Retirement of Long Standing Parish Councillors

A TRIO with more than 80 years of service to their village between them are retiring from council life this May.

Bob Wilkinson, Bill Anderson and Peter Davies are not standing for re-election to Great Budworth Parish Council.

Bob has been a councillor for more than 30 years, Bill for 35 years and Peter for 16 years.

“For me, 35 years is long enough,” Bill said.

Peter said: “I’m 80 so one of the reasons I want to step down is to hand it over to younger people with fresh ideas.”

Bob, 70, has a lifelong link with Great Budworth as his family moved to the village when he was just eight months old.

They lived on a farm in High Street before the current family farm, New Westage Farm, was built in Heath Lane in 1953.

He was following in the footsteps of his dad Roger when he joined the parish council.

Bill and Peter are relative newcomers to the village, with Bill moving to Great Budworth in 1965 and Peter in 1994.

Both Bill and Peter decided to join the council because of the community spirit in the village.

Peter said: “I came to the village in ’94 and the community spirit was always there and I just wanted to help to keep the village as it is.

“It’s such a social village and there’s so many things going on – there’s the tennis club, bowling club, gardening club, cricket club, WI, village hall, church – it’s very very busy.”

Bill and Bob have been involved with expanding the village hall over the years and one of Bill’s highlights is helping to work out how to repair the pump at the bottom of High Street and tracing the spring that feeds it.

Although they are standing down, the three will still be kept busy as Bob is chairman of the bowling club, Peter is treasurer for both the garden club and cricket club and Bill is the events organiser for the Friends of Arley.

Great Budworth Parish Council is the only parish council in the Northwich area which will hold an election on May 7 as there are 11 candidates standing for eight seats.

Bill, 75, said; “We wish all the new Councillors success and hope they enjoy it as much as we have.”