Guilden Sutton Parish Council 

Minutes of a special meeting of the Council held on
Monday 12 November at 7pm in Guilden Sutton Village Hall.

Chairman: Cllr R J K Bayton.

Present: Cllrs Bayton, Brown, Fisher, Hughes, Moulton, Paterson, Roberts.

In attendance: His Worship The Sheriff of Chester, Cllr A Storrar and The Sheriff's Lady, Cllr J Storrar, Mr and Mrs R M Armitage, County Cllr E Johnson, City Cllr S Parker, Mrs C Carter, Mr M Gartland, Mrs J Proudlove.

1 Apologies. Apologies were received from City Cllr B J Bailey, PC M Baker, A Arditti Esq.

2 Procedural matters: Presentation of a commendation to former councillor Robert Michael Armitage.

The Chairman, Cllr R J K Bayton, welcomed His Worship The Sheriff of Chester, Cllr A Storrar and his Lady Cllr J Storrar, Mr and Mrs R M Armitage and former Members. The Chairman said former Cllr Armitage had a willingness to listen and take account of the views of others and to make sure that everyone, including new councillors, had a fair hearing. He had qualities of fairness, thoughtfulness and kindness.

The Chairman invited the Vice Chairman, Cllr D Fisher, to read the following commendation:

Whereas

Cllr Robert Michael Armitage

has resigned from Guilden Sutton Parish Council

after 30 years exemplary service,

the Chairman and Members of the Council

hereby place on record their deep appreciation

of his contribution to the Council and to the Community.

The Chairman then invited His Worship The Sheriff to present the scroll to former Cllr Armitage.

His Worship commented that it rarely fell to somebody to be able to make a presentation to recognise 30 years service which had gained respect. At meetings at which former Cllr Armitage had been chairman, people had always felt they had a fair say. He felt the presentation also recognised the support which had been given by Mrs Gill Armitage. Describing former Cllr Armitage as a very modest person, His Worship believed that thirty years community service deserved recognition and both former Cllr and Mrs Armitage could take very great pride in that.

Responding, former Cllr Armitage said that although 30 years seemed a long time it was not the record as former County Alderman William Dutton had served as a member of the Parish Council for almost 50 years from 1927 to 1976. He was pleased that during his time as a councillor he had seen a closer relationship between the Parish Council and Guilden Sutton Community Association and between the council and the primary school. Allotments had been provided for a 15 year period, the village hall had been built and bulb planting, which had taken place over the past 10 years or so, provided a splash of colour in the Spring.

 The children's play area had been provided and a parish playing field had been rented, bus shelters and noticeboards had been introduced and the possibility of the green lane being redesignated as a byway open to all traffic had been successfully resisted. More recently, the introduction of a dual taxation grant by the City Council, for which the Parish Council was very grateful, had been particularly welcome. Former Cllr Armitage expressed the hope that those who were serving as parish councillors now would have as much satisfaction and as much pleasure as he had enjoyed.

A personal gift on behalf of the Members of the Council and the Clerk, Mr David Norbury, was then presented to former Cllr Armitage by the Chairman.

Light refreshments were taken for which His Worship The Sheriff and His Lady were pleased to remain.