Dear Sir

The MP for Crewe and Nantwich has drawn attention on Facebook to the proposed abolition of the Leighton parish and he has rightly requested residents to take part in the consultation.

He stated that the proposal is to merge Leighton with Crewe Town Council. It is not a merger.

It is a full blown takeover by the town council. Leighton would have just two councillors out of 22 on the Town Council. I am curious why he is not asking my constituents (and his) in Woolstanwood to respond to the consultation as well? They will be just as badly impacted. In fact more so, because the Woolstanwood residents won't be able to elect a councillor solely to represent them on the town council. And just like Leighton, they will have to pay a whopping, eye watering 380 per cent increase (Band D) in their parish (town) council tax. In the three parish polls on June 10 this year carried out by Cheshire East Council residents voted by massive majorities against the changes proposed. In Leighton, 98 per cent voted against abolition. In Woolstanwood 97 per cent voted against abolition. In Minshull Vernon, 68 per cent voted against merger with Church Minshull Parish Council. Despite this, the borough council is now consulting yet again. The residents of Leighton, Woolstanwood and Minshull Vernon have resoundingly rejected the abolition of their parish council, in three polls. I am now asking residents to continue to fight for their parish council to survive, by responding to the consultation by the 28/11/21. Residents need to tell Cheshire East that the abolition of the parish council has virtually no local support. Residents need to tell the council again, because when it comes to democracy, they seem to have a deaf ear. Yours faithfully,

Cllr. Brian Silvester