Neil and I welcome you to this month’s edition of District News and hope that the weather at the time of writing this will lead to a great summer for all.

Of course, a little rain would help the farmers now and again.

 

Uttlesford District Council

The council has, as of Friday 6th June, been given back its full planning powers after the government took them out of “designated” status in relation to the way they handle major planning applications.

They are in fact now well below the government threshold, which is reflective of the incredible hard work by everyone within the planning service over the last few years.

This means developers will no longer be able to submit major planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate and must once again go through the council's planning process.

 

Quote from the letter of de-designation from Matthew Pennycook MP  

Minister of State for Housing and Planning.  

 

“I would like to extend my gratitude to you and your team for your proactive

collaboration with my officials and for the progress achieved to date. I have reviewed the information provided in your letter of 24 March 2025. I am pleased to note that your authority has made significant progress in addressing the identified issues and has evidence of sustained improvement in performance. Based on the most recent quarter for which data on planning decisions is available, for the 24 months to the end of March 2024 and subsequent appeals decisions to 31 December 2024, 4.5% of your

authority’s major applications were overturned at appeal, which is below the 10% threshold. Therefore, I am satisfied that the de-designation criteria have been met”. 

 

Stansted Airport planning application

Description of the proposal

Airfield works comprising two new taxiway links to the existing runway (Rapid Access Taxiway and Rapid Exit Taxiway) to enable continued airfield operations of 274,000 aircraft movements and an increase in passenger throughput from 43 million terminal passengers to up to 51 million terminal passengers, in a twelve month calendar period has been submitted by Stansted Airport Limited, planning application number UTT/25/1542/FUL.

How to view details and comment on the application

Before a planning application is decided, you can give us your views on it. You can support, object to or make a general comment. The Planning department and committee will take your comments into account when make a decision on the application.

 

Comments, postal or email should be received no later than midnight on Monday 21 July 2025.

 

View and comment on:

https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/8357/Search-and-track-planning-applications

 

Letters issued to Uttlesford postal voters

At the time of writing letters are being sent to all registered postal voters in Uttlesford who need to renew their details to be able to continue to vote that way.

 

New rules introduced by the government mean postal voters need to renew their application to vote by post every three years. A deadline of 31 January 2026 is in place for anyone who applied to vote by post before 31 October 2023. Failure to update their details by the January expiry date means voters will have their postal vote option cancelled.

 

After initially contacting postal voters during the last couple of months by email (where possible), letters are now being sent by Uttlesford District Council's elections team to 7,000 postal voters who have yet respond or where no email address is held. The letter explains how to complete the process.

 

The quickest and easiest way to renew a postal vote application is online via www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.

 

As part of the changes introduced by the government, all postal vote applications must contain the applicant's name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and a clear image of their signature. Their identity will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions. If this check fails, the applicant must provide further evidence of their identity.

 

If anyone is unable to complete the application online, the form with the letter can be competed and returned. Uttlesford electors should contact the council if they require any assistance or wish to cancel their postal vote, by calling 01799 510510 or by emailing elections@uttlesford.gov.uk.

 

Community Achievement Award

You can now nominate someone for an award if they have made a difference in your local community.

The Uttlesford Community Achievement Award recognises and celebrates those people who have made a real difference to others in the local community.

 

Eligibility

To be nominated, the person must have:

Been mainly working as a volunteer (though they can have been paid for some of the work).

Worked primarily in the Uttlesford district with more than 5 years voluntary work experience.

The only exception is for anyone who is nominated in the youth initiatives category. They will not need to have 5 years voluntary work experience.

 

Categories

We have awards for people who have made an outstanding contribution in a number of different ways.

You can nominate someone for their service to:

Children and young people up to 18 years of age, the elderly,

people with assisted living needs (physical/sensory and learning).

 

The local community

Youth initiatives

Nominations for young people (aged 15-18) who have contributed significantly to their local community.

 

If you want to nominate a person for awards in different categories, you will need to complete a separate form for each nomination.

 

Who can apply

We are asking for nominations from:

 

Town and Parish councils

Council for Voluntary Services

Uttlesford Volunteer Centre

Secondary schools (for nominations in the youth initiatives category for young people aged 15-18)

 

If you are an individual or a representative of a group who want to nominate someone for an award, you will need to ask one of the eligible organisations about making the nomination on your behalf.

 

How to apply

You can nominate someone for the Community Achievement Award by using our online form.

https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/community-achievement-award

 

UDC Bin service update

Would you like the latest information on the UDC bin collection service?

 

Sign up to the UDC bin service email updates

Enter your email address for our keep me posted service and select Bin Collection Notifications from the list or options provided.

 

You can also subscribe to further newsletters of interest and opt out any time. 

 

Why could your bin have been missed?

Check the service update information for any disruptions to collection service.

Check the bin finder (opens new window) to make sure you had the correct bin out for collection on the right day.

Make sure that your bins and sacks were out at your collection point by 7:00am on your collection day.

Make sure your bins and sacks were out at the correct collection point. The collection point for bins is normally the front boundary of your property.

Check that if we didn't empty your green lidded recycling, food or garden bin, there wasn't anything contaminating the bin, see what can go in your bin.

Check the sack or bin is not too heavy to lift or tip.

Check that the contents of the bin are not frozen or compacted.

Ensure you are currently subscribed to the service if your garden waste bin has been missed.

If there were poor weather conditions or cars blocking access to your road, leave your bins or sacks out. Our collection crew will return as soon as they are able to access your road.

https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/keep-me-posted

 

 

Ward Surgeries

Normal Ward surgeries will take place on the first Tuesday of the month at Great Hallingbury Village Hall, between 2 – 4pm (01 July 2025).

Little Hallingbury Village Hall (18 July 2025), between 9 – 11 am with the Dukes Head PH, Hatfield Broad Oak between 2 – 4pm the same day.  

 

And the normal reminder, that should you need to contact us, you can email us on the following addresses.

cllrdriscoll@uttlesford.gov.uk or cllrreeve@uttlesford.gov.uk