Uttlesford District Council has a vacancy on its standards committee following the decision by Cllr Alan Dean to resign.

Cllr Dean, member for Stansted North and leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, announced his resignation following a full meeting of the council on December 8.

At the meeting Conservative, Green and Liberal Democrat groups submitted a motion asking councillors to agree to uphold the council’s own Code of Conduct.

It went on to ask any members who cannot do so to "resign from their post in the administration, and to provide clarity over the current governance shortcomings which are preventing the council’s independent auditors from signing off the accounts."

Cllr Dean said he resigned because of what he described as the decision by the Residents 4 Uttlesford (R4U) administration to refuse to sign up to the standards pledge.

A spokesman for R4U described the actions of the opposition parties as a "political stunt."