Luke Henley Re-Elected as Chairman and his Annual Report 2025

Luke Henley Re-Elected as Chairman and his Annual Report 2025

Christleton Parish Council Chairman’s Report 2025

Introduction

In 2024-2025 the Parish Council made good progress on a number of fronts, but there are a number of thunderclouds on the future horizon.

Membership

There were no changes to the membership of the Parish Council during the year. While I continued as Chairman, due to illness I was out of action for some months, and my thanks go to my Deputy Councillor Beckitt and to Councillor Ranger for chairing in my absence.

Staff

There were no staff changes. Mrs Christine Davies and Ms Gill Brown settled into and developed their roles as Parish Clerk and Village Assistant respectively. Mrs Davies successfully oversaw a transition to online banking and a new accounting system, and Ms Brown took on the task of monitoring the grids in the village for blockages and reporting problems to the Highways Department.

Mrs Davies was temporarily away due to surgery and our former clerk, Mrs Susan Thwaite, was kind enough to deputise for Mrs Davies until she was able to resume her duties, for which we are all grateful.

Council in 2024-2025

Things ran smoothly. The Open Morning took place at the end of April, and attendance appeared to be higher than it was last year.

Unfortunately, our CWAC Ward Member, Councillor Stuart Parker, suffered ill-health and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Achievements

The Neighbourhood Plan Team continue to work tirelessly on their task. A new external consultant has been appointed, and drafting is in progress. All being well, the plan should be formally adopted next year.

The team behind the proposed development at Manor Farm have not updated the Parish Council during the last year. We did receive a request from them to give a presentation to us, which we agreed to in principle, but our offer has, so far, not been taken up.

Building at the Beechmoor nursery site, now named Wyldewoods, has continued. The first phase is apparently ready for occupation and the first residents have moved in, but work is still going on elsewhere on the site. The work for which permission was given for the Christleton Hall site is essentially complete, but the Parish Council was unhappy that permission has been given for further residential development in place of the originally planned office building and is concerned by the destruction of the interior of the walled garden.

There is little progress in relation to traffic and air quality, though not for want of trying on the part of the Parish Council and, particularly, Councillor Beckitt. The Highways Department had its budget cut in the financial year that has just ended, and it has been very difficult to persuade them to get work done. A sinkhole opened up outside the primary school and was eventually repaired. Storm Darragh brought down a number of trees on or adjacent to roads, and the damage caused is slowly being made good.

Though not the Parish Council’s doing, at long, long last Openreach and Virgin Media are finally installing full-fibre broadband to most of the village.

The Boughton Heath allotments continue to be successful.

There are two pieces of very good news.

First, the project to replace and extend the Play Area at King George’s Fields has secured funding and work has now started.

Second, the Public Rights of Way decision came down in favour of our application. The landowner has been seeking a change while threatening that he will appeal, though at the time of writing this I am not aware of the up-to-date situation.

Ongoing Matters

Website
Councillor Foxhall has been improving the website, and it contains more details about many of the matters I have reported on here, and I would therefore recommend it to anyone who wishes to know more.

The Pit
The Pit Group continue to amaze by their sheer dedication and excellence.

Thanks and Acknowledgments
I would like to thank and acknowledge the contributions of:

My fellow Councillors, for working hard for no reward, as always, and especially Councillor Foxhall for organising our communications, providing invaluable support to the Neighbourhood Plan and overhauling the website and keeping it up to date. Cheshire West and Chester Councillor Stuart Parker for his unfailing support; and our indefatigable Parish Clerk, Christine Davies, and Village Assistant, Gill Brown.

Luke Henley
Chairman
6 May 2025