‘It’s a big project for a small parish council’

PARISH councillors have thanked local companies who have helped them to achieve their goal.

Cotton Parish Council has been working on a project for almost a year to provide disabled access to Cotton Cemetery along with a new archway name sign.

The council applied for funding to ‘Awards for All’ for £10,000 to enable them to tackle the work.

They then enlisted the help of several businesses who donated towards the costs by supplying goods and doing work. These included JCB Plumpton division who completed the digging work for free; Aggregate Industries who donated 40 tonnes of hardcore and Tarmac who supplied the tarmacadam. The work has also been financially supported by residents of the parish, along with hard work from councillors to enable the scheme to be completed. The project has been led by parish councillors John Allerton and John Dale.

Councillor Allerton said: “The cemetery now has a full disabled access entrance. We have also had a new name arch over one of the entrances.

“The special stone for the walls has been bought from Hollington as it blends in brilliantly with the original stonework.

“The project has taken just under a year to complete This has been a parish council project and a team effort.”

Councillor Dale said: “It has been a great team effort as the cemetery needed a disabled access. It is good to see the project come to a completion.”

Chairman of the parish council, David Cooper, said it was a great step forward.

He said: “At first I did not think it was achievable, but we have had so much help and support. We employed a great firm to do all the stonework.

“This was a big project for a small parish council, but it is great to see it finished.

“We would like to thank everyone who has donated and helped with the project.”

County councillor for the area, Mike Worthington donated £1,000 to the project from his Staffordshire County Council community fund.

He said: “This has been a team effort. You have to give credit to Cotton Parish Council for finalising the project.”

In 1927 the churchyard at St John’s Church was full, so Cotton Parish Council bought the present piece of cemetery land for £80.

In 1928 the parish council applied to have the ground consecrated and the left-hand side of the site was made ready. Consecration was carried out on October 11, 1928 by The Right Reverend Lionel Payne, Bishop Suffragan.

In the intervening years much work has been carried out to maintain the cemetery.

Kingsley couple Ivor and Diane Lucas have now carried out a comprehensive review of the area and have made an updated burial plan of the cemetery.