About Wrinehill

Parish councils are the envy of other local authorities, because they are given powers to do so much; they can also raise a precept (supposedly within reason) which unlike other local councils is not capped. so there is no reason for any Parish Council not to be a 'power house' for achievements' which would improve the plight of rural communities.   Keele Parish Council achieved the building of a bypass around its village when national funds were very tight and very difficult to secure.  So it seems that success depends upon he calibre of those in charge of the parish - ie the Parish Council. Below is a list of  the legal Powers and Duties of Parish Councils.  It might be that this list is not definitive, and depending on need, more powers could be accommodated which were community oriented.   However, as can be seen from the list several might now be defunct -  did Betley Wrinehill or Balterley ever have bath or wash houses?  Did it have a p...

  Recently, Betley Parish Council passed a resolution at an extraordinary meeting.   The resolution passed, seemingly unanimously since no counter resolutions were recorded, might surprise those residents who take the issue of freedom of speech seriously and responsibly.   The resolution? To consider the possibility of pursuing legal action for  libel — against this blog. According to the official Minutes: “Members considered that the ongoing inaccurate statements being published in the blog, were of a libellous nature, and intended to discredit not only the Parish Council, but also individuals. RESOLVED: (a) That the Clerk makes provisional enquiries into the possibility of taking legal action for libel, against the author of the blog, together with the costs involved.” Surprisingly, no one from the Parish Council contacted the author of the Blog before this public allegation was made.   No evidence was cited, no opportunity was offered to clarify or corr...

  At a recent Extraordinary Meeting, Betley Parish Council passed a resolution to explore the possibility of taking legal action against the author of this Blog for a 'potentially' libellous comment, relating to a post published on 15 June 2025. The post referred to was (Parish End of Year Accounts) and the offending section chosen was: “Fast forward to this year's accounts where £8000 has been earmarked to cover the cost of an election should one actually take place. The Parish Council has already advertised the vacancy for a seat on the Parish Council which will be in the form of yet another co-option. It would appear that other councils charge between £200–£800 to cover such an event. So perhaps it needs to be explained why Betley is envisaging £8000.” The content in question appears to relate to the Blog raising questions about election costs, including a comparison with charges made by other councils.  These comments were factual, civil, and made in good faith as part ...