FOUR Essex councillors have joined Reform UK, leaving one council with no overall control. Two councillors from Maldon District Council and two others from Uttlesford District Council have crossed the floor to the newly formed political party reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

Geoff Bagnall and Mark Coletta, who represent Takeley on Uttlesford District Council, have left the Residents for Uttlesford party and joined Reform UK.

Matthew Neall, who represents the Tillingham, on Maldon District Council, and Adrian Fluker, who is a councillor for Southminster, have also joined the party. The two councillors were previously members of the Residents Alliance group.

Councillor Bagnall said Reform UK “best represents” his views and that of the local community, while Councillor Coletta hopes “to deliver the improvements that Takeley deserves.”

It means Residents for Uttlesford no longer has overall control over the council. The political make-up of the council is now, Residents for Uttlesford, 19 Conservatives, 11 Liberal Democrats, four Independents two and Reform UK three. It comes after longstanding Saffron Walden Castle councillor Heather Asker joined Reform UK after leaving Residents for Uttlesford last March.

Councillor Neall said: “Too many decisions are made without listening to residents — I want to help bring power back to our community.” Councillor Fluker aims to “deliver better improvements and results for the local people of Maldon.”

Maldon Council is run by Conservatives and Maldon District Independent Group who are in joint administration. The political make-up is Conservatives 10, Lib Dems seven, Independents five, Maldon District Independents five, Reform two, Labour one, and Party of Women one.

Petrina Lees, leader of Uttlesford Council, said the Residents for Uttlesford party is “a party of hard work.” She added: “Resident For Uttlesford remains in political control and has been given a good value for money report by our auditors.

“The accounts have been signed on time, and we have agreed a balanced budget on sound finances with a band D council tax of only £3.60 a week. We will continue to work with other councils across Essex to get the best for all our residents from the imposed local government reorganisation.”

She insisted officers created “an evidenced based plan, even where it means putting houses into Residents for Uttlesford wards” when it comes to plans for 14,000 homes.