Love where you live
Great Dunmow resident Terry Allen represents Residents for Uttlesford on Great Dunmow Town Council.
Great Dunmow resident Terry Allen represents Residents for Uttlesford on Great Dunmow Town Council.
Great Dunmow resident Cath Arnold represents Residents for Uttlesford on Great Dunmow Town Council.
Great Dunmow resident Cath Arnold represents Residents for Uttlesford on Great Dunmow Town Council.
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.
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.
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 is a Great Dunmow Town Councillor and was previously an Uttlesford District Councillor.
“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
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 is a Great Dunmow Town Councillor and was previously an Uttlesford District Councillor.
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.
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 councillor have been elected 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 communities. 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.
Patrick is an experienced R4U councillor in Great Dunmow. As Mayor of Great Dunmow Patrick was focused on rebuilding the community following the disruption caused by the COVID lockdowns and promoting Great Dunmow as a great place to live, work and enjoy yourself.
“Residents need strong representation to ensure that their views and heard and acted on. One of the biggest concerns in the area is new housing. Along with new housing we need to protect the environment and include the necessary infrastructure and recreational facilities to support the needs of both current and future residents.” Patrick Lavelle
Patrick Lavelle took early retirement after a successful 35 year career in the pharmaceutical industry. His career in the pharma sector gives him a unique perspective into one of our region’s most important industries.
Other areas that interest Patrick are policing and reducing crime, and the issues related to large new housing developments in the area.
As a councillor he works to ensure that new housing proposals are properly scrutinised and development controlled to benefit residents. He believes that it is important to make sure that due consideration is given to the impact on the environment, on the local services (schools, medical facilities and recreational facilities) as well as supporting infrastructure including not just vehicular access but also public transport, cycling and walking access.
Patrick lives in the ward he represents.