REGARDING the proposed development of Penketh that might happen over the next 50 years. What a joke.

I’ve lived in Penketh for 51 years and over that time nothing has happened that would benefit the community by Penketh parish or Warrington borough councils.

Everything has been left to deteriorate to its present condition.

We wouldn’t have had a pool except the people of Penketh agreed to pay more on the parish rate towards the building and its upkeep.

I don’t suppose other areas pay towards any of their amenities.

The so-called youth club is the biggest white elephant in Penketh that is not used through the day and just for the youth club in the evening.

I don’t know how many nights that is at the present time as over the years it has had its problems and been shut down due to this.

A couple of times it has been run in the summer holidays as a holiday club for the children off school.

It had the front neatened up by people doing community work, or so I was informed by one of the workers.

Newcomers to the area don’t know what it is and think it is something to do with the swimming baths.

As for building a community hub on the site of Penketh High School, is that because they are going to demolish it and move the pupils elsewhere? Building it on the sports field or attached to the school would not be an advantage as it would disrupt the pupils and teachers as people come and go to use the facility.

When the council was asked for funds to add a café inside the library it was refused because it would cost too much yet Stockton Heath can be awarded £200,000 to upgrade their library which was more than Penketh Library would have cost. The watchword seems to be dementia friendly to gain money for projects such as Stockton Heath Library and Bewsey and Dallam Hub.

Are these places going to have people to run the dementia area like the Forget Me Not Café, which is run by a team of hardworking and dedicated volunteers every Tuesday from 10am to 12pm at The Oaks on Stocks Lane, where dementia sufferers and the carers can meet in a safe and friendly environment to socialise.

This is what dementia friendly is all about. I don’t suppose either Warrington or Penketh councils have been along to see how it is getting along since a photoshoot when it opened.

The 32 bus took you to The Oaks which enabled people to access the many clubs held there such as Knit and Natter on a Tuesday and meet family or friends for lunch.

By stopping this service it has isolated a lot of people who cannot get about on foot or are alone and cannot afford taxis.

Also, what a time to stop it with Stocks Lane bridge still out of action and with the 14 – which goes down Widecombe Road and where it stops no-one seems to know – but that doesn’t help with the problem of Meeting Lane and Stocks Lane.

They could have alternated it with going to Widnes Market as it seems to run empty or with just a couple of people every half hour. How do you get to Warrington Road to get it if you do want to go to Widnes?

As per usual, when anything has not been running fully the powers that be never seem to want to reinstate what was stopped as they think that if the public have managed that way for so long they don’t need it and it is gone.

What on earth is the art of the possible as I must have been off school when that was explained?

Can anyone explain it?

Cllr Tony Higgins said it is a highly important facility which will make a real difference to people’s lives when commenting about the new Bewsey and Dallam Hub.

It would be for Penketh, if we ever get one. It seems LiveWire seem to hold the purse for the funding of many projects, so why don’t they come to Penketh with their chequebook as over the next 50 years all could be forgotten?

What does the parish council spend the money on?

Both councils should be ashamed to have let Penketh become so dilapidated. Don’t use this 50-year plan as a smoke screen to get rid of the library.

It’s a good job the people of Penketh can use the facilities at The Oaks to run their clubs as there aren’t many places you can.

Can you believe we might have to wait 50 years for a new coat of paint? Shame on you.

MARGARET DARCY

Penketh