Standing room only at Parish meeting

Over sixty people turned out for the annual Parish Meeting on Monday, 11th May, including newly elected and outgoing parish councillors.

Cllr Mike Williamson, who has been Chairman of Alderley Edge Parish Council for the past year and a parish councillor for 20 years, delivered the following speech.

"The number one priority for the Parish Council this year has been to progress the Medical Centre development on the Festival Hall site, by completing the negotiations with NHSE and the Doctors to agree a lease. In addition a lot of work has been done on drawing up the Building Contract with Emerson, to deliver the Medical Centre before the end of March next year.

"Those documents are now ready and it will fall to the new Parish Council to sign them, something which needs to be done promptly so as not to delay the contractors. Once those documents have been signed, the Parish Council may submit its application to the Public Works Loan Board, with CEC sponsorship.

"I am pleased to report that construction has started, piling is ongoing, the steel has been ordered and the skeleton of the structure will be erected over the next weeks. The project is on target for completion as planned in March 2016.

Negotiations are on-going for an agreement to have a pharmacy in the building and other parties have expressed an interest in space on the second floor.

"The one black spot has been the behaviour of the companies responsible for the two mobile telephone masts in moving or vacating the site; they have caused considerable cost and delay. The matter has now been resolved, but it did cause some worry. We were warned at the beginning of the project that this would be a difficult nut to crack and so it has proved. Costs still need to be recovered from Arqiva and Vodafone, but the priority for now has been to get on with the project. I am sure the Parish Council will return to this issue later.

"The Festival Hall Manager has completed work with our architect and Emersons regarding the refurbishment of the Hall. Certain elements have received planning permission and work is on-going to cost those, with a target date of completion by October this year. It had been our intention to submit new, revised planning applications to provide a better entrance and additional parking, because this was seen to be necessary if the refurbishment of the Hall was to produce a degree of financial independence and to reduce or eliminate the support from the Council Tax precept. It will be for the new Council to decide how to proceed.

"Parking in Alderley Edge has been high on our agenda. I am not going to rehash old arguments. There has been some, slow progress. The Parish Council agreed with CEC a series of remedial actions within the village. Some of those have been completed, such as on Congleton and Linton Roads. Further work is in hand but there is more to be done and CEC need to deliver what they have agreed to. There have been changes to the parking regimes on the Parade and South Street car parks, it is too early to tell how these changes will impact on the overall position. We have as a council tried to plan for additional long-stay parking within Alderley, to tackle the issue of all day parking in residential streets. The challenge to solve this problem remains.

"We completed negotiations on a multi-year contract to ensure provision of CCTV services by CEC. These cameras, monitored 24 hours a day, will help keep residents and shoppers safe and aid the Police in the execution of their duties. CEC had agreed to do some work trimming trees to improve camera sight lines; that work remains outstanding. Jim Newns, the PCSO in Alderley for a number of years, has moved on to a new job. I would like to thank him for all his hard work and for supporting the Parish Council. I wish Sarah, our new PCSO all the best in the future.

"The Parish Council accepted the kind donation of a Royal Charter, bestowing the rights to hold markets within Alderley Edge, gifted by the Lord of Alderley. James made that gift to benefit all the residents of the village, rather than one individual and I think that was an important gesture on his part.

"The Christmas Lights switch on was a great success in November, with a large crowd enjoying the festivities. The Parish Council was pleased to be able to support that event and looks forward to another great evening this year, weather permitting, of course.

"The lights themselves are coming to the end of their contracted life. The task of finding a way to maintain them, or funding replacements lies ahead.

"There have been improvements in Alderley Park, to the War Memorial and at the Village Cemetery, as the Parish Council has encouraged and sometimes pushed CEC to fulfil its duties in properly maintaining these public assets.

"I must express my sincere thanks to Anne Ross, our Clerk, for her work and contribution to the successful running of the Council. I believe the secret to a good Council is having a great Clerk, and Anne fulfils that role very well. I would also like to express my thanks to Ashley and his team for their work in managing the Festival Hall. When we refused to accept Macclesfield Borough Council's attempt to close the Hall, it was earning very little and costing a lot. Ashley has increased the income dramatically, congratulations.

"Finally I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to my fellow councillors for all their help and support this year."

Afterwards Mike Dudley-Jones of AlderleyEdgeFIRST, who was elected to the Parish Council last week, said "Ladies and gentleman I don't think an evening like this can be allowed to pass without all of us remembering the dedication and hard work that an enormous number of councillors have done over an enormous number of years. these are selfless times, these are where people stand up and they give their time selflessly without any reward.

"Some of us criticised and some of us were not comfortable but that's really not what it's all about. They do and decide what they think is best for this village and they have done that over a very long period of time. And I don't think with all the events that have gone on over the last month, two months or so, I don't think that is particularly important. We felt it was time for a change but that doesn't alter the fact we have a body of people here who have given freely of their time and worked extremely hard and I believe I represent a group of people that must take that baton from them, run with it as hard as we can and make sure we don't drop it.

"They have left us with projects that are huge and enormous and it is our job to ensure they are delivered as they sought to deliver them and we will as best we possibly can. We do have the skills to take over that baton from them and I hope over the next weeks and months we will demonstrate that to you.

"I would like personally to say a huge thank you to the Alderley Edge Parish Council for very many years of enormously hard work and selflessness. i can't say any more than that other than thank you ladies and gentleman."

Tags:

Alderley Edge Parish Council, Annual Parish Meeting