Crewe Town Council notes with interest and disappointment a press release issued last Friday stating that Nantwich Town Council have taken possession of the Crewe Town Lights. Crewe Town Council has repeatedly contacted Nantwich Town Council over recent months asking them about this matter and they have not had the courtesy to respond.
Crewe Town Council did ask for the lights to be taken down after Christmas 2013, but were never told of plans to make the lights available anywhere other than in Crewe, and so the lights then went into store at Pymms Lane. Cheshire East Council and indeed Nantwich Town and Borough Councillor, Cllr David Marren confirmed that there had been no instruction from Crewe Town to dispose of the lights. Crewe Town Council now wishes to know who, at Cheshire East Council offered the lights to Nantwich, as well as who at Nantwich Town Council was responsible for receiving them, and why?
Had these lights been surplus to requirement then best practice would normally be to have offered them to all the Towns and Parishes. The statement from Nantwich Town Council comes at a time when Crewe Town Council is seeing relations improve with Cheshire East, as the two authorities have been trying to work more closely together in a collegiate way. A request will be made by Crewe Town Council to see the communications between Cheshire East Council and Cllr Marren that covers the decision-making on this matter.
Crewe Town Council looked at its plans for Christmas 2014 in January this year and concluded it would utilise the Crewe lights, and have previously stated that some of the lights were bought by the Crewe Charter Trustees, but the fundamental point is for the ‘Crewe Lights’ to be available for deployment in Crewe this year and beyond; also noting that Nantwich Town Council already had its own lights in 2013. Crewe Town Council remains optimistic that Cheshire East Council will make available Crewe’s lights for deployment in CREWE; amidst hopes of good relations continuing between the two authorities.
Cllr Hickson Leader of Crewe Town Council said ‘We plan to invest in the lights over the next few years, but we need a core of illuminations to provide the base for improvement’
‘We believe that as a senior borough councillor Cllr Marren has used his advantageous position to benefit the town council, of which he is deputy leader, and intentionally or otherwise has put the local authorities of which he is a member in a very difficult position. Now that they are fully aware I have no doubt they will see sense and ensure the Crewe lights are available for deployment in Crewe’.
‘I will continue to work with Members of Cheshire East Council to ensure this happens in the same spirit of cooperation that we have been seeing recently, without the need to stoop to issuing the kind of inaccurate release we have seen from Cllr Marren, perhaps a period of reflective silence on his part is advisable in order that he can reflect on his respective positions.’
