May Parish Council Updates

The Tattenhall & District Annual Parish Meeting preceded the Annual (First) Parish Council Meeting on 14 May. Accepting that this was a very lengthy evening of meetings, the following might be of interest to our readers.

• At the Annual Parish Meeting, the Chairman presented his Report making specific mention of a variety of issues. The resignation of Jean Dutton (former Clerk to the PC) and the longevity of her 33 years of service was given specific praise and acknowledgement. Other areas which received comment included the appointment of a new Parish Councillor, the successful rejection of the 3 planning appeals, (albeit that a warm welcome was extended to all newcomers), future housing stock requirements, the possible extension to the boundary near Grackle Croft, the lack of open space within the village and the removal of almost 2 hectares of land with the erection of the school boundary fence, the success of the new play area development and the very positive community and business fundraising events and activities throughout the year which had raised upward of £25,000. The Chairman also extended his thanks to his PC colleagues for their valued support.
• The Village Cup was presented to Bob Blackhurst for his services to the Community, most notably as a School Governor, as a Parish Councillor and as a Friend of St Alban's. In his vote of thanks, Bob made specific reference to St Alban's Church and the fabric of this cherished nucleus within our village, reminding all that this architectural gem requires ongoing support.

In the Public Participation/Forum sections of both meetings, the following issues were raised ...

• It was requested that the School be approached for an update regarding the out of hours community use of the school playing field; mindful that the summer holidays are fast approaching. It was felt that this was perfectly reasonable since the public consultation took place on 24 July 2017 (ie nearly 10 months ago) and in the documents on the School Website it continues to state that 'the school will continue to liaise with the Parish Council, CWaC, and the community to try to facilitate this'.
• The new School/Community Room was also raised and that clarification be sought regarding future access and management.
• The inherent dangers of the open culvert/drainage ditch on Tattenhall Road were again raised (as we reported in our February PC Update), and it was agreed that this would again be reported using the online facility.
• Matthew Morris, Estate Manager at Bolesworth, reported on a very positive meeting which had taken place with members of Reaseheath College, Andrew Hull (TWiG) and a number of tenant farmers regarding Phase II of the Natural Flood Management scheme for the Mill Brook i.e. to adjust and mitigate flood risk within the village. He also mentioned the need to reconnect residents with their agriculture neighbours/farming community since there is a need to reinforce Country Code Practices.
• It was requested that in future, all items raised within the Public Forum be listed in the Minutes so that an accurate and transparent record is kept.
• It was further requested that the PC Noticeboard within the village also display the monthly planning submissions to provide general interest for those who did not seek or wish to visit the websites/portals.
• Confusion regarding road signage was again raised in the area of Harding Avenue/Park Avenue etc and Cllr Weaver reported on the updates in relation to this.
• Police matters were reported by PCSO Rachael McKevitt in which she confirmed that speeding had been a focus during the last weeks and particularly at Milton Green on the A41. Other possible areas of speeding were raised and it was agreed that a presence would also be considered e.g. on Burwardsley Road at the national speed limit/30mph sign where cars are frequently accelerating out of the village or speeding into the village. She also confirmed that Operation Shield had now been launched and that she would provide updates for Tattenhall Online so that residents were aware when their roads are being targeted. Flytipping was also raised and there was a further comment regarding the possibility of installing a mirror on the blind section of Bolesworth Road with Rocky Lane.

General

• Much of the Annual (First) Parish Council Meeting was then devoted to appointments for 2018-19/document and policy reviews/data protection etc.
• The draft Minutes in relation to this will be published on the Tattenhall Parish Council Website in due course.
• The new Clerk was introduced i.e. Ann Wright and it was acknowledged that Ann comes with a wealth of previous experience at both Council and Ward levels.