12 Mar 2025 – Council Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 12th March 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

Chair: P. Watson
Councillors: B Simpson S Pennington M Cameron
N Catlow T Williams A Morley
H Cooksey C Lynas S Parish
N Cotter

Also present: K. Carter, Clerk
4 members of public

1. To receive apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies had been received from Cllrs Muqeem, L Hussain, M Hussain and Wren.

2. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 12th February 2025.
The minutes had been circulated prior to the meeting and were approved as an accurate
record.

PARISH/2025/29: To approve minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 12th February 2025
as a true and accurate record.

3. To receive any declarations of interest.
There were no declarations.

4. Community Policing: to receive the PCSO report for February 2025
The report had been received and circulated prior to the meeting. It was commented that the
surgeries are very poorly attended (2 people over 5 separate meetings) and a question asked
about whether this is therefore a beneficial use of the PCSO’s time. It was agreed that this
should be raised at the next Police Liaison meeting and attendances monitored.

PARISH/2025/30: To request attendances by members of the public at PCSO surgeries are
monitored and the meetings reviewed for effectiveness.

5. Finance Committee: to be informed of the meeting held on 4.3.25
5.1 to receive the draft minutes of the meeting.
Noted. The term of the loan from PWLB was queried. It was explained that it was a £300,000
loan for the renovation of Tim Parry Community Centre taken out over a 15year term and it
has another 7 years to run.

5.2 to be informed of decisions under delegated authority and consider
recommendations for approval
Estimates had been obtained for the tree management at Brentnall Boat Park had been
obtained to inform the decision on whether the council could afford to take on the responsibility
for the park. These were queried as they were incomplete. It was explained that the estimates
were for a 6-man team which would be £2,000 per day but it had been impossible to assess
whether more than 1-day would be needed as the area is currently inaccessible making an
accurate assessment and quote impossible.

PC/2025/9 9.4.25
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 12th March 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

The recommendations were approved as follows:

PARISH/2025/31: That GSPC is unable to increase its financial contribution to the Pump
Track on Dakota Park due to budgetary constraints.

PARISH/2025/32: That GSPC cannot take on the financial responsibility for Brentnall Boat
Park and that Your Housing are reminded of their obligations for the park.

6. Community Projects Committee: to receive a verbal report on the meeting
The meeting was mainly focused on Sankey Summer Fun Day (8th June 2025). The committee
agreed to run the fairground for an hour from 11am-12noon for those with Special Educational
Needs when there will be fewer people and the music for the rides can be kept to a minimum.
There will be a need to pre-register which will be communicated to residents nearer the time.
The committee also agreed to apply a small charge for the rides, rather than using the token
system, to be operated by the fairground operator. All proceeds will be distributed between 3
local charities: Jump, which supports children with life-limiting conditions and creates special
memories for their families and friends; Peace and Mind, which campaigns to get mindfulness
training into schools and advocates for mental health awareness, equality and inclusion for
young people; Papyrus, which aims to prevent young suicide and promotes positive mental
health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

The need for Councillors to volunteer their time on the day was emphasized and will be
followed up with an email from the Clerk after the meeting. The committee will be engaging
additional security staff to assist with crowd management, leaving the volunteers free to
manage the set-up, activities, performances and dog show.

The final item of business was the Heritage Project, which has been on hold whilst the Fun
Day was organised. The Committee will now move forwards with the project and will work with
Culture Warrington to create information boards from the extensive research carried out on the
history of the area.

7. To consider planning applications received by the Council and decide if any objections
are to be raised.
Noted with no comments on the applications. A query was raised about the process for
commenting on applications where the consultation end date occurs before the Parish Council
meeting. There is a statutory period of 21days for comments on applications which can mean
that the consultation period occurs between meetings for the Parish Council. It was explained
that the only way around this would be for the council to set up a Planning Committee to meet
every 3 weeks and be given delegated authority to comment on behalf of the council. There
was no proposal for the council to do this at this time.

8. To consider correspondence received by the Council and decide if any action is
required.
No comments.

PC/2025/10 9.4.25
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 12th March 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

9. To receive verbal reports from Parish Councillors and from Borough Councillors on
items of note within the Parish.
Cllr Cameron informed members that the mini roundabout on Barrow Hall Lane will be
changing to a T-junction. The work has been delayed from September 2024 but should
hopefully be taking place this month.

Cllr Watson reported that there would be a by-election for the Borough Ward of Great Sankey
North and Whittle Hall as Cllr Henshaw is stepping down. Notices will be posted accordingly
once received.

Cllr Catlow reported that he, along with Cllrs Cotter and Pennington, had volunteered to
manage the community café at Tim Parry the previous weekend. The weather had been good
bringing in a lot of customers. As there are not many volunteers at the moment, cover is also
needed on a few weekends in March; Cllr Simpson will help on 15th, Cllr Catlow on 23rd and
Cllr Pennington on 30th.

Part 2

PARISH/2025/33: Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act
1960 it is resolved that the public and press leave the meeting during consideration of the
following item due to the commercial nature of the business relating to lease negotiations.

10. Sankey Station: to be notified of queries from GSPC forwarded to the CIC relating to
lease negotiations and any replies received.
It was confirmed that the table of queries raised by councillors had been sent to Sankey
Station CIC for consideration. The CIC is working through these and will update the council
after their meeting on 2nd April.

PC/2025/11 9.4.25