28/01/2021
Dear Parents & Guardians,
It may have come to your attention from posts on facebook that the local Parish County Council (PCC) have submitted a planning application that, if passed, will see us lose not only the field, but also our hut, which has housed our scout troop for over 100 years. The planning application submitted by the PCC is for 10 new houses to be built on grounds of our hut including field, NOT a community building that will benefit the community including the Young People of our group.
*The community hub that has been proposed behind the church, is an extention of the social club building. We do not know how long the planned work would take to complete or how long it would take to start which will cause an undefined period of delays to your child/ren's scouting and guiding meetings.*
*Once complete we cannot guarentee a safe space to carry out scouting and guiding activities in or outdoors or that we would have ample storage for our groups camping equipment. Should the church wish to hire the venue out for functions, we would be at risk of losing our meeting nights and space for drying canvas following camps.*
*As the church ended their sponsorship of us as a Scout and Guide group last year, we are not confident/able to say with any certainty that they would support us if we moved into the social club.*
Despite considerable provocation we at Hough Green Scout and Guide Group will not be drawn into a social media battle of mud slinging based on heresay and personalities.
We are asking that whether or not you consider the development of the field to be right or wrong, that you consider what the loss of our hut would mean to our community including your child/children.
If you think it is right that the field and the land that our hut stands on is developed, which is your perogative, you do not need to do anything as innactivity supports the Parish County Council.
If you think that it is wrong then you must act by Thursday 4th February 2021.
Please email your opposition to [email protected] quoting the application reference 21/00016/OUT.
Please share this message and we can save our hut and hopefully the field which is a great and valuable asset of the Hough Green and the wider Widnes community.
Yours in scouting/guiding/Thank you
Hough Green Scout and Guide Group Leaders and Exec Committee.
