Meeting discusses Weaver Valley projects

Audlem Parish Council and the Parish Plan were represented at a meeting this morning to hear about plans for the Weaver Valley Regional Park and the Weaver Way. Held at Crewe Alex's ground, the meeting, hosted by the Mersey Basin Campaign, was attended by delegates from across Cheshire.

Mike Cooksley of the Weaver Valley Park explained how Cheshire was concentrating its tourism development on three key projects – making Chester Zoo a world class attraction; the renaissance of Chester as a tourist destination and the Weaver Valley Park.

He explained how tourism currently earns the county £1billion a year. The plan is to double that by 2015. Audlem is, of course, the southern gateway to the Weaver Valley Park and the Weaver Way, the long-distance footpath that will extend from the village to the banks of the Mersey. Another speaker, John Gittins of the Cheshire Landscape Trust, explained to the audience how he had fought to have the Park extended southwards from its original boundary to include Audlem. This followed pressure from Audlem Online and local newspapers eighteen months ago.

Village representatives now plan to meet up with Isabelle Gascoigne of the Mersey Basin Campaign, who is looking after projects in the Upper Weaver Valley, and representatives of the Weaver Valley Project to discuss how a number of tourism and environmental ideas in Audlem can be taken forward.

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