Parish to disappear after over a century (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Parish to disappear after over a century

10:40am Friday 29th February 2008 in News

ASHCHURCH Parish Council will disappear after more than 100 years.

The council, which first met in 1894, will be disbanded in April.

Walton Cardiff Parish Council will also go. Three new councils; Northway, Ashchurch Rural and Wheatpieces will replace them.

At the moment Ashchurch and Northway form one parish and the Wheatpieces estate is part of Walton Cardiff parish.

From April, the built-up parts of Ashchurch will become the parish of Northway, with rural areas, including the 16 houses that form Walton Cardiff, keeping the name of Ashchurch. The Wheatpieces will become a parish in its own right.

Tewkesbury Borough Council will take charge of all three for a month until elections can be held for councillors.

Cait Cluclas, chairwoman of Walton Cardiff Parish Council said: "It is not going to mean much change for us.

"The people in Walton Cardiff village do feel that they have much in common with us and want to be part of a rural parish, which I can understand.

"We are mainly concerned with issues such as the local school, community centre and our play areas."

Cllr Mrs Joy Shillam, the chairwoman of Ashchurch Parish Council, said they were desperately disappointed and had been trying in vain to stop the changes.

They were first suggested over a year ago, when people living in the rural parts of Ashchurch petitioned the borough council, asking for their own parish council, because they did not identify with the more urban areas of Ashchurch.

One of the biggest problems the councils will face is their budgets, which have already been set for the forthcoming financial year.

These will now have to be divided between the new parishes.