Parish Council December Update

The last meeting of 2017 saw the Parish Council addressing loose ends relating to hedges, dog fouling bins, assessing long term options and associate precept considerations relating to the Millennium Mile Posts, and discussion of current outline and full planning applications and appeals etc.

There was a Report from the Maintenance Working Group relating to the new fencing to be erected around Glebe Meadow which was unanimously supported as was the requirement to include some of those monies into the precept. Similarly, the Report from the Community Land Trust confirmed that the process is 'gathering momentum' and that the most recent meeting in London had been productive and beneficial. It was also confirmed that the Parish Council will act to receive and hold the monies on behalf of the Community Land Trust thereby fulfilling all the legal requirements.

The Parish Council will be advertising in relation to the Grass and Hedgecutting Contract for 2018, thereby allowing applicants to forward plan. Watch this space and we will publish that vacancy in due course.

There was general agreement that the Centenary Remembrance Service to be held in November 2018 will require greater organisation with the ever increasing number of wreaths which are now laid at the Memorial. In terms of community attendance, this November's Remembrance at the War Memorial was unprecedented.

Praise was also extended to a number of individuals in the preparation of the very successful Lantern Parade and the quite spectacular effort involved in 'dressing the High Street' for Christmas.

Our Community Police Offier reported that there had been 73 incidents which was an increasing trend. There had been 2/3 recent burglaries, individuals touting for business in the local area and an increase in drug related activities in some parts of the village. The message is obvious – ensure that everyone is vigilant with darker evenings and poor weather but that we also report any incidents.

As you would expect, the most controversial issues continue to relate to the School Fence, the inadequacy of any reasonable compromise and a Report by our Community Police Officer in relation to most recent 'incidents'. One such incident involved a male who had seemingly approached the builders; a possible outcome of which related to individuals potentially chaining themselves to the railings. The rallying cry of the Suffragettes immediately came to mind i.e. 'Deeds not Words'. It would be fair to say that our PC did not see the amusement in such an analogy albeit that this member of the Webteam is not familiar with any militant Tattenhall Suffragettes that received national or even provincial press coverage.

Most seriously, however, was the discussion that related to the Redacted Minutes of the School Governing Body which (through Freedom of Information) are now in the Public Domain and which contain information that substantiates that the school had no intention of 'compromise' even though some governors requested this. It is also reported in those Redacted Minutes of the Governing Body ' ...that the Community needs to accept that this is an excellent school and does not need the Community to make decisions for it ...'.

We repeat what we have stated before. Few individuals reject safeguarding. What is rejected by many in our community, however, is the requirement to fence 1.73 hectares of public open/amenity space to create that 'secure' safeguarded area. In so doing, the school appears to have demonstrated limited empathy and its ability to 'secure the site in a sympathetic way which causes the least impact for all' will be judged by many to have fallen short.