Another Open Letter

Last week, after AudlemOnline published Ralph Warburton's Open Letter, we invited other contributions from anyone interested in the issue of taking over the playing field, car park etc.

Ex-parish councillor and ex-chair of the Parish Council Bill Consterdine has responded and we are pleased to publish his views, just as we will happily publish other contributions on this important issue. Please email editor@audlem.org if you wish to have your say.

Bill Consterdine's Open Letter

Almost three years ago, Audlem Parish Council was first offered the opportunity to take over the playing field, car park, tennis courts and children's playground by Cheshire East Council.

Since then they have dithered, procrastinated and put off a decision and could have let such a golden opportunity pass. During that time, charges for use of the playing field have been introduced, threatening many of Audlem's great events like the Party on the Park, the Transport Festival, the Carnival and Bonfire & Fireworks.

Cheshire East has also marked out the car park but, vitally, not to the pattern we wanted in Audlem. The result is that the number of spaces is not as high as we wanted, something that would have been avoided if the village had ownership of this vital asset.

Similarly, the football field has not been maintained by Cheshire East with bare ground in front of the goals and poor goalposts making it amongst the worst pitches in the League, despite Audlem FC having to pay the council almost £400 a year. The team was also prevented from using the pitch in August. With those pre-season matches, Audlem FC may have been top of the League now rather than bottom!

But now, we are told that Cheshire East has confirmed they are happy to transfer these facilities to the village. This a fabulous opportunity for the village and a vital decision for the Parish Council. Even in the worst cost scenario, the cost per household for owning these assets for ever is minimal. Perhaps 25p a week at worst and probably much less. But that is why the Parish Council receives what's called the Precept from taxes paid to Cheshire East – to pay for facilities that help the community.

In contrast, in recent years, the Parish Council has been piling unspent money in the bank because it has few or no projects. I understand that £15,000 has even been put aside and ring-fenced for this very project meaning money to cover any costs for the first two or three years is already in the bank.

Equally, if we have all the new houses that it looks like we will have to have, the taxes paid by those new houses will cover most of the costs of running the playing field and car park. We can also raise money voluntarily by installing honesty boxes so that anyone who wishes, such as visitors, can make a contribution. It is vital that we keep a 'charges free' car park, something that cannot be guaranteed if it is run by Cheshire East as most car parks in the borough have charges.

We have shown by our take over of the public toilets that we can raise money using honesty boxes to help defray costs. And we have proved beyond any doubt that running the toilets ourselves is much better. Cheshire East closed the toilets and they were a disgrace before that. Now they are beautifully renovated, cleaned every day to a very high standard, they have won a Gold Award in the national Loo of the Year awards and we are praised by all for the quality of the toilets when all over the country councils are closing them down.

Three weeks ago, three officials from Cheshire East were shown around the car park and playing field. They asked to see the toilets, and the tennis courts which were taken over as leaseholders from Crewe & Nantwich Council thirty years ago by our local tennis club. The officials could not believe their eyes at the quality of the courts and the toilets and admitted the council could never keep them as well.

Local volunteers in Audlem make virtually everything happen. Even if the Parish Council does not want the responsibility of running the playing field etc themselves, ADAS and others are happy to do so on their behalf. And we know on past experience they will do it extremely well. 

The village can even set up a charitable trust which, legally, will help to keep many of the possible costs to a minimum and help attract grants in the future. For example, I understand that in the past week it has been established that simply designating the car park as managed by Audlem Public Hall, the United Utilities drainage bill will be reduced from a possible £3,000 to just £100 a year.

If we let this chance of a lifetime slip, it is probable that we will never have an opportunity like this again to be in control of our destiny, to run things locally and make them better for all to use and enjoy, for ever.

Audlem is full of organisations, clubs and societies that are extremely successful and the envy of other communities. New ones, such as ADCA have been a brilliant success, running services for the elderly so much better than before, others such as ASET, ADAS and the Festival make Audlem the vibrant community it is.

The Parish Council has to match these brilliant organisations by making things happen, not stop them. When Audlem won those national awards a decade ago, Audlem Parish Council was praised as a caring and providing council by Calor and Defra. They are meant to be an enabling parish council, using the money they receive in taxes to help make things happen. 

Surely councillors do not want people to believe that things happen in Audlem despite the Parish Council, a view I have been hearing all too often in the past two or three years when negativity and putting off decisions seems to have become the order of the day.

I do hope many people will come to the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting on Thursday evening and let the Parish Council know what you think. And I really do hope the Parish Council will do the right thing and vote to take on these assets. We, as a community, will make it work. We always do. 

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