Alderley Edge Parish Council has agreed to replace a picnic bench which vandals destroyed last month.
Friends of the Park had the picnic bench installed in Alderley Edge Park, opposite the children's enclosed play area, in June last year.
Duncan Herald reported to the Parish Council that he had spoken with Cheshire East and given they did not pay for the picnic bench they are not going to replace it.
Cllr Herald explained "If it's to be replaced the Friends of the Park who paid for it won't do it because they no longer exist and they used what remaining funds they had to pay for it to be put in place. So it seems either it doesn't get replaced or the Parish Council leaps in to help out.
"If the latter I think it would have to be made of metal, all the other benches in the park, including the ones we've had replaced by CEC which were wood, are now metal so all the vandals can do is write their names and various useful suggestions about each other on it.
"If it is to be replaced with a metal bench set it would cost roundabout £800. It wouldn't cost much to fit it as the hardstanding is already there from the vandalised bench so it's really a question of do we want to leap."
Cllr Matthew Lloyd commented "I think it's quite important that we get the table replaced in the park as soon as we can as I don't think it looks good that vandals do things and they don't get replaced quickly."
Cllr Lloyd suggested that the Institute Trust may make a contribution so the Parish Council decided to purchase a replacement table and then approach the Alderley Edge Institute Trust for 50% of the funding.
The Parish Council also agreed to ask Cheshire East Council to replace a collapsed bench on Chorley Hall Lane.
Duncan Herald said "We are told by Diane (Smith from CEC) it is somewhere between 30 and 40 years old so we have had our value from it."
Sue Joseph added "It's evidently a very popular stopping off point with people who are wandering that way to have a little rest on their way to the village or back home again."
Mike Williamson commented "We should expect them (Cheshire East) to maintain them and replace them, so we should ask."
Comments
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My thanks to Duncan and fellow Parsh Councillors for its speedy replacement and long may this one prevail !!
If you should happen to see any more vandalism in the park, please call the police; remember, in these namby-pamby times, you are not allowed to shoot the vandals!