Chatbox

Further to a question about this gentleman, I looked into the registers we hold here and date from 1874. Thomas Platt Bennion is recorded , in beautiful copper plate writing, as having been buried here in 1888 in grave number
293, to the left of the first path in the oldest area of the grounds
I hope this helps the enquiry.

Try here : https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/hire-a-wheelchair

We have been renting a wheelchair to get to & fro Leighton Hospital. It's now unavailable so any pointers to the source of a wheelchair loan/hire for Wednesday 12th & Tuesday 18th would be most appreciated. Based at Overwater Marina. Thanks in advance.

Hello Audlem

re Thomas Platt Bennion 1815-1885, Gentleman Farmer of Audlem

The above named person died 10 August 1885 at "Green Bank" Audlem. Any idea where this is, or was?

Hi there

Found an iPhone on the benches next to the co-op I've left it with the ladies behind the tills, it has a phone case on it and the screen saver was of a black mountain bike. Hopefully it'll be reunited with its owner soon.

Rachele 😊

One of our group dropped his glasses on the path between Coxbank and Audlem around lunchtime today. If you find them please call Peter on 07403573573. Many thanks!

We had some takeaway pizza last night from Piccola's in the village I can put into words just how good and reasonably priced they were. Absolutely recommend people try best pizza we have had in a long long time

A Big THANK YOU from ADCA to Audlem Saints for donating surplus Easter eggs from their Saturday Easter training session to our Thursday Club
It proves Easter eggs are enjoyed by young and old
Also many thanks to the CO-OP for providing all the eggs at a discounted price
HAPPY EASTER to all
ADCA/ASFC/CO-OP

Please be aware coole lane is NOT closed over the Easter weekend!

How sad to have the lord combermere empty but also to hear linden stores is closing. We must support these local businesses otherwise we could face losing the heart of the village. I do worry for the future of Audlems traders. We're so lucky to have a range of beautiful shops such as Williams's and Brambles to name a few

Greg Ashton's observations are quite logical, and this is the kind of argument that causd me some concern from the beginning. However, though I don't literally wear belt and braces, in view of the recent history in the affairs of the parish council and how things can go awry before anyone is aware and before it can be corrected "throughthe ballot box", I would still tend to vote for the FIT proposal despite logical arguments to the contrary.

12.30 06/06. Coole Lane closed Overwater Marina just after Hollins Lane. No access to Marina from the south.

There have been misinformed and incorrect posts on ChatBox regarding FIT and car parking. The correct situation is that we can use the whole of the field for parking for any events for the benefit of the village, provided we don't close more than 25% of the field for more than 21 consecutive days. A highly unlikely situation.
Part of the field on which a proposed car park would be has been excluded from the FIT Deed – so we are able to provide a a green car park when we are able to do so.
Perhaps if you wish to comment on the FIT proposal you would be good enough to check the facts first.
Finally I would remind you if you wish to vote on the FIT registration the closing date for votes is next Tuesday 11th April.

As I Understand it the status quo is that we the residents are paying for the Turnpike Field facility and ownership resides with the Parish Council who can ultimately dictate its use. If a future council proposes any use with which we disagree we can lobby them directly and if necessary remove them through the ballot box.

It may be difficult today to envisage changes of use we might want to support in the future, but one example highlighted by Jean in an earlier post might be if we wanted to temporarily use a larger area of the field than is specified in the FIT deed for car parking to support a village event. If we agree to a deed of protection with FIT then we cannot make any changes without their consent. The section on ''Flexible Protection'' below is pasted from the FIT website and gives an insight into what might be involved in obtaining that consent.

To me the benefits of adding an extra layer of unelected governance are far from obvious!

Flexible protection
We do recognise that circumstances can change, however, and for this reason the Deed does have a certain level of flexibility built into it. In general, changes to the space which are ancillary to its use – i.e. supporting the primary activities taking place – are usually fine and do not require our consent. Anything which is not ancillary to a space's use, such as buildings, commercial leases and changes of use, can be permissible but generally require our consent. A landowner can seek this consent by making an application through our Field Change Request procedure, with any such applications being considered by our experienced Planning and Policy Committee of Trustees.

In rare cases a landowner may wish to remove a piece of land from protection. This can be possible, through a Field Change Request application, but in general we will require a new space, which is of equal or better quality than the existing protected space and which serves the same community, to be protected in return.

Try Huw Protheroe, lives in the village. Done excellent work for us. 07931 526157

For anyone who is undecided could I suggest you read the posts from Peter Morgan and Geraint Davies? They both give commanding reasons to agree the proposal. Given Peter's exposition it does seem to me (as a relatively new villager) to be a "no brainer"!

Hi,
Try Graeme Mould
07971 805696

Can anyone recommend a local carpenter who could make a replacement window for a summer house?

Thanks

Jackie Thompson

A day or two ago, on reading the pamphlet regarding the future of Turnpike Field, my first reaction as always, in gratitude to the councillors who do such a good job, was to support the proposal. However one or two submissions on Chatbox (though they were expressd a little more aggresively than I woud have wished) did raise a question or two in my mind and gave me pause for thought.

However, thanks to Peter Morgan's lucid reply, these nagging doubts are completely answered – the cost is minimal; that the situation is not set in stone and can be altered at any time should more than half the population wish it; but the future of the field is safeguarded if any rogue cabal on the council in the future seek to follow their own agenda.

It seems clear to me now that there's no question that this proposal should be accepted.

I see the point of keeping Green Spaces but it is the limitations that it will put on the area for future generations who may well have different ideas to ours. What happens in the future should the village want a more modern and better place for the scouts, a youth club or a bigger gym etc' but where could it be put – Turnpike Field. Agh we own it but limitations on the use of it are such that it can't be done.
There was great divide in the village in buying it, why make a bigger divide as the ones making the decisions now won't be around then unless one of us comes up with 'Live for ever Pill'.

Is this a get out clause for the car park ?.

Bit like Stoke on Trent Council Highways who say they only maintain the roads not the ground beneath. Looks like Green Lane lights are here for ever. Had my final say -Tomorrow is a New Day

Emergency Closure. Did it ever open?

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone to create a wildlife garden pond?

Thank you Peter for erxplaining why FIT is important. The comments re councillors is vert apt and not only has Audlem suffered but too many other Parish councils have been found wanting. Also Peter's planting will really enhance the field in years to come. We may be surprised at how quickly they make an impact. We planted several trees at Fields farm in the late '80s now large specimens , several have had to be felled to prevent6 over crowding and the two red oaks at the bottom of the drive are now a real colourful sight in the Autumn
Chris

Well said Peter Morgan (although we have never forgiven you for your anti French PC rants- rainbow warrior. ) the only way of saving the asset in perpetuity is FIT. We have a knee jerk reaction from people who have not looked at the facts and have a misconceived idea that we are sitting on the Audlem jewels ! Also a failure to realise that with future LG reform the PC could be wiped out and assets end up with Cheshire East or equivalent.

To answer and hopefully assuage some of the recent comments and fears regarding costs, tree planting and protection from development concerning the Turnpike field, I can provide the following.
In addition to the small plantation that was planted last year and of which, some miraculously survived the drought, I have recently planted a number of small cuttings of Golden Willow into the Soggy Bottom land adjacent to the stream and also into the bog by the boardwalk. If most of these take and survive the depredations of all creatures great and small, they will, within ten years Impatient, provide a colourful contrast to the abundant Alder and willows already on site. To see the finished product, so to speak, take a look at the two Golden Willows planted by ADAS 30 years ago by Salford Bridge. This is the source of the whips I have planted. In addition, I have also planted a three year old Field Maple and some self-seeded (into my garden) bird cherry plus two native wild cherry. Also the five hazel whips kindly donated via Buy/Sell. All these species are designed to provide an important food source for birds and insects of many types and enhance the attraction of the area, but it will not happen overnight. Last week I had the pleasure of walking through some small woods that I planted ten years ago on the farm but I doubt that I will still be around to experience the same joy with the Turnpike planting ten years from now. But I do hope that many readers or children of, will experience that joy for themselves. It is vital to look to the future which is why Fields in Trust is so important to the future of our community. We know only too well how susceptible and vulnerable our Parish Council can be with our resources, witness the appalling recent events still to be reconciled. And yet, given an opportunity to protect this precious asset by putting it in trust, some immediately rebel against it. Really!
Research online will tell you in a couple of minutes that FiTrust are an open space charity of almost a century's standing that makes NO charge other than the £80 fee to the Land Registry to note the change from Audlem pc to FiT thus securing it from any rogue element on a future parish council.
Turning to the top end of the field, it is the green car park requirement that prevents its inclusion with FiT whose sole objective is to protect green open spaces that are not car parks. Abandon the car park and it can all be safeguarded with FiT But if you want the car park, it cannot be included, those are the rules!
Finally, the FiT allows for flexibility if more than half of the parish wish to do something different with the field at some future date, which to my mind, is a whole lot safer than leaving its fate in the hands of twelve parish councillors, or as at present eight and recently, even less. Get my drift? Vote for Fields in Trust, the parish are still the owners but its future is much more secure.