Denis Kidd outlined the current proposal for the project. Two bids for lottery funding have been unsuccessful due to criteria outside the control of the committee. There is, however, a £250,000 grant from the Rural Delivery Fund which will be lost if action is not taken soon, and £25,000 from Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd because of local sand extraction. The Parish Council have promised £15,000, SACCA has raised £26,732 and there is £10,000 worth of pledges from residents. All this gives a total of £326,732. The current plan consists of a central hall to accommodate 70 people, plus 2 wings. One of these will contain a kitchen, toilets and storage facilities plus a meeting room. The other will have changing facilities which the football club have undertaken to equip from their own funds plus various grants and it will be available for use by others. This wing will also contain a dedicated room for the 69ers youth club which will attract funding of £30,000. By joining the project these two groups have unlocked money which will greatly improve the level of facilities. It would also allow for the demolition of 2 buildings in a very poor state of repair (this is included in the financial plan) and would improve the layout of the playing field. The committee are keen to get going on this project, which has been running for 10 years now, and delay is costly as they estimate that inflation adds £4,000 per month to the cost of the project. They are therefore suggesting that the parish council take out a loan from the Public Works Loan Board of £100,000 over 20 years with repayments of £7,500 per annum. This would be met by a rate on the parish precept amounting to £2.08 a year on a Band A property, rising to £6.24 for the highest band. Those present at the meeting indicated their overwhelming support for this.

The Village Hall Committee would like to thank Handley's Newsagents for holding their Easter Raffle which raised £125 for the Village Hall Fund. They hope the winners enjoyed their Easter egg or bunny.

PARISH PLANS

Bron Kerrigan from Cheshire Community Council came to introduce the idea of a Parish Plan which, according to the accompanying leaflet, is "a critical but constructive survey of a community by the people who live and work in that community that results in the development of a community voice which is then used to create a shared vision for the future and an action plan for turning that vision into reality." The key word here seems to be community. This project is not run by the parish council, although it should involve a few councillors for coordination. It would require a lot of work by volunteers as the process of setting it up requires thorough preparation and consultation, collaboration with other organisations and the creation of a detailed action plan. The benefits are considerable, however. It would unlock sources of money which are not available by other means. Bron gave examples of projects achieved by other villages, a large number of which already have plans - in fact one is starting on a second project. They include reducing speed limits, creating a safe footpath on a hazardous stretch of road, funding a youth co-ordinator, running support courses on such issues such as parenting, debt counselling, drug awareness, and building a village hall! Bron stressed that a community's biggest resource is its people and this is an opportunity to tap their skills and resources.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Phil Addison gave a presentation to explain the importance of affordable housing in a community and dispel some common misconceptions about it. Such housing can help maintain a balanced community by allowing young families, single or retired people to come to the village. This in turn may provide workers in key areas e.g. teaching or care work and may also help keep local schools and post offices open. He assured us that affordable does not mean poor quality. There are strict rules about who can take up this property, starting with people who live or work in the village, then those from adjoining parishes. Although it is possible to buy a share in the house no-one can buy it outright and it will always remain affordable housing. While it is possible for green belt land to be used for this type of housing it very rarely happens. Usually they acquire empty properties, use brownfield sites, or buy land from large property owners such as British Rail. When asked if they buy property on the commercial market Phil replied that they could not afford to.

PARISH ASSEMBLY

Chairman Pat Chrimes started the meeting by acknowledging the work of various people. Pete Smith, who retired last year, has been presented with a map and a paper weight to acknowledge his 37 years of work for the village. She thanked Julie Chrimes for her valuable work as clerk to the council, the team of largely unseen workers who turn up regularly to tidy up the station, also a small band of litter pickers. Howard Hampson was commended for the great job he does on the village website, and likewise the two ladies who produce the Round Tower! Thanks were also given to Paul Welsh and Adam Norton. She reminded us of the tireless work Ken Nixon has put in to make the Weaverham Road Playing Field and new car park a reality, a major achievement this year. Sadly people are still parking irresponsibly round the Weaverham Road/Norley Road crossroads rather than use the new car park. County Councillor Andrew Needham reminded us that the new unitary authorities will become reality next year and although it is not a popular change we now have to make it work. Parish councils are likely to have an enhanced roll in the new system but will not get an enhanced budget for it. He warned us of roadworks on the A49 later in the year, told us that a Bio Energy Plant has been approved for a site at Lostock, and explained that the reason for the proposed re-routing of footpath 16 is that it is to be part of the "Delamere Loop" which will be a route round mid Cheshire for horseriders. Vale Royal Borough Councillor David Parkes-Smith warned us that there will be pressure from the government for more housing and there is a danger that sites such as the Nestle factory, which should be used to provide jobs, may be used for housing. He said that there would be more money spent on policing. There were reports on the year's activities of some of the many groups in the village and then questions from the floor. One resident was disappointed that the allotment plan had been unsuccessful. It was suggested that should a developer want to build in the village, we could ask for a piece of land to be made available for allotments.

REPORTING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE

• VIOLIN Sophie Rosa has proved her exceptional talent as a violinist by winning the Multi-District section of the Lions International Music Competition. This section covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and was held at the Birmingham Conservatoire on April 12th. She can now go on to compete in the European final which will be held over 3 days in Cannes in October. Sophie is sponsored by Vale Royal Lions and many people willhave heard her play, along with her sister Jessica, at concerts by the Rosa Quartet.

• HOCKEY Cheshire U15 Hockey Squad has become National County Champion and has a very strong village contingent. Martyn Lear is the captain, Tom Hill and Josh Guy are also members. The squad became Northern Counties Champion without losing any matches or conceding any goals. The team manager, Martyn's dad Andy, praised the lads' outstanding level of commitment. He said they had been a joy to manage and had received many compliments on their skill, teamwork and fair play over the weekend of the tournament.

CUDDINGTON TENNIS CLUB

Cuddington & Sandiway Tennis Club season has got off to a good start, despite some challenging weather conditions! The club has made a significant investment in its playing facilities over the last 12 months and subscription includes free use of floodlights, supervised junior clubnight and social and competitive play for all. Coaching is available for adults and juniors of all standards. Sessions are available for beginners, players who feel they’re 'a bit rusty,’ improvers and players who want to develop their technique or tactical play. New coach Gary Ward has proved very popular and additional groups are being set up due to the high demand for places.

For further information visit the website by clicking here. or contact Linda Smith: 01606 882081 or Gary Ward: 0845 2246483

MEMORIES OF YESTERYEAR.

The railway workers cottages now modern dwellings

We have again been contacted by former resident Ken Alley who has some wonderful memories of times spent by the roaring fire in the Porters' Room at Cuddington station. He liked to watch the signalman pulling the levers but was always told, "Don't touch the levers lad, they're all polished." On Sunday mornings he used to accompany his grandad and his dog as they "walked the length" to Whitegate station, knocking in any wooden blocks that had come loose. {If this practice was still followed today it could have saved many lives.} Ken also remembers farmers driving sheep through the village from pens at the station to the various farms. {Probably a good thing that one died out with the traffic problems we have now.}

He is hoping to find some photographs of old Cuddington to show to his 13 year old daughter and to remind him of his youth. He is particularly interested in Noden's shop, the old Co-op, Langley's shop, the old Post Office opposite the White Barn, the Little School in Sandiway prior to 1943, and Railway cottages where he was born in 1939. If anyone has photos that he could get copies of please let us know and we will put you in touch.

THE TRAIN ABOUT TO DEPART……

On Sunday May 4th a steam train will shuttle between Altrincham and Chester. On Saturday May 10th there is an excursion to Bristol and Minehead. There are still tickets for both of these. Details can be found by clicking here. or by phoning 01606 888093. A new timetable will commence on May 18th and from then until July 12th most of our Saturday trains to Manchester will run 3 minutes earlier than at present.

A steam special approaching Cuddington station

THE KIDZSING CHOIR CONCERT

The Kidzsing Chior was enthusiastically received by a packed audience in St John's Church Hall. The songs and instrumental solos were very enjoyable and it was good to see all ages up on their feet and joining in! The WI choir, led by Jill Tappin, added their touch of Africa with Nigerian songs taught by Nyore, a Careforce worker spending a year with St John's Church. It was a truly memorable evening. The children of the choir are aged between 14 and 17 and come from Johannesburg. All have lost at least one parent to Aids. They are being supported during their stay by Dave and Liz Pass, missionaries with keen musical interests, and the family of the Gospel Church.