A councillor has expressed his deepest concerns over recent reports of anti-social behaviour at The Daten Sports and Social Club in Culcheth.
Cllr Neil Johnson has received feedback from members of the club and nearby residents regarding acts of vandalism and criminal damage by anti-social youths. The Daten’s property has been damaged and there has been a notable uplift in the number of incidents over recent weeks.
Cllr Johnson said: “I am keen to work positively and pro-actively to address all issues of anti-social behaviour in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft.
“However, I was particularly concerned to learn what has been happening recently at The Daten. This popular venue in our village is well-used and loved by the community. To hear that a mindless minority is damaging the building is very sad news.
“The increase in these incidents seems to have coincided with the use of The Daten by the Warrington Youth Zone ‘satellite’ service, which is funded at great expense by the Parish Council. We need a proper assessment of whether these two things are connected and then a real conversation about whether the ‘satellite’ service is being hosted in an appropriate location. We must all come together to stamp out anti-social behaviour while ensuring that we offer good quality provision for young people who contribute to our community.”
In response to the concerns, a spokesperson from Warrington Youth Zone said: “Warrington Youth Zone is running a satellite Youth Club at the Datan Sports and Social Club for Juniors aged 7 – 12 on Tuesdays between 5 pm and 8 pm, and for seniors, young people aged 12 – 17 on Fridays between 5 pm and 8 pm. We provide a range of activities to divert young people from less positive behaviour on those evenings. The incident highlighted happened on a night on which we are not running the provision for young people. We continue to work with young people to challenge problematic behaviour and encourage them to understand the implications such behaviour can have for members of the wider community.”
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police added: “Over recent weeks, we have been made aware of a small number of incidents relating to minor ASB at the Daten Club in Culcheth. Officers are working with the Youth Club to address the concerns raised.”
4 Comments
i say **SHUT THE PLACE DOWN THEN** nothing special anyway and us RESIDENTS are tired of YOBS around here, need to shutdown the CAFE which is open quite late considering it is in a RESIDENTIAL area, it was fine until this cafe came here opening longer hours into the evening attracting YOBS to hang around.
I have to ask.
What exactly is Cllr Johnson wanting / demanding from his article and concerns?
It appears, as with all things he is laying the blame for the antisocial behaviour at the feet of the Parish Council, of which he himself is a member, and their decision to try and prevent previous anti social behaviour in the village by working with Warrington Youth Zone to establish weekly ‘youth clubs’ in the village to try and prevent it.
Even though it’s quite clear from the response that the anti social behaviour did not occur on the evenings when the clubs are running.
I’ve also seen suggestions elsewhere that the Youth Clubs should be for Culcheth children only as if it’s only Culcheth children and not others from elsewhere who visit the village to see schoolfriends etc that deserve the facility or in fact act in an anti social way. Which makes absolutely no sense at all.
By all accounts from Parish Council minutes and by previous articles by him in this paper Cllr Johnson supported the Youth Zone initiative.
‘17/11/25 – Work ongoing to tackle anti-social behaviour at Shaw Street Recreation Ground’
So does Cllr Johnson want the Youth Clubs or not?
If as he mentions he questions whether the Daten is the most appropriate location does he have any suggestions at all about a more suitable one and how does the Daten feel about a possible loss of revenue?
As with all the articles Cllr Johnson writes in this newspaper and elsewhere in Culcheth Life etc there is a great deal of pontification and complaining but very little in terms of substance or constructive suggestion to resolve the issue of the day.
Cllr Johnson seems to have made hay over one very important matter that occurred well over a year ago that led him to resign from the Labour group but since then if you look properly at everything that followed there really isn’t much else in terms of substance. Just noise.
It’s getting a little repetitive.
Culcheth has a serious problem, and it’s bigger than anti‑social behaviour. We don’t have a single modern, central community facility we can actually be proud of. The Daten has been limping along for years and now looks completely out of place in a village of this size. It’s tired, outdated, and nowhere near the standard you’d expect in an affluent part of Warrington.
Meanwhile, Croft Village Hall shows exactly what a proper community venue should look like—smart, well‑kept, and fit for purpose. The contrast is embarrassing.
And while we’re talking about places that do get it right, The Village Club is the one bright spot. It’s well‑run, well‑maintained, and genuinely valued. It proves that when a venue is cared for, the community benefits. But it’s not designed to host youth provision, and it shouldn’t have to pick up the slack for a failing village centre.
The real issue is this: young people in Culcheth have almost nothing to do, and the only large venue available to them is a building that’s long past its sell‑by date. For a growing village, that’s pathetic. We deserve better. Our young people deserve better. Our whole community deserves better.
Culcheth needs a proper, modern, central facility—not excuses, not sticking plasters, and not another decade of “making do.”
I HAVE NOTICED THE DATENS ROOF IS **ASBESTOS** ASWELL ! ARE ALL THE **ASBESTOS SHEETS ON THE ROOF** INTACT ???
****MAJOR SAFETY AND HAZARD TO HEALTH****