A COUNCILLOR has criticised delays in developing a plan for future investment at Chasewater.
Cllr Sue Woodward, Labour opposition group leader at Lichfield District Council and a member of Burntwood Town Council, said she was concerned about a lack of movement on a strategy for the country park.
She said Staffordshire County Council needed to demonstrate to residents that a proposed investment in Chasewater would soon be on the table.
Cllr Woodward, who is also co-chair of volunteer group Chasewater Friends, said:
“We’ve been repeatedly told that there is a Chasewater Plan out there but that it is not a public document.
“I’m hearing rumours of yet another consultation now being planned, but people are fed up with these numerous so-called engagement exercises that have taken place over the past 15 to 20 years and want to see some action.
“The last consultation from a couple of years ago cost over £20,000 – how much will this next one cost?
“Exactly how many consultations does it take to make a plan? Or is it just yet another excuse for doing little or nothing?”
Cllr Woodward wrote to Cllr Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for communities and culture, last October asking for the Chasewater Plan to be published.
In her response, Cllr Wilson said:
“We are currently scoping more detailed work to develop these ideas into a fully costed plan and design which will include further engagement with stakeholders and the public.”
Cllr Woodward said there had been no further discussion with stakeholders or the public since, despite repeated requests for further information.
She said:
“Those of us who love Chasewater are being kept in the dark so I’ve now asked, yet again, for details of the proposals and timescales for implementation of this invisible Chasewater Plan as we were promised nearly a year ago.
“Chasewater has such great potential which is currently being squandered by this remote and high-handed county council.”
M6 Toll was the reason for Chasetown/Brownhills Closure. It would have been far too expensive build underpass or Bridge.
That said. Chasewater needs a complete overall.
Road closure is county council
To make a success of chasewater it needs to be taken out of the control of the council. They couldn’t run a bath never a mind a business. Look at the difference having private business running birches valley has made compared to the council facility on marquis drive which is as bad as chasewater. A private business for wild swimming or water park activities with the paths left open for free public access would be good to see. Currently it offers nothing to attract people from anymore than a few miles away for a walk around the paths.
Something simple that could help a lot of people is to allow the parking machines to take card payments. Anecdotally this was because the phone network they were tied to had no signal on Chasewater but it’s been years now. They’re the only parking machines that I still need coins for.