A Village Council for Willaston

Village and town councils are the backbone of local democracy, serving over 35 million people with dedication and purpose.

As the first tier of local government, a village council would work tirelessly to meet residents needs, represent our voices, and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Willaston. A village council would ensure that local voices are heard on critical issues, from planning and development to health and safety.

Positioned at the heart of our community, a village council will be a democratic, accountable, and transparent grassroots body that is uniquely equipped to engage directly with residents, revitalise Willaston and foster environmental, and social prosperity.

A village council for Willaston would be dedicated to supporting the community and making impactful decisions that benefit everyone.

This petition is the first, non-binding step on the journey towards adoption of a village council for Willaston.

Once enough signatures have been gathered, CWAC will commence a Community Governance Review to determine whether a village council is suitable for Willaston.

Benefit to Willaston

Vibrant, dynamic, and effective village councils help communities build strength and resilience and improve residents’ quality of life.

Key benefits include:

• Democratically accountable and transparent, a village council will ensure residents view are properly represented and will provide the necessary influence on important local issues.
• A ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ to protect Willaston from aggressive or unsuitable development of green-belt and conservation areas. Willaston Matters has already started work to put a new Neighbourhood Plan in place.
• Reinvestment of funding costs back into Willaston. If a monthly precept is required, those funds return to the village, directly benefiting all residents in the form of improvements provided in Willaston.
• Access to multiple funding channels, keeping costs to residents as low as possible. These include direct access to government funding, UK and EU grants, accepting donations and receiving funds from other charitable organisations seeking to disperse funds for the benefit of the village.
• Support for existing community groups. A village council would be able to bid for funding from the local authority and lobby on behalf of community groups. A village council would also be able to disperse funds to local societies in the form of grants.
• Legal remit providing the necessary influence to address environmental issues, ensure the upkeep of infrastructure and contribute towards costs of traffic management measures.

Willaston

For the purposes of a village council, Willaston Matters propose that the geographical area of Willaston continues to be defined according to the generally accepted boundaries used historically by our predecessor, the Willaston Residents & Countryside Society.

For details of this area, please see our documents page here.