Pickmere News

PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT FENCE AND GATES AT PICKMERE LAKE AND CONSEQUENT PARISH POLL

The following statement sets out the facts in relation to the Parish Council’s proposal to erect a fence at the IROS, by Pickmere Lake.

Two corrections are required to the flyer recently issued by objectors to the fence:

  • The quoted cost of the fence was in fact £6813; the Council reclaims VAT.
  • The Parish Council does not believe that the fence would “stop all seasonal visitors from coming to Pickmere or make them start to park legally, etc”.  The Council believes that if the fence is erected and closed as described below, it will lead to a reduction in the number of visitors to Pickmere in summer.  Responsibility for policing parking problems in the village rests with Cheshire Police and Cheshire East Council and the Parish Council has no control over that.

PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT FENCE AND GATES AT PICKMERE LAKE AND
CONSEQUENT PARISH POLL
The Parish Council would like as many residents of Pickmere as possible to vote in the poll
to be held on 21st February at Pickmere Village Hall between 4.00 pm and 9.00 pm. To help
residents, the following facts are provided about the fence proposal and the Poll.
FENCE PROPOSAL
The aim of the fence was to attempt to reduce the numbers of visitors to Pickmere on warm
days in summer, along with all the problems that that causes, by closing the IROS on a regular
basis. The Parish Council cannot prevent parking on village roads and footpaths – it has to
rely on Cheshire East Council and the Police to help deal with that aspect – and has tried its
best to maintain continued liaison with those bodies to ask them to help deal with these
problems.
The fence would comprise a typical rural stock-proof fence with several large gates
incorporated, located around the Parish Council’s IROS land. For most of the year the gates
would be left open. The current intention is to close the land at weekends including bank
holidays during the forthcoming summer so that visitors receive the consistent information
that the land is unavailable, and would hopefully then find alternative places to go (however
even if the fence / gates were closed, the public footpath would remain open). The Council
would review the success of its policy after a period of operation.
This is the only power that the Parish Council has which might influence the number of visitors
who arrive in the village in summer and the amount of anti-social on-street parking that
results.
THE PARISH POLL
The Parish Council agreed to run the poll in the wish to avoid the Council, and thereby
Pickmere residents, having to pay for a similar but more formal Poll which would have been
run by Cheshire East Council, as was initially requested by some residents of the village in the
recent Parish Meeting. That Poll would have been likely to cost villagers upward of £1500
through the Parish Council precept.
Only registered electors of Pickmere Parish will be eligible to vote in the Poll (on production
of valid ID), since it is those people who suffer from the problems mentioned and, through
the Parish Council, pay for the continued maintenance of the land.

 

8 Feb 2023 Council Statement in advance of Parish Poll