The Essex Country Council elections are on 6th May 2021. Residents for Uttlesford is pleased to be standing a full slate of candidates. There are also 3 by-elections. Find out more.
Local Elections - 6th May 2021
Time for change at Essex County Council
“Essex County Council isn’t working for Uttlesford residents. They are spending our tax money elsewhere. Year-after-year we see the same problems – 3x more potholes in 4 years, broken street lights, flooding, no school choice, and no new infrastructure. ECC refuses to accept responsibility for their multiple school bus safety issues. Now they are failing on finance. Uttlesford residents pay them over £50 million a year – they take 71 pence in every £1 of our council tax. Yet their budget includes slashing £46 million more of services next year, but they’re refusing to say where until after the election. Which of our services will they cut? If we keep electing the same people, the same cycle of failure will keep happening. R4U has fixed Saffron Walden Town Council and Uttlesford District Council, and we’re now fielding a full slate of candidates for the May 6th county elections. Enough is enough – it is time for change at County Hall.”Dan Starr (R4U Chair)
Candidates for Essex County Council
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. She’s standing against Ray Gooding, the ECC cabinet member who is responsible for Education and the school bus safety fiasco. Bianca feels that with better representation ECC can be more responsive to Uttlesford residents’ needs.
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.
Cllr Paul Gadd
Paul Gadd is the Leader at Saffron Walden Town Council where over 6 years he’s lead the turnaround from inherited financial mess to now award-winning Best Council in Essex. He’s a lawyer by career and very community minded. He volunteers 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.
Candidates for other by-elections
District Council and Town Council By-Elections – Your Residents Candidates
There are by-elections in Newport, the Sampfords and Saffron Walden wards.
Cllr Judy Emanuel
Judy Emanuel’s career spans from start-ups to a large IT consultancy. She’s highly active in Newport, fundraising for local causes and schools, serving on the PTA and parish council. She was on the core team delivering the Newport Quendon & Rickling Neighbourhood Plan, and has been successful at appeals stopping major unsustainable developments.
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.
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 standing for the Saffron Walden Town Council Little Walden Ward.
What each council does
Confused about who does what? County, District and Town/Parish councils have different responsibilities.
