Storm over “Goods Shed” email

AN email was sent to the Heritage Lottery Fund accusing Frodsham Foundation of a lack of openness and transparency.
It was sent in the run-up to the May council elections by Tom Reynolds, a candidate in the elections but “bounced back” and was re-sent by Mr Reynolds after the elections, by which time he had been elected a member of the Town Council.
In the email, Cllr Reynold said if Frodsham Foundation wanted credibility within the Frodsham community it would have to start operating in an inclusive fashion, not an exclusive one.
He said the Foundation had decided only members could speak or vote at its annual general meeting and that a condition of membership was that members should not criticise the Foundation.
The Frodsham community had contributed more than £40,000 to an organisation which claimed to be open and transparent, but was neither, he alleged.
“I do not want the Heritage Lottery Fund to get caught up in something it is unaware of because of biased information provided by Frodsham Foundation alone,” he wrote.
“I am now an elected member of Frodsham Town Council and intend to make Frodsham Foundation accountable for its actions as never before.”
The email was read out at a stormy annual meeting of the Town Council by Kate Dodgson, executive director of Frodsham Foundation.
She said it related to an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to redevelop the Goods Shed, at Frodsham Railway Station, for community and business use.
Mrs Dodgson denied that the Foundation would not let members criticise the Foundation. But there was a condition that they should not misrepresent the Foundation.
She said the Foundation had held a total of 35 community events to engage with the public, who had indicated they supported redevelopment of the Goods Shed for community use. Cllr Reynolds had not chosen to attend any of them, yet accused the Foundation of a lack of openness.
“I know of no project in Frodsham that has had this level of openness and engagement with the community,” she added.
Mrs Dodgson said in another email, Mr Reynolds had claimed the project would result in the loss of 50 parking spaces. But the architects who had designed the scheme had advised that land to the east of the Good Shed was more than adequate for the development.
She did not know where the rumour had come from but it was a “complete lie.”
Cllr Reynolds said that the figure of 50 lost parking spaces had come from several people in business in Frodsham who were concerned at the lack of parking.   There was no proof that the figure was incorrect.
If the council support the Goods Shed project they could potentially be disenfranchising 50 people who would lose parking spaces, he warned.
Chairman Cllr Mark Warren said a consultation carried out by the council in 2013 indicated that the people of Frodsham wanted the Goods Shed to be redeveloped for community use.
He called for a show of hands in support of the scheme and, on receiving, it, said he would write to the Heritage Lottery Fund indicating the council’s support.