FRODSHAM’S youngest ever councillor and Mayor Liam Jones has announced his resignation from the Town Council to return to university.
He signed off urging the “cash rich” Town Council to agree a vision for the town and tackle some of the larger issues.
He said he would also continue to challenge Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC) to invest more in the town.
Aged just 19, he became the youngest-ever member of Frodsham Town Council when he was elected five years ago.
He became the town’s youngest-ever Mayor – taking over from Cllr Lord Frank Pennington, the council’s longest-serving member, last year.
Cllr Jones, now aged 24, has lived in Frodsham since 1998 and attended Weaver Vale Primary School and Helsby High School.
Confirming his resignation from Frodsham Town Council Liam said: “After 5 years on the Council, since being elected in May 2015, it has been a tremendous pleasure, admittedly with it’s difficulties, to have served as a councillor for Overton and Five Crosses ward and to have served as Mayor. I’m very proud to live in Frodsham and call it home, it is full of potential and opportunity, because we have hard-working residents, businesses, volunteers and organisations that make it so.
“I will be returning back to University in September, to continue my course in Architectural Technology, which is the reason for resigning from the council. In order to gain a respectable grade I must focus on this. But I will still nonetheless, be holding CWaC account, which we all should do.
“However, our cash rich FTC needs to agree on a vision for Frodsham and start to tackle the larger issues that Frodsham people face. It is great that FTC now strongly supports FYA with it’s grant, a great investment if you ask me. I was pleased to have also recently instigated the recent discovery of the CCTV business case which CWaC was hiding for over two years, this was triggered by a petition our Borough Cllrs started, gaining over 1000 signatures in support. But we’ll need more than this if we’re to be a successful and prosperous town.
“Frodsham has been left behind when it comes to invest from CWaC, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Winsford, Neston have had or are going to have huge investment from CWaC. (£millions)
“We have an empty Goods Shed, full of potential and can unlock further opportunities for Frodsham, if CWaC were to refurbish it. This would be an ideal project to help kick start our local economy. There is massive support for the Goods Shed to be made into a community hub. Our Gym facilities are pathetic. We have second hand equipment in a dilapidated building, the first floor can’t be used due to Asbestos, yet Northwich has a brand new £13 million gym and swimming pool facilities. Whilst we struggle to have pot holes filled and weeds removed, despite having handed over more than £25million in tax to CWaC, over the past 5 years. This reinforces my earlier point for FTC to have a vision and start calling on CWaC for action. One reason why I’m a strong advocate that FTC’s planning committee to remain and be kept independent of other committees, despite proposals to see it off, as this is Frodsham’s voice on the built environment and what this looks like. It was this committee and the strong support from Frodsham residents that helped fight off CWaC’s application to demolish the Goods shed. (the planning application was withdrawn in 2018) although, I believe the threat still looms large. It is our town and we should say how it is to be shaped.”
Councillor Vacancy – Overton & Five Crosses Ward https://t.co/yO8HFg7yv8
— FrodshamTownCouncil (@frodshamtc) July 14, 2020