& Henham Happy New Year from your Lib Dem Team 2 FOCUS Winter 2016/17 Published and Promoted by Melvin Caton on behalf of Melvin Caton and Cllr Lizzy Parr both at 34 West Road, Stansted CM24 8NQ Printed by CLIPS, 13A Beehive Works, Beehive Lane, , CM2 9JY STAY VIGILANT! “Thank You” says Rory Elsenham & Henham still not I am very grateful to the people of Elsenham and Henham for electing me as one of their safe from “Hellsenham” district councillors alongside Lizzy Parr in May With ’s Local Plan 2015. It was an honour. However since then I grinding to a near halt, have changed my career. I am now doing an Henham and Elsenham accelerated training course to become a nurse residents have been urged by which doesn’t allow me enough time to be your the Lib Dems to stay vigilant. district councillor as well. So there will be a Although the campaign against by-election for a new councillor shortly. developer Fairfield’s last Melvin Caton views the site I was very pleased that the campaigning by both appeal for 800 homes was of proposed Hellsenham villages against the Tory supported 800 house successful last August, the Lib development with former Dems now fear the developers councillors David Morson and mini “Hellsenham” proposal was successful in Catherine Dean of “Hellsenham” have not gone the summer when the Planning Inspector turned away. They were spotted taking notes at a special down Fairfield’s development appeal. council meeting on the Local Plan in November, Now the Local Plan process has been paused “Uttlesford’s search for new settlements to take future our two communities must remain vigilant to housing is in trouble”, said Cllr Alan Dean,leader of stop the Conservative led council re-introducing the Uttlesford Liberal Democrats. “Until it is sorted out, the Hellensham proposal especially when Elsenham and Henham must not sit back and be opposition to their alternative proposals complacent”. elsewhere hots up. Two years on from the failure of Uttlesford Conservatives’ last Local Plan, the latest rerun is in Rory Gleeson serious trouble. “It’s beginning to look like the council has taken on more than it can handle”, added Alan investigated as well as other possible locations. They Dean. are pressing the council to do better at working with Cambridgeshire to sort out the right solution and to The public consultation planned for November was avoid overloading the A120. scrapped at the last minute. A plan is now unlikely to emerge until mid 2017. “The Conservatives running Uttlesford are in danger of messing up the Local Plan for a second time”, said The Liberal Democrats are unhappy that the Great Cllr Lizzy Parr. “The Liberal Democrats will do all they Chesterford option seems not to have been can to avoid another plan disaster.” Liberal Democrats Surge to By-election Victory

Another amazing by-election result for the of Richmond Park after she Three reasons to get Liberal Democrats has seen Sarah Olney overturned a huge 23,000 vote involved NOW! majority to win. elected to 2Only the Liberal Parliament, Liberal Democrat support is now Democrats are sending a sending a growing across the country as they clear message to the thumping message show they are now the only party Government on Brexit. to the Conservative standing up against hard brexit and 2We’re also fighting to Government. for a properly funded NHS. make sure the NHS has Many traditional Conservative and Sarah will be the Labour voters are now switching to the cash it needs! Local Lib Dems Alan Dean, new MP for the back the Liberal Democrats 2If you don’t fight for Melvin Caton and Geoffrey Sell former Conser- because of their clear, positive what you believe in who helped the party win in Richmond vative strong hold message on Brexit and the NHS. else will? School Transport Chaos Tory Police Sell-Offs Buses were late and overcrowded child. plan a further 50% and Cuts at the start of the secondary school increase in the annual fare to £975 Stansted’s Police Station, closed in 2011, year in September. Some children per child next September. was up for sale last month for £450.000. were even left stranded at the start After a flood of complaints from Now the Police Station at , and end of the day – and all parents, Lib Dem councillors and is on the market for £1million. because Conservative controlled lobbying by the Uttlesford CAB, Essex CC made major Police numbers in Uttlesford including Essex made some changes to the school Police Community Support Officers minor alterations. bus service which were (PCSOs) have been slashed. There are badly planned and Melvin Caton, Liberal now only 2 PCSOs in Uttlesford. poorly communicated Democrat campaigner Melvin Caton, Elsenham and Henham’s in order to cut the for Stansted, Newport , Liberal Democrat candidate for Essex public transport budget Elsenham, Henham county council elections next May, said by £500k.. and the villages, said “The recently elected Tory Police and “One of the results of Other impacts were Crime Commissioner says in his new the County Council’s Melvin Caton talks to a Henham Crime Plan that his first priority is “local, n Children were told mother about problems caused poorly thought through visible and accessible policing”. to use services that by school bus changes. decision has been to couldn’t get them to increase traffic around He won’t achieve that by flogging off our school on time. our schools at peak times. Parents Police Stations and cutting officer now drive their children to school to numbers.” n The bus to the faith school in avoid paying the increased fares. I Bishop’s Stortford was withdrawn Councillor Lizzy Parr added “Without more think the changes penalise parents overnight. visible policing in Uttlesford, our tradition of with children in the middle of their policing by consent will be undermined. We At the same time the annual cost of secondary school careers, who are don’t want our police to only turn up after the school bus for local parents understandably reluctant to move crime has happened. Preventing crime and rocketed from £350 to £648 per schools.” anti social behaviour matters as well”.

local Councillor was barred from represent their electorate, like voting voting on the council’s budget – but on level of council tax, then it is Councillor in the the ban was covered up. reasonable that this fact is open to public scrutiny. In this case it was not.” dock over £2.5k Local Liberal Democrats have asked why the Council and the public were The Conservative councillor for tax arrears not told about this at the time – Stansted South and Birchanger, Thom Herts & Essex Observer Councillors were left to find out about Goddard, was barred from voting on – 24th November it in Private Eye magazine in Uttlesford’s budget last February November. because he had failed to make two Serious questions are being asked in Melvin Caton said: “The rule is that if consecutive payments of council tax Uttlesford after it was revealed that a an individual councillor is unable to amounting to nearly £2,500.

Let us know your views or Name...... Your Lib Dem Team any problems in your area Email...... Melvin Caton ( 01279 813914 Address...... [email protected] ...... Cllr Lizzy Parr Postcode...... ( 07746 231843 We need your help to campaign for our area [email protected] q I can deliver leaflets in my street/area q I can put up a poster at election time David Morson q I’d like to join the local Liberal Democrats ( 01279 850209 q I’d like to donate £ towards the cost of Focus [email protected] If you return the form the Liberal Democrats and their elected representatives may use the information you’ve given to contact you. By providing your data to us, you are consenting to us making contact with you in the Please return to Liberal Democrats future by mail, email, telephone, text, website and apps, even though you may be registered with the Telephone Preference Service. You can always opt out of communications at any time by contacting us or 7 Blythwood Gardens visiting www.libdems.org.uk/optout. For more information go to www.libdems.org.uk/privacy. 01279 813914 Stansted CM24 8HG