Category: Councillor

Cllr John Lodge

John is a co-founder of Residents for Uttlesford. He was first elected as a councillor in 2013. Since then he has worked hard to hold our councils to account on residents’ issues, including the Local Plan, planning and development, pollution and the environment, education and schools, proper transport infrastructure, and saving The Fairycroft Youth Centre.

“The national political parties are forcing policies onto local residents that they don’t want and don’t need. It’s time politics became local once more and residents got to decide for themselves.” John Lodge

He was Leader of Uttlesford District Council before handing over the reins to R4U’s Petrina Lees in 2021 ahead of his retirement at the next election. He has served on the Planning Committee and (Local Plan) Planning Policy Working Group. Previously John was Chief Executive of a FTSE company, and has been chairman and on the board of directors of many private and public organisations, including a Health Enterprise Council and a member of a Department of Health finance committee.

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

John Lodge was first elected in May 2013. He is an Uttlesford District Councillor for the Saffron Walden Shire Ward.

John has been a resident of Saffron Walden for almost 50 years and during that time he has served the community in a wide variety of volunteer roles. He has served as Chairman of a Parish Council, School Governor, Chairman of a Village Hall Committee, President of a Cricket Club, Committee Member of a Choral Society and a trustee of the charity funding the exciting new concert hall at SWCHS. He was also an Essex Ambassador at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

In the public sector he has recently served as a Non-Executive Director of Papworth Hospital NHS Trust where he was Chairman of its Charitable Capital Appeal. He is currently Chairman of the Embryonic Heart & Lung Research Institute which is a joint venture with Cambridge University.

In the commercial sector he has also served as Chairman of a restaurant group, a property company, an investment fund and medical device company. He has also been a Non-Executive Director of an enterprise council and a member of a Department of Health finance committee.

John believes that UDC could do more about affordable housing. He is an investor in a number of affordable housing schemes, all in the north of England. John’s latest scheme is turning a building abandoned by HMRC into 95 dwellings. They are modern, well equipped one and two bedroom flats, all designed to be priced affordably at under £80,000 to allow new home owners to enter the property ladder. Additionally the centralised heating system is highly efficient to reduce the environmental impact and cost for home owners. John says that one of the attractions the site chosen is that it is within easy walking distance of the town centre’s amenities and so adds to the development’s green credentials. John believes that developments like this could be adopted here by Uttlesford District Council to address the shortfall in housing affordability.

Previously he commuted from Audley End to London where he worked in a variety of IT roles in the finance industry with his final position as Chief Executive of a FTSE technology company.

Sports car enthusiast John is also a keen sportsman and plays cricket, rugby and golf for local clubs. He also sings with the Saffron Walden Choral Society.

He first visited Saffron Walden in the 1960s when he was a student in Cambridge; his wife and he chose to return when their children were young and his wife went on to be academic head of Bell College.

All of the time in the area has made them both great lovers and supporters of the Saffron Walden way of life and have inspired him to do whatever he can to protect it. Whilst he wishes to protect the Saffron Walden way of life, he is conscious that the town must progress. John believes that the way to achieve sustainable growth is to plan building and infrastructure in an integrated manner.

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    Patrick Hawke-Smith

    Cllr Patrick Hawke-Smith

    Patrick Hawke-Smith has lived in Saffron Walden for over 20 years. He is a professional fundraiser, and focuses on charities and higher education. He has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

    “I love living in such an attractive area as Uttlesford and I want to promote sustainable development for the district’s future.” Patrick Hawke-Smith

    Patrick is keen to hear, understand and represent the views of local residents and keep their voice central to the development of the district.

    WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

    Patrick Hawke-Smith has lived in Essex and Cambridgeshire for most of his life and been a resident of Saffron Walden for over 20 years. During that time he has been actively involved in the community, particularly as a volunteer at Saffron Screen cinema and the Fry Art Gallery, where he has also served on the Committee.

    Patrick has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University. He has spent his career in professional fundraising, particularly in higher education, where he has worked in Oxford, London and for the University of Cambridge. He works for medical research charity Alzheimer’s Research UK. He would be interested to bring some of his skills in building relationships and generating income to the local community.

    Patrick loves living in such an attractive area as Uttlesford and is keen to promote its sustainable development for the future. He is regularly to be found exploring the local countryside on foot or by bicycle and occasionally visiting one of its many welcoming hostelries. He also enjoys taking part in the range of social, cultural and sporting activities available across the district.

    Patrick is keen to hear, understand and represent the views of local residents and keep their voice central to the development of Uttlesford.

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      Cllr Alex Armstrong

      Alex Armstrong is committed to the future of Dunmow. He is a Dunmow town and district councillor. He was Chair of the Dunmow Town Team for 2 years, whose aim is to create a more vibrant and dynamic High St in the town. Previously he served on the Havering Chamber of Commerce for 10 years. At Uttlesford District Council he is the portfolio holder for Sport, Leisure and the Arts.

      “I do not want Dunmow to become either a dormitory town or a concrete jungle – any development must be in tune with the desire of the local residents.” Alex Armstrong

      Professionally Alex runs a local print consultancy after previously being managing directors of both private and public companies in the printing industry.

      WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

      Alex Armstrong is committed to creating successful business, and knows that a joined-up approach it the best way to take the district forward.  He is a Great Dunmow Town Councillor. He was Chair of the Dunmow Town Team for 2 years, has served on the Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 10 years, where he was the chairman for 4 years.

      In Havering he volunteered as a work experience mentor for the Borough, helping Havering College with apprenticeships. He also served on various committees including Safety and Community Partnerships, Town Centre Partnerships and Business forums and served for 10 years on the Havering Business Awards panel.

      Professionally Alex has been Managing Director of both private and public companies in the printing industry. He now runs a local print consultancy.

      Alex moved from the built up East End of London to Havering, which was then in Essex, only to see it become a London Borough and in his words a ‘concrete jungle’. He moved again to Great Dunmow and  fell in love with the town, the open spaces, and warm and friendly people. Alex says he doesn’t want Dunmow to become either a dormitory town or a concrete jungle itself, and so any development must be in tune with the desire of the local residents.

      He has been married for over 40 years and has a son in Florida and daughter in Canada. His hobbies are golf, theatre, walking and Chelsea Football Club.

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        Cllr Neil Hargreaves

        Neil has lived in Newport for 30 years. A district councillor since 2015, he is a Chartered Accountant and is UDC Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for Finance and Budgets, and sits on the UDC Investments Board. He chaired the steering group for the successful Newport Quendon & Rickling Neighbourhood Plan, and is now working on a refreshed version..

        “I am working to implement better policies to enhance and develop our ward and district, and to support local residents and their communities.” Neil Hargreaves

        WardRolesAbout/BioContact

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

        Originally from Lancashire, Neil Hargreaves has lived in Newport for 30 years and his three children went to both Newport schools. He has used his accountancy skills to serve the community in various roles including Treasurer of the Friends of St Mary’s Church and Treasurer of the Newport Scouts. He is a regular contributor to the award winning Newport News village magazine, and is an administrator of the popular Newport Newsline Facebook group. He chaired the steering group for the successful Newport, Quendon & Rickling Neighbourhood Plan, and is now working on an updated version. He is active on planning and local community concerns.

        After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Neil moved with his wife to Kenya, where their son was born. After returning to London he worked for a large accountancy firm and then in the insurance industry. He managed a large accounts department, IT projects, and outsourcing contracts, and was Treasurer of a reinsurance broker. After moving to Chelmsford and then Newport, Neil commuted to London and to Norwich. During this time his wife worked as an Occupational Therapist and in a dispensary in Saffron Walden and Addenbrookes. Now retired, Neil’s final accountancy position was with a US balloon manufacturer in Bishops Stortford.

        Neil is a keen photographer, is a member of CPRE, and is out every day walking his Beagle around the villages in the ward.

        Where we live is rightly shown in surveys as being one of the best places in the country. He believes that development, both commercial and housing, can enhance the district if well planned and coordinated with good infrastructure and the services needed to support a larger population.

        Being increasingly worried about the Westminster party politically driven system running the council and the small core of councillors who ran it, Neil stood for election as a district councillor for the Newport ward in 2015 and was elected. He immediately set to work to sort out issues raised on the doorstep and has been able to implement a new speed sign, a major road sign project to stop the frequent bridge strikes in Newport, and an extension to a 30mph limit to protect a new housing estate.

        When R4u took charge of UDC in 2019, Neil became the portfolio holder for Finance and Budgets. He is also Deputy Council Leader.

        Neil and fellow councillor Judy Emanuel hold weekly councillor surgeries in Dorringtons in Newport, is active on the local Facebook groups, and attends the parish council meetings in the three villages in the Ward.

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          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.

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            Cllr Paul Gadd

            Paul Gadd is Leader of Saffron Walden Town Councillor and Essex County Councillor for the Saffron Walden Division. He was first elected in 2015. Professionally he is a lawyer and is very active in the local community.

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

            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.

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              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.

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                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.

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                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.

                 

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                  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

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                  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.

                   

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                    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

                     

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                    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.”

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