This evening (Wednesday 6th October), Uttlesford District Council has saddled its residents with a huge legal bill, in the region of £2.5 million pounds, after it was forced to accept an embarrassing High Court defeat following its failed appeal to stop Stansted’s plans for expansion.
The Residents for Uttlesford regime at the district council ran on election manifesto promise to stop Stansted’s expansion plans. Once in power, this cynical electioneering promise led them to overturn planning approval that had already been granted by the district council under the previous Conservative Administration.
In taking the district council down this path of failure, senior figures within the Residents for Uttlesford regime have been accused by all opposition parties of being the ones responsible for displaying a gross lack of competence, transparency, good governance and a total lack of accountability for this failure. This evening an amended motion, demanding the immediate resignation of the Council Leader, Deputy Leader, the portfolio holder for Planning and chairman of the Planning Committee, was voted down by all Residents for Uttlesford councillors in attendance. It was noted that Uttlesford District Council leader John Lodge chose to go on a holiday rather than attend tonight’s council meeting that has irreparably damaged his political career.
The Residents for Uttlesford regime own this failure and it will hang permanently around their necks. They simply have no-one else to blame. But it is local residents' pockets that have been hit the hardest and not one member of the Residents for Uttlesford regime has had the decency to accept any of the blame for this horror show.
