Love where you live
Mark is an experienced railway engineer with a passion for science, heritage, and innovation. He’s a STEM Ambassador, family orientated, community focused and an amateur beekeeper.
Mark is an experienced railway engineer with a passion for science, heritage, and innovation. He’s a STEM Ambassador, family orientated, community focused and an amateur beekeeper.
Saffron Walden resident Alex has been a primary and secondary teacher for over 20 years. He currently manages and teaches English at the Uttlesford Pop-up School for Ukrainian refugees. He’s a trustee of the town’s Youth Outreach Programme. He is a town and district councillor.
Saffron Walden resident Alex has been a primary and secondary teacher for over 20 years. He currently manages and teaches English at the Uttlesford Pop-up School for Ukrainian refugees. He’s a trustee of the town’s Youth Outreach Programme. He is a town and district councillor.
After 30 years in Saffton Walden with his family, many residents know and respect town and district Councillor Melon (Jubeyuir) Ahmed. He’s the man behind a number of the town’s Indian restaurants, including The Spice on Rowntree Way.
After 30 years in Saffton Walden with his family, many residents know and respect previous Town Councillor Melon (Jubeyuir) Ahmed. He’s the man behind a number of the town’s Indian restaurants, including The Spice on Rowntree Way.
Town Councillor 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Paul Gadd is the Leader at Saffron Walden Town Council where over 6 years he’s led the turnaround from inherited financial mess to now award-winning Best Council in Essex. He’s a retired lawyer 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.
Paul Gadd has been a Saffron Walden Town Councillor since 2015 and an Essex County Councillor for the Saffron Walden Division since 2021.
He is a retired 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.
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.
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.
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 lives in Saffron Walden and was 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.
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.