Playing field deal hitch?

At Monday night's Audlem Parish Council meeting, a letter from Cheshire East Council was read out saying that the council was now considering letting the playing field, car park etc in Audlem to the Parish Council on a 30-year lease.

Devolving the complex to Audlem Parish Council has been under discussion for nearly four years yet this is the first time, we understand, that a lease arrangement has been raised rather than devolving the asset from one level of government to another.

This news clearly came as a surprise to members of the Parish Council and most Councillors responded by saying that they would probably not want to go ahead on that basis as it would create issues with future grants from various bodies.

Cheshire East leader and local councillor Rachel Bailey responded to questions raised by councillors at the meeting and said that devolving assets was taken on a case by case basis and that while she was aware that this approach of possibly leasing assets was policy, she had not been aware that this was being proposed for Audlem's playing field complex.

AudlemOnline has since asked Cheshire East what the situation is and a spokesman has responded saying: "A legal negotiation between the two councils is taking place and officers from Cheshire East are meeting with the parish council in order to resolve the situation."

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