Thaxted & Eastons Independents Martin Foley and Mike Tayler combine with R4U to serve residents more

Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) and the Thaxted and the Eastons Independent Group have announced that they are joining forces at Uttlesford District Council.

Dan Starr, chair of R4U, said “We are truly delighted that we’re combining forces with the Thaxted and Eastons Independents, and Cllrs Martin Foley and Mike Tayler have joined R4U. R4U has never stood candidates in the Thaxted and Eastons ward before as we believed they already had the best representation possible at UDC. We all share the same philosophy of putting only residents’ needs first and so it is a great fit. Community champion Martin is one of the most experienced councillors at UDC, and Mike is extremely capable councillor who brings expert knowledge, particularly in the healthcare sector. As a result both enjoy fantastic support from the residents they represent.”

Cllr Martin Foley said “Mike and I have carefully watched the progress that R4U has made at UDC since being elected to lead the council as the ‘party of change’ 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. Most impressively the majority of this has been done during a global pandemic.”

Cllr Martin Foley concluded “By combining forces with R4U at UDC, Mike and I will now have more direct input over the future of our district, as well as for our ward residents. Before deciding, it was important that we spoke with many residents in our ward to gauge their feelings. Their response has been strong and supportive. Now, as part of R4U, we will continue to work to deliver the things we were elected to do for our villages. This includes resisting urban sprawl on our fields, fighting the airport expansion, and holding ECC to account for better running of our roads, schools and libraries.”

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