Cheshire East boundaries review: Handforth Town Council avoids merger

A boundaries review will not now see the abolition of a parish council which gained international fame following farcical scenes during a Zoom meeting.

Cheshire East Council's (CEC) review had proposed several changes, including getting rid of Handforth Town Council.

The council gained online fame in February 2021 when meeting host Jackie Weaver was memorably told she had "no authority" over proceedings.

CEC said Handforth would not be merged with neighbouring Wilmslow.

A recording of the then-named Handforth Parish Council meeting showed proceedings descending into chaos, with some members kicked out of the virtual room.

Millions of people around the world watched in bemusement when it was posted on social media.

A subsequent CEC investigation found that while Ms Weaver did not "have the authority" to mute and virtually eject councillors, it believed her actions had been necessary given the behaviour she was witnessing.

Ms Weaver, who works for the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, said the decision to keep Handforth Town Council recognised the "importance of the community and the value of having a clear identity that unites people".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the community governance review looked at town and parish boundaries, numbers of town and parish councillors, and grouping of parishes and warding.

It involved more than three years' work and a 12-week public consultation.

It recommended changes to 63 of the parish councils or meetings within the CEC area.

Recommendations include suggested mergers, boundary changes and alterations to the number of seats.

CEC leader Sam Corcoran said the review had been "necessary" to ensure that the councils were "fit for purpose" and the "changes made to the proposals, following consultation, demonstrate that the council has listened".

Somerford Parish Council, which had faced a merger with Congleton and Hulme Watfield, will now see changes made to its boundaries and seat numbers instead.

Chairman Geoff Bell said the authority was "delighted" with the result after working hard to ensure that the review recognised "how well local governance is working in Somerford".

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