Draft Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting
held on Thursday 7th May 2026 at 7.00pm at St Michael’s Church
Present : Councillor Huw Williams, Chairman
Councillor Georgina Bailey, Vice Chairman
Councillor Jacqui Lea
Councillor Alastair Bayley
Councillor Brian Evans
Councillor Jon Burwood
Coucillor Mark Bullock
Cheshire East Ward Councillor Lesley Smetham
Brenda Lomas – Clerk
Approximately 25 residents of the village were in attendance
- Welcome by the Chairman
Huw Williams welcomed everyone to the meeting. Wine, soft drinks and cheese were provided by the Parish Council for the Parish Meeting. - Presentation by Mr Steve Purdham (Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Business Advisory Board) – on Cheshire and Warrington Devolution.
Mr Steve Purdham advised that in order to attract funding from Central Government – then Cheshire and Warrington needed its own Mayor to represent the area (similar to the successes achieved in Manchester and Liverpool who each had Mayors). The election for a Mayor for Cheshire & Warrington will take place in May 2027 and Mr Purdham hoped that the most influential person would take on this important role. Additional funding would result in improvements in many areas but in particular to housing, businesses, jobs and training opportunities. - Presentation by Mr Mark Bullock on an update to the Daintry Hall improvement work on behalf of the Daintry Hall Management Committee (following the granting of planning permission in December 2024.) Mr Mark Bullock advised that the first phase of the development was to construct a wooden pavilion in the grounds of Daintry Hall. A number of conditions had been attached to the planning approval which Mr Tony Hayes had worked hard to get discharged and this had recently been achieved. The project was now at the stage that a number of builders had been approached for quotes for the construction works. Whilst some funds were left to the village by Mrs Jean Morton – much more finance is required to complete the whole development project and Mr Huw Williams is actively pursuing grant funding. Questions were asked as regards how much the pavilion will cost to construct. At present quotes have ranged from 100K to 200K but it is hoped to keep costs as low as possible by residents undertaking as much of the work as possible themselves.
- Presentation of the Chairman’s Annual Report for 2025/2026
Councillor Huw Williams presented the Chairmans’ report which included all the work and social functions that had been undertaken by the Parish Council over the past twelve months. He advised that the Parish Council intended to hold one village social event each year for the benefit of the residents. The Railway Fete held in June 2025 in celebration of 200 years of the railway had been a very successful village social event. The event included a village picnic, period costume competition, trains sounding their horns as they passed over the railway arches, a brass band playing, duck races on the River Dane and the attendance of traction engines. This year – it was planned to hold an inaugural well dressing event on the afternoon of Sunday 30th August with a Ceilidh band in the evening in Daintry Hall.
In other work, the Parish Council have ongoing communications with CE Council Highways Department to address traffic highway issues and road drainage problems. The Parish Council maintains the two defibrillators in the village, and made and displayed additional poppies for remembrance day. It is hoped to increase the number of poppies each year and knitted poppies are currently being made by a small team of knitters. Huw advised that, as part of its duties, the PC are obligated to report planning contravention issues in the village to CE Council’s Planning Enforcement Department and to make comment on any new planning applications in the village. The Parish Council are involved with a number of adjoining Parish Councils as part of a liaison group. These are useful meetings in which to share information – including a recent involvement with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust to promote wildlife corridors between adjoining parishes. The proposal for Peak Cluster – a pipeline which is designed to take carbon dioxide emissions from Derbyshire / Staffordshire concrete plants to the North Sea and which will go through North Rode – has resulted in formal consultations with Peak Cluster and the Planning Inspectorate. The proposal is also being discussed with other affected Parish Councils.
Cllr Williams concluded by advising that any resident of the village was welcome to attend Parish Council Meetings. At present, the Parish Council has a full quorum of seven Councillors but there will be an election in 2027 and Huw asked residents to consider becoming a Councillor in the future.
- Public Participation – Questions and Answers session
Residents asked a number of questions in relation to traffic concerns on Bank Lane / Church Lane and also on the plans for Daintry Hall. Responses were provided.
The Annual Parish Meeting closed at 8.00pm