor Neil Hargraves said …read more →

              Cllr Mike Tayler

              Thaxted GP Dr Mike Tayler is a highly respected by the community and district councillor for the ward he lives in. He’s an advocate for better community services and against Essex County Council’s attempted closures of our libraries. He is very concerned about the double threats of a new town at Easton Park and a huge airport expansion.

              After recently joining forces with R4U with fellow ward councillor Martin Foley, Mike said

              “R4U are aligned with my principles and share the agenda I was elected on. We have lots to do to assure the future of Uttlesford. That means I am especially keen that strategic focus is set though the delivery of solid Corporate and Local Plans by UDC. I have been very impressed by how R4U have approached both of these so far. By joining forces with R4U at UDC, Martin and I believe that we will have more direct input over this future, as well as it being more beneficial for the needs of our ward residents.”

              WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

              Dr Mike Tayler is a highly respected Thaxted resident and district councillor for the Thaxted and Eastons ward. He’s an advocate for better community services, having campaigned for maintaining Day Centre services in the village and against Essex County Council’s attempted closure of the library. He cares about Uttlesford rural life, Climate Change and our rural environment. That means he is very concerned about the double threats of a new town at Easton Park and a huge airport expansion.

              After recently joining forces with R4U with fellow ward councillor Martin Foley, Mike said

              “R4U are aligned with my principles and share the agenda I was elected on. We have lots to do to assure the future of Uttlesford. That means I am especially keen that strategic focus is set though the delivery of solid Corporate and Local Plans by UDC. I have been very impressed by how R4U have approached both of these so far. By joining forces with R4U at UDC, Martin and I believe that we will have more direct input over this future, as well as it being more beneficial for the needs of our ward residents.”

              Mike and his wife Mary line in Thaxted. He’s been a GP at the Thaxted Surgery since 1986, where he still undertakes locum work.

                First Name (required)

                Last Name (required)

                Your Email (required)

                Your house number or name (required)

                Your Postcode (required)

                Subject

                Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)

                Cllr Martin Foley

                Community champion and Thaxted resident Martin is one of Uttlesford’s longest serving and most respected councillors. He is also an Essex County Councillor for the Thaxted Division. He’s represented his ward at UDC since 1995. He’s an active local voice who campaigns for our environment, and against airport expansion, urban sprawl on our fields, and the closing of the local libraries.

                After recently joining forces with R4U with fellow ward councillor Mike Tayler, Martin said

                “Mike and I carefully watched the progress that R4U made at UDC since being elected to lead the council in 2019. They have fixed the finances, got the Conservatives’ £6m failed Local Plan back on track, are contesting the airport expansion, and are delivering a major Climate Change programme. By combining forces with R4U at UDC, Mike and I believe that we will have more direct input over the future of our district, as well as for our ward residents.”

                WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

                Residents champion Martin is one of Uttlesford’s longest serving and most respected councillors. He’s represented the Thaxted and now Thaxted and the Eastons ward at UDC since 1995. He’s a strong and active local voice who campaigns for our environment, and against airport expansion, urban sprawl on our fields, and the closing of the local libraries.

                After recently joining forces with R4U with fellow ward councillor Mike Tayler, Martin said

                “Mike and I carefully watched the progress that R4U made at UDC since being elected to lead the council in 2019. They have fixed the finances, got the Conservatives’ £6m failed Local Plan back on track, are contesting the airport expansion, and are delivering a major Climate Change programme. By combining forces with R4U at UDC, Mike and I believe that we will have more direct input over the future of our district, as well as for our ward residents.”

                Before the Thaxted and Eastons Independents decided to combine with R4U, Martin and Mike spoke with many residents in their ward to gauge their feelings. They got strong support for the change. Now, as part of a larger R4U group, they will continue to work to deliver the things they were elected to do for their villages.

                Martin lives in Thaxted with his wife Claire.

                  First Name (required)

                  Last Name (required)

                  Your Email (required)

                  Your house number or name (required)

                  Your Postcode (required)

                  Subject

                  Enter your comment or question (up to 1,000 characters)