Uttlesford Council is being urged by its new Liberal Democrat power group to accept a radical four-year plan to counter "the external forces" seeking to undermine the district's quality of life.

The majority group's Quality of Life Vision aims to change what the council does, improve the way it does it, and "sort out" the council's "slightly shaky" finances.

Council leader, Alan Dean, said: "The key to success is modernising the way the council works. The trend of recent Audit Commission reports criticising the council for lacking a coherent, strategic approach, and falling short of conveying a proper understanding of the area had to be reversed. We want to transform Uttlesford into a modern, small, but high performing rural district council."

High on the list are proposals to publicise Uttlesford's countryside and and boost tourism.

"Uttlesford's countryside and villages have so much to offer, but extra airport runways and government plans for new towns could so easily destroy it.

"Uttlesford will be put on the national tourism map, and become known as a part of the country unacceptable to destroy," he said

A corporate training programme aimed to turn performance round by January 2006, is to start this autumn.

Uttlesford would introduce a "green leisure" policy. A network of safe cycle routes and quiet lanes would be drawn up. Village appraisals would be encouraged

The council would continue to oppose the imposition of more runways and excessive use of the current runway at Stansted Airport and would work closely with Stop Stansted Expansion.

It will be making a case to Government on why Stansted is the wrong location for even one more runway

The plan is being considered at a council meeting this week. The priorities will form the basis for a State of the District debate next month.

Published Thursday, June 12, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo