Playing Field Takeover by Audlem PC

Audlem Parish Council would like to clarify the current position of the transfer of the Playing Field complex from Cheshire East.

The Car Park

The Parish Council was originally pressed to include the car park in the transfer. However, greater investigation when due diligence was carried out showed that the cost of maintaining the car park would place a considerable financial requirement on Audlem's Council Tax payers. Other risks in terms of safety and liability were also identified. Only a 30 year lease was offered, with no guarantees of renewal.
Therefore the Parish Council resolved not to take over the running of the car park.

The Playing Field

The Parish Council confirmed its intention to take over the running of the playing field, the children's play area and the wooded area between the playing field and the Shroppie Fly car park at its meeting on 7th November 2016. This was reported on AudlemOnline on 8th November 2016.

The process to effect the transfer is still with Cheshire East's Legal Team. Once it has been completed and the transfer made, the Parish Council will enter a 99-year lease with Cheshire East and Fields in Trust. This will ensure that this important community area of green space will be protected from any threat of development in the future.

Editors' comments:
This story has been ongoing since 2014 and as far as we can see has no firm end date in spite of a mandate from a public meeting to move ahead expeditiously.Our readers may wish to follow the story as it unfolded;

You can also follow the process in the Parish Council meeting minutes which can be found here.

It is to be hoped that the Parish Council can now implement the democratic vote taken at the extraordinary public meeting.

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