Guest, Sign inJoin
Parish Church of St MaryParish Church of St Mary · Photo: Steven Duhig · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall & politics · Uttlesford District Council

Residents for Uttlesford holds a majority on Uttlesford District Council

High Easter is run by Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council, with High Easter parish council for local matters. Residents for Uttlesford has a majority on Uttlesford District Council. The Conservatives have a majority on Essex County Council. Its MP is Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Conservative), member for North West Essex.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,274

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,274
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
1
1 ward · Uttlesford
MP
Mrs Kemi Badenoch
Conservative · North West Essex
Turnout, July 2024
68%
North West Essex · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How High Easter’s politics has changed since 2021

A majority on Uttlesford District Council

Residents for Uttlesford holds a majority on Uttlesford District Council: 22 of its 39 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 12, the Liberal Democrats 3 and independents 2. Who’s in charge ↓

Essex in 2021

Essex County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, has a Conservative majority at the May 2021 election: the Conservatives won 52 of 75 seats. Essex ↓

Council tax

A Band D bill in High Easter is £2,274 for 2026–27; Uttlesford District Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 49% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓

Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.

Who’s in charge

Who holds the seats on High Easter’s councils

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 20 of Uttlesford’s 39 or 38 of Essex’s 75 seats to run the council alone.

District council · 39 councillorsUttlesford District CouncilResidents for Uttlesford majority
Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordResidents for Uttlesford39seats
  • Residents for Uttlesford22
  • Conservative12
  • Liberal Democrat3
  • Independent2

Latest election: May 2023.

County council · 75 councillors · High Easter elects 1Essex County CouncilConservative majority
GreenLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeCanvey Island Independent PartyCanvey Island Independent PartyResidents for UttlesfordResidents for UttlesfordRochford District Residents75seats
  • Conservative52
  • Liberal Democrat8
  • Labour5
  • Independent4
  • Canvey Island Independent Party2
  • Residents for Uttlesford2
  • Green1
  • Rochford District Residents1

Latest election: May 2021.

GreenLabourLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeOther parties

Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.

Who runs High Easter

Two tiers of council, and a parish tier

High Easter has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.

Town or parish councilHigh Easter parish council

Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.

100% of High Easter’s residents · Band D precept £77

District councilUttlesford District Council

Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.

Website ↗
County councilEssex County Council

Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.

Website ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingUttlesford District Council
Planning applicationsUttlesford District Council
Council housing and homelessnessUttlesford District Council
Council tax billsUttlesford District Council
Parks and leisure centresUttlesford District Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesHigh Easter parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsEssex County Council
Schools and school placesEssex County Council
Adult and children’s social careEssex County Council
LibrariesEssex County Council
Tips and recycling centresEssex County Council
Police priorities and budgetEssex Police police and crime commissioner
Fire safety visitsEssex PCC-Fire

From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.

Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.

Who represents High Easter

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for High Easter, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    High Easter parish council
  2. 2
    Uttlesford District Council1 ward · 1 councillor
    Susan Barker
  3. 3
    Essex County Council1 division · 1 councillor
    Susan Barker
  4. 4
    Police and crime commissionerEssex Police · elected May 2024
    Roger Charles Hirst
  5. 5
    House of CommonsNorth West Essex
Conservative

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.

Councillors

1 councillor for 1 ward

Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.

High Easter & the Rodings
720 residents · 29% in High Easter
  • Susan BarkerConservative · May 2023
Conservative
Show as a table, with Essex County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
WardSeatsElectedWhen
High Easter & the Rodings29% in High Easter · 720 residents1 seat · May 20231
Susan Barker
May 2023

Essex County Council: county divisions

DivisionSeatsElectedWhen
Dunmow ED4% in High Easter · 720 residents1 seat · May 20211
Susan Barker
May 2021

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Uttlesford District Council’s website lists who sits now.

Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).

Local elections

Uttlesford council election, May 2023

Results in the wards that make up High Easter, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in High Easter’s wards1 seat · 4 May 2023
Conservative1

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for High Easter’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
High Easter & the Rodings4 May 2023
Susan Barker ElectedConservative70.0%
Margaret Ann ShawGreen16.8%
Faridah Mohamed GullamLabour13.2%

684 votes for candidates

LabourConservativeGreen

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

High Easter is in North West Essex constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond High Easter).

North West Essex · general election4 July 2024
Kemi Badenoch ElectedConservative35.6%
Issy WaiteLabour30.8%
Grant StClair-ArmstrongReform UK14.1%
Smita RajeshLiberal Democrat11.1%
Edward GildeaGreen5.2%
Andrew GreenIndependent1.6%
Erik BoninoIndependent1.3%
Niko OmilanaIndependent0.3%

54,386 votes for candidates · majority 2,610

MP for North West Essex

Mrs Kemi Badenoch

Conservative, MP since 8 June 2017.

68%

turnout in July 2024: 54,386 votes from 79,698 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 2,610 of 54,386 votes (4.8%): the 92nd-narrowest of 543 in England.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreenIndependent

MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.

Council money

High Easter’s Band D council tax is £2,274 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in High Easter
High Easter parish councilparish precept£77.18
Uttlesford District Councildistrict council£187.46
Essex County Councilcounty council£1,641.96
Essex Policepolice and crime£275.31
Essex PCC-Firefire and rescue£92.52
A year£2,274.43
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

Uttlesford District Council keeps £187.46 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to the High Easter parish council, Essex County Council, the Essex Police and the Essex PCC-Fire.

Band D since 1993

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K1995200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52Uttlesford, 1993–94: £528.75Uttlesford, 1994–95: £547.88Uttlesford, 1995–96: £560.25Uttlesford, 1996–97: £591.81Uttlesford, 1997–98: £639.30Uttlesford, 1998–99: £734.45Uttlesford, 1999–00: £783.12Uttlesford, 2000–01: £841.22Uttlesford, 2001–02: £900.85Uttlesford, 2002–03: £984.63Uttlesford, 2003–04: £1,138.58Uttlesford, 2004–05: £1,206.14Uttlesford, 2005–06: £1,250.00Uttlesford, 2006–07: £1,309.99Uttlesford, 2007–08: £1,363.48Uttlesford, 2008–09: £1,422.51Uttlesford, 2009–10: £1,458.86Uttlesford, 2010–11: £1,494.88Uttlesford, 2011–12: £1,495.85Uttlesford, 2012–13: £1,505.42Uttlesford, 2013–14: £1,513.69Uttlesford, 2014–15: £1,513.87Uttlesford, 2015–16: £1,513.25Uttlesford, 2016–17: £1,568.96Uttlesford, 2017–18: £1,614.64Uttlesford, 2018–19: £1,695.49Uttlesford, 2019–20: £1,778.96Uttlesford, 2020–21: £1,847.67Uttlesford, 2021–22: £1,884.72Uttlesford, 2022–23: £1,965.60Uttlesford, 2023–24: £2,044.67Uttlesford, 2024–25: £2,148.96Uttlesford, 2025–26: £2,237.45Uttlesford, 2026–27: £2,333.82Uttlesford £2,334England £2,392

Uttlesford’s Band D bill has risen 49% in ten years, from £1,568.96 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £528.75 in 1993–94.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,516
Band B 7/9£1,769
Band C 8/9£2,022
Band D 9/9£2,274
Band E 11/9£2,780
Band F 13/9£3,285
Band G 15/9£3,791
Band H 18/9£4,549

A Band D home in High Easter, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Essex’s councils

Tendring£2,270
Epping Forest£2,277
Braintree£2,280
Colchester£2,283
Harlow£2,299
Chelmsford£2,300
Castle Point£2,319
Basildon£2,327
Maldon£2,328
Uttlesford£2,334
Rochford£2,363

Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included; the 11 nearest of 14. Bars start at £2,100.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceUttlesford + Essexvs England
Adult social care£487±£0
Children’s social care£187−£103
Roads and transport£49+£8
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£24−£37
Bins, street cleaning, environment£153+£34
Libraries, leisure, culture£42−£2
Planning and development£31+£5
Public health£64−£14
Running the council£82+£23
Other£0−£19
High Easter’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Essex
Uttlesford + EssexHigh Easter’s councilsEssexEngland
Adult social care£487£473£487
Children’s social care£187£217£290
Roads and transport£49£51£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£24£45£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£153£127£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£42£47£44
Planning and development£31£19£26
Public health£64£67£78
Running the council£82£69£59
Other£0£4£19
Total, schools apart£1,119£1,118£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Uttlesford per its residents plus Essex per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Essex and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.

Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.

Get involved

Having a say in how High Easter is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

uttlesford.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

uttlesford.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how High Easter is run

Which council runs High Easter?

High Easter is run by Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.

Does High Easter have a town council?

Yes: High Easter has its own parish-tier council (High Easter parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £77 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for High Easter?

Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Conservative) is the MP for North West Essex, which covers High Easter.

How many councillors does High Easter have?

1 ward councillors represent High Easter’s 1 ward, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.

When are the next elections in High Easter?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for High Easter’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in High Easter?

Band D council tax in High Easter is £2,274 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls Uttlesford District Council?

Residents for Uttlesford has a majority: 22 of 39 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.

Who controls Essex County Council?

The Conservatives have a majority: 52 of 75 seats as elected.

Who won the 2023 council election in High Easter?

In High Easter’s wards on 4 May 2023, Conservative 1 of the 1 seats up. The Conservatives had the largest share of votes, 70%.

Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.