Michael Potts - Penketh Parish

22/09/2026

Massively proud of what this council has achieved under difficult circumstances, past and present members included 🥰🏊🏼🫂👏🏼

Penketh Parish Precept – six years in context There has been some recent discussion locally about Council Tax and the Penketh Parish Council precept. We think residents should be able to see the figures clearly, understand what the parish element of Council Tax pays for, and also see where progres...

02/08/2026

Station Road Battery Storage Development: Appeal Withdrawn

Warrington Borough Council has confirmed that the planning appeal relating to the proposed Battery Energy Storage System on land south of Station Road, Penketh, has now been withdrawn by the developer.

The original planning application was refused by Warrington Borough Council in December 2025. The developer subsequently appealed and attempted to submit substantial amendments and additional technical information as part of that process.

Warrington Borough Council objected on the basis that the proposed changes fundamentally altered the scheme and had not been subject to proper public consultation. The Planning Inspector agreed that the amendments could not be considered as part of the existing appeal.
Following that ruling, the developer withdrew the appeal. Warrington Borough Council’s original refusal therefore remains in place.

It is not currently known whether the developer intends to submit a new planning application. Any future application would be considered separately and would be subject to a new consultation process.

For clarity, this was not a decision made by Penketh Parish Council. Warrington Borough Council is the local planning authority, and the appeal process is administered by the Planning Inspectorate.

Should a new application be submitted, Penketh Parish Council will again be consulted and will ensure that residents are informed of the opportunity to submit their comments and concerns through the formal planning process.

27/01/2026

🫀 Basic Life Support (BLS) & AED Training at Penketh Pool
Did you know the average first aid course typically costs between £60 and £120 per person?
This one is just £20.
Thanks to one of our voluntary councillors giving their time, we’re able to offer this high-quality Basic Life Support and AED course at a genuinely affordable price, keeping costs low for the community.
Whether you’re:
• A local business feeling the pressure of rising costs
• A new parent, carer, or grandparent
• Someone who simply wants the confidence to act in an emergency
This course could make a real difference.
You’ll learn how to:
✔ Recognise cardiac arrest
✔ Call for help and manage an emergency response
✔ Deliver high-quality CPR
✔ Safely use an AED (defibrillator)
✔ Respond to choking in adults and children
✔ Feel confident using local defibrillators if they’re ever needed
📅 Saturday 7 February
⏰ 9am – 12.30pm
💷 £20 to enrol
Places are limited, so please do make the most of this opportunity.
📞 Text or leave a message: 07557 343713
Skills like these stay with you for life and you hope you never need them, but you’ll be glad you have them if you do.

09/12/2025

The refusal of the Penketh energy-storage proposal has been out for a little while now, but it’s still important to acknowledge the effort behind it.

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments, shared local insight and took the time to attend our parish council meetings while we shaped our objections. That collective input showed exactly why the green belt matters to this community.

Although the application has been refused, it’s sensible to stay alert to any next steps from the developer, including the possibility of an appeal. I’ll keep watching this closely and keep residents updated.

Protecting our local environment is always a team effort, and your involvement made a real difference as usual. 🙌🏻

A CONTROVERSIAL energy storage scheme that gathered scores of objections has been thrown out over green belt concerns.

31/10/2025

🎃🍭☠️

31/10/2025

If you're out with the kids trick or treating tomorrow, make sure you call into St Josephs Club for a free Halloween Stop! 🎃🍭☠️

27/09/2025

Following Thursday’s election, Warrington Borough Council — as the statutory body responsible for running and verifying elections — confirmed the results for Penketh Parish Council.

Three new councillors were elected and will shortly be taking up their seats on the council;
KIRSTY TOWELL
TRISH COOPER
GEOFF WHITE

The next step in the process is for each councillor-elect to sign their official Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which makes them formal members of the parish council. This will be completed with the Clerk this week, after which they can participate fully in council business.

The first full council meeting they will attend is on Monday 13 October 2025. Details can be found on our website: Upcoming Meetings.

We congratulate the councillors-elect and look forward to welcoming them to the team.

17/09/2025

On Thursday 25th September, Penketh West residents will each have 3 votes in the Parish by-election.

I’m backing Ade, Trish and Kirsty – three local, independent candidates who all live in Penketh, have no party ties, and have already shown they’re doers, not sayers.

We’ve all seen what can be achieved when councillors focus on the community instead of politics – from turning around the pool, to improving our parks and gardens, and supporting events that bring people together. That’s the kind of progress I want to see continue.

Ade, Trish and Kirsty are all about building on that success:
🌱 More planting and pride in our village.
🎤 More events that bring us together – from beacon lightings to Christmas celebrations and much more.
🤝 More support for local groups and volunteers.

These three candidates are best placed to carry that work forward on the Parish Council.

Not all candidates have the same priorities. For some, the parish looks more like a stepping stone to other ambitions – and that’s when egos and division start to creep in instead of teamwork. Others have bounced from venue to venue, falling out wherever they go – and residents are starting to see the pattern. One even spent time as our temporary clerk, when the council was mired in infighting – and there’s little to suggest that approach would change if elected.

Parish councils aren’t about party politics or personal platforms – they’re about consensus, teamwork and making practical improvements for the community.

On 25th September, please consider giving your 3 votes to Ade, Trish and Kirsty – three true independents who want to keep Penketh moving forward.

Whatever the outcome, I’ll continue working with whoever is elected — but my hope is that it’s Ade, Trish and Kirsty, because they’re the ones who can really build on the progress we’ve made.

This is my personal view as a councillor. It does not represent Penketh Parish Council.

27/08/2025

⚡ Battery Storage Plan – Update ⚡

I’ve now had confirmation from our ward councillor, Jacob Barnard, that the Penketh BESS application has been formally called in to the Development Management Committee (DMC). This means it will be decided in public by councillors rather than left solely with planning officers — an important safeguard for residents.

It’s also welcome that our MP has made representations on the application, reflecting many of the concerns already raised locally. But the decisive action here has come from our ward councillor, ensuring this will be tested properly at committee.

I’ve been calling for this because the so-called “10 objectors rule” is not a guarantee. The Council’s Constitution makes clear that objections can be grouped together, discounted if details are missing, or treated as outside scope. Relying on numbers alone would have left too much risk that residents’ voices might be watered down. The call-in removes that uncertainty and secures proper scrutiny.

👉 How to make your representation:

Go to the Warrington Borough Council planning portal

Search for reference 2025/00999/FULM

Submit your comments before the deadline, making sure to include your full name and address so they can’t be excluded.

For anyone who missed my Warrington Guardian article, my aim was to make sure the wider public understand this site is not Cuerdley or former power station land. It is Green Belt, and protections here are weaker than in many comparable countries.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/25418394.councillor-raises-serious-concerns-battery-plan-penketh/

The absence of a full Environmental Impact Assessment remains a major concern. That’s why residents’ voices are so important in this process.

A Penketh parish councillor has raised ‘serious concerns’ over a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS).

24/08/2025

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/ironbridge/2025/08/22/controversial-battery-storage-facility-to-go-ahead-after-planning-inspector-overturns-council-decision/
📢 Penketh BESS – Why Committee Scrutiny Matters

Some residents may have seen the news from Shropshire this week: a large battery storage scheme near Ironbridge was originally refused by the council — but has now been approved on appeal after the Planning Inspector overturned that decision.

The lesson is clear: these applications are highly controversial and, if refused locally, developers often go straight to appeal. Inspectors then weigh the claimed benefits against the harm, and can still grant permission subject to conditions.

That’s why it’s so important that, here in Penketh, the application is given full scrutiny at Warrington’s Development Management Committee (DMC). It’s the only forum where local concerns can be set out in public, and where councillors can properly weigh them against the applicant’s case.

Officers have advised that, because more than 10 objections have been received, the Penketh BESS application would normally be expected to go to DMC if recommended for approval. But residents should know that the Council’s Scheme of Delegation leaves wriggle room — which means the only cast-iron guarantee of committee scrutiny is a formal call-in by a ward councillor.

For my part, I have submitted my own detailed objection alongside the Parish Council’s formal objection. Both focus on the planning policies and environmental safeguards that are at stake here. We have also asked our ward members to make the call-in request, to ensure that residents have full confidence that this decision will be made in public.

⏳ A reminder: the consultation window remains open until 28 August 2025. Please get your comments in as soon as possible:
💻 WBC Planning Portal
📧 [email protected]
📮 Post: Warrington Borough Council, Planning Department (include ref 2025/00999/FULM and your address).

A controversial battery storage facility will go ahead after a planning inspector overturned a council's decision.