# 2023 Uttlesford District Council election

The 2023 Uttlesford District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Uttlesford District Council in Essex, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
Prior to the election the residents' association 'Residents for Uttlesford' held a majority.
The election saw Residents for Uttlesford retain their majority. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat group leaders both lost their seats. The Greens lost all their seats on the council (the three seats it held prior to the election having all been councillors elected for Residents for Uttlesford but who later defected).

## Election result

2023 Uttlesford District Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| R4U | 32 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 56.4 | 36.3 | 17,098 | –2.0 |
| Conservative | 38 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28.2 | 30.7 | 14,447 | +2.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | 27 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10.3 | 14.7 | 6,910 | –7.8 |
| Independent | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | 5.1 | 4.5 | 2,119 | –0.6 |
| Labour | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 8.7 | 4,114 | +5.2 |
| Green | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 4.7 | 2,211 | +2.0 |
| Reform UK | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.3 | 141 | N/A |

## Ward Result

The results for each ward were as follows, with sitting councillors marked with an asterisk(*).

### Ashdon

Ashdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Michael Moran | 289 | 41.2 | +6.3 |
| | R4U | James Leon Herman De Vries* | 259 | 36.9 | −4.6 |
| | Green | Paul Henry Allington | 153 | 21.8 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 704 | 44.06 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,598 | | |
| | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U |

### Broad Oak & The Hallingsburys

Broad Oak & The Hallingsburys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Geof Driscoll* | 643 | 51.5 | +3.6 |
| | R4U | Neil Reeve* | 583 | 46.7 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Bob Church | 442 | 35.4 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Dominique Salomon | 419 | 33.6 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Richards | 159 | 12.7 | +1.5 |
| | Reform UK | Malcolm Cameron Featherstone | 55 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,248 | 38.42 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,248 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |

### Clavering

Clavering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Morgan Oliver* | 493 | 59.7 | +3.2 |
| | Green | Debra Anne Gold | 198 | 24.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Frank Barnes | 135 | 16.3 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 831 | 44.44 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,870 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Debden & Wimbish

Debden & Wimbish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Stewart Charles Luck* | 281 | 42.2 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | James William Noble | 213 | 32.0 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Janet Elizabeth Grogan | 74 | 11.1 | +7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sylvia Jane Barrows | 61 | 9.2 | −9.6 |
| | Green | James Loxam Wilkinson | 37 | 5.6 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 668 | 39.04 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,711 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | Swing | | |

### Elsenham & Henham

Elsenham & Henham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Petrina Michelle Lees* | 690 | 53.9 | −10.2 |
| | R4U | Bianca Maria Donald | 483 | 37.7 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Frances MacKay | 288 | 22.5 | −13.9 |
| | Conservative | Henry Edward Joseph Farrelly | 254 | 19.8 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative | Fraser James | 193 | 15.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Anna Katherine Mowbray | 120 | 9.4 | +3.9 |
| | Labour | Bob Burlton | 117 | 9.1 | N/A |
| | Independent | Garry McKay LeCount* | 106 | 8.3 | −34.0 |
| | Green | Abi Saffrey | 100 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,283 | 34.80 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,687 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
Garry LeCount was a Residents for Uttlesford councillor until the election but was deselected as a candidate for re-election and stood as an independent instead.

### Felsted & Stebbing

Felsted & Stebbing :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | John Charles Evans* | 498 | 37.8 | −7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Silcock | 487 | 37.0 | +8.6 |
| | R4U | Sandi Merifield* | 470 | 35.7 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | Grant Bailey | 376 | 28.6 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Lee Botten | 352 | 26.7 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Corr | 310 | 23.6 | +13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,318 | 37.29 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,534 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from R4U | Liberal Democrats gain from R4U | Liberal Democrats gain from R4U | Liberal Democrats gain from R4U | Liberal Democrats gain from R4U |

### Flitch Green & Little Dunmow

Flitch Green & Little Dunmow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christian Augusto Criscione* | 352 | 61.8 | +3.0 |
| | R4U | Liz Clark | 101 | 17.7 | −10.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iris Janet Evans | 60 | 10.5 | −2.6 |
| | Green | Laura Fleur Thomas | 57 | 10.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 570 | 29.40 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,939 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Great Dunmow North

Great Dunmow North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Alex Armstrong* | 528 | 43.3 | −20.6 |
| | Conservative | John Edward Norris Davey | 517 | 42.4 | +11.4 |
| | Conservative | William Anthony Church | 463 | 38.0 | +14.1 |
| | R4U | Vincent David Clarke | 368 | 30.2 | −23.2 |
| | Labour | Tina Sham | 165 | 13.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | William Stephen Bortey Annang | 152 | 12.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Teddy Kimber | 131 | 10.7 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,229 | 31.35 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,920 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U |

### Great Dunmow South & Barnston

Great Dunmow South & Barnston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Loveday* | 653 | 43.4 | +10.3 |
| | Conservative | Chris Martin | 613 | 40.7 | +12.3 |
| | Conservative | Brian John Regan | 562 | 37.3 | +11.0 |
| | R4U | Rod Jones* | 482 | 32.0 | −26.8 |
| | R4U | Patrick Charles Lavelle* | 477 | 31.7 | −26.6 |
| | R4U | Kerry Ann Herbert | 468 | 31.1 | −20.9 |
| | Labour | Ben Cavanagh | 278 | 18.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | Gerard William Darcy | 257 | 17.1 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Christopher James Muir | 224 | 14.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Joseph Ronald Jones | 174 | 11.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,522 | 30.38 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,010 | | |
| | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U |
| | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U |
| | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U | Conservative gain from R4U |
Seat recorded as three Conservative gains from Residents for Uttlesford to allow for comparison with the 2019 results. One of the seats had been won by Conservative Tom Loveday in a by-election in January 2023.

### Hatfield Heath

Hatfield Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Lemon* | 410 | 71.8 | −5.1 |
| | R4U | Tracy Louen Williams | 161 | 28.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 577 | 32.25 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,789 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### High Easter & The Rodings

High Easter & Rodings :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Susan Barker* | 479 | 70.0 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Margaret Ann Shaw | 115 | 16.8 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Faridah Mohamed Gullam | 90 | 13.2 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 690 | 35.20 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,960 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Littlebury, Chesterfords & Wendens Loft

Littlebury, Chesterfords & Wenden Lofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Neil Stephen Richard Gregory* | 1,025 | 60.1 | +3.1 |
| | Independent | Richard Stewart Leighton Pavitt* | 988 | 57.9 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | Wazz Mughal | 399 | 23.4 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | Sam Slota-Newsom | 386 | 22.6 | −2.8 |
| | Green | David Radford | 213 | 12.5 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Roderick | 196 | 11.5 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,709 | 48.37 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,533 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |

### Newport

Newport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Judy Emmanuel* | 795 | 61.6 | −5.8 |
| | R4U | Neil Hargreaves* | 785 | 60.8 | −14.4 |
| | Conservative | Roger Hugh Beeching | 320 | 24.8 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marion Elizabeth Dyer | 214 | 16.6 | +5.0 |
| | Green | Madeleine Margaret Radford | 205 | 15.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,293 | 40.06 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,228 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |

### Saffron Walden Audley

Saffron Walden Audley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Arthur George Coote* | 666 | 43.7 | −1.3 |
| | R4U | Alex Reeve | 648 | 42.5 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Cherry Ellen Parker | 324 | 21.2 | +12.0 |
| | Green | Barbara Ann Light* | 302 | 19.8 | −24.9 |
| | Conservative | Maria Pearson | 293 | 19.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Howard Stephen Rolfe | 262 | 17.2 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Mat Braddy | 223 | 14.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Charles Perry | 165 | 10.8 | −24.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,533 | 43.51 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,523 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
Arthur Coote represented Saffron Walden Shire ward before the election. Seats recorded as two Residents for Uttlesford holds to allow for comparison with 2019 results. One of the incumbent councillors, Barbara Light, had been elected as Residents for Uttlesford in 2019 but later that year joined the Greens instead.

### Saffron Walden Castle

Saffron Walden Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Heather Jane Asker* | 771 | 56.1 | +1.3 |
| | R4U | Richard Ford Freeman* | 610 | 44.4 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | David James Sadler | 246 | 17.9 | +2.5 |
| | Labour | Simon David Trimnell | 233 | 17.0 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Simon Alexander Bagni | 232 | 16.9 | −2.5 |
| | Green | Edward Vernon Gildea | 194 | 14.1 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | John Gabriel Early | 154 | 11.2 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Newman Lefever | 119 | 8.7 | −5.2 |
| | Reform UK | Grant John Maxwell St Clair-Armstrong | 50 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,383 | 38.47 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,595 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |

### Saffron Walden Shire

Saffron Walden Shire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Jubeyuir Ahmed (Melon Ahmed) | 879 | 42.1 | −9.9 |
| | R4U | Chloe Louise Fiddy | 876 | 41.9 | −9.9 |
| | R4U | Daniel Ronald McBirnie | 796 | 38.1 | −12.1 |
| | Green | Paul Geoffrey Fairhurst* | 470 | 22.5 | −27.7 |
| | Conservative | Nick Osborne | 457 | 21.9 | +6.0 |
| | Conservative | David Jason Phipps | 376 | 18.0 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Adaeze Bowen | 367 | 17.6 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Sally Ann Kaemer | 336 | 16.1 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Andrew Mark Sampson | 325 | 15.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew John Baxter | 308 | 14.7 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonia Sault | 301 | 14.4 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Maurice Ede | 288 | 13.8 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,105 | 37.92 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,551 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
Seats recorded as three Residents for Uttlesford holds to allow for comparison with 2019 results. One of the incumbent councillors, Paul Fairhurst, had been elected as Residents for Uttlesford in 2019 but later that year joined the Greens instead.

### Stansted North

Stansted North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Dean* | 796 | 56.5 | −4.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Sell* | 773 | 54.8 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Lois Patricia Prior | 422 | 29.9 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | George Francis Peter Braeckman | 421 | 29.9 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | John Wadham | 169 | 12.0 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Stuart Valentine Dodgson | 151 | 10.7 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,417 | 39.12 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,622 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |

### Stansted South & Birchanger

Stansted South & Birchanger :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ray Gooding | 480 | 43.0 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Nick Church | 421 | 37.8 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Melvin Henry Caton* | 396 | 35.5 | −22.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ayub Khan* | 370 | 33.2 | −15.2 |
| | Labour | Allen Macpherson | 136 | 12.2 | +3.7 |
| | R4U | Plaxy Budzinska | 117 | 10.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | Thomas Albert Van de Bilt | 88 | 7.9 | +0.8 |
| | R4U | Jiri Wolker | 86 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,117 | 33.43 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,341 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats |

### Stort Valley

Stort Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janice Irene Loughlin* | 366 | 57.6 | −14.7 |
| | Conservative | Joel Alexander Cairns | 176 | 27.7 | ±0.0 |
| | Labour | Sanjukta Ghosh | 57 | 9.0 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Neil Roddis | 36 | 5.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 635 | 38.98 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,629 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Takeley

Takeley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Geoff Bagnall* | 630 | 47.8 | −13.3 |
| | R4U | Maggie Sutton* | 539 | 40.9 | −19.2 |
| | R4U | Mark Andrew Coletta | 477 | 36.2 | −16.5 |
| | Conservative | Jeanne Eileen Bradley | 466 | 35.3 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Jim Gordon | 381 | 28.9 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Madhu Disanayake | 303 | 23.0 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lorraine Anne Flawn | 264 | 20.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Tracey Elizabeth Roberts | 195 | 14.8 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maryanne Craig Fleming | 150 | 11.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | Olive Kumar Winters | 133 | 10.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Kevin Kimber | 132 | 10.0 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,320 | 26.01 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,074 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold | R4U hold |

### Thaxted & The Eastons

Thaxted & The Eastons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Martin Liam Foley* | 893 | 64.1 | −9.3 |
| | R4U | Richard Henry Haynes | 694 | 49.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Beverly | 364 | 26.1 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | Andrew John Pryer | 255 | 18.3 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Antoinette Magdeleine Wattebot | 121 | 8.7 | −66.7 |
| | Labour | Alex Young | 113 | 8.1 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patrick William O'Brien | 102 | 7.3 | −66.1 |
| | Green | Trilby Fiona Roberts | 94 | 6.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,395 | 35.24 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,959 | | |
| | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats |
| | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats | R4U gain from Liberal Democrats |
Seats both recorded as Residents for Uttlesford gains from the Liberal Democrats to allow comparison with 2019 election. The two Liberal Democrats elected in 2019, Mike Tayler and Martin Foley, had both left the party in May 2020 and joined Residents for Uttlesford in March 2021.

### The Sampfords

The Sampfords :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | R4U | Mike Tayler* | 344 | 42.9 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | George Maurice Smith* | 340 | 42.4 | +9.6 |
| | Green | Sarah Jane Heaton Allington | 73 | 9.1 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Dyer | 44 | 5.5 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 802 | 45.51 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,766 | | |
| | R4U hold | R4U hold | Swing | | |
Mike Tayler had been the incumbent for Thaxted & The Eastons ward before the election. Seat recorded as a Residents for Uttlesford hold to allow for comparison with the 2019 election, but George Smith had won the seat for the Conservatives in a by-election in 2021.