Uttlesford District Council

• website: www.uttlesford.gov.uk/
• e-mail: postroom@uttlesford.gov.uk
• Tel: 01799 510 510
• Fax: 01799 510550
• Council Offices, London Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4ER

Uttlesford is in the northwest corner of Essex. The District has borders with the Boroughs/Districts of Braintree, Chelmsford, East Hertfordshire, Epping Forest, North Hertfordshire and South Cambridgeshire. It is a rich agricultural area, with timber framed thatched buildings and historic cottages yet it lies 10 miles south of Cambridge and half an hour's drive from London on the M11. The District contains the largest number of listed buildings in the County of Essex and has many historic events and traditions.

It is the largest geographical district in the county, covering 63,752 hectares. It has the second lowest population at approximately 70,000. There are 56 Parishes and four main towns in the district: Saffron Walden with 14,700 residents; Great Dunmow with 6,300 residents; Stansted Mountfitchet with 5,600 residents; and Thaxted with 2,600 residents

The remaining population resides in some 100 villages and hamlets throughout the district. In a survey commissioned by the Sunday Times in September 2002, Uttlesford was described as offering the best quality of life in England and Wales.

The Airport is the District's biggest employer and there are thriving industrial estates, particularly in Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow, as well as a Biotechnology Science Park at Chesterford. Many working residents commute to London or Cambridge and nearby towns; many also work at Stansted Airport.