Can Cheshire East afford to subsidise Tatton Park, cllr asks

Cllr Steve Hogben (Crewe South, Lab) first raised the matter during a meeting of the economy and growth committee when he was responding to a drop in the visitor numbers.

He has since told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he believes neighbouring councils, such as Warrington Borough Council and Cheshire West & Chester, should also be asked to contribute.

Speaking this week Cllr Hogben told the LDRS that a ‘fair subsidy’ goes to Tatton Park.

Cllr Steve Hogben (Image: Cheshire East Council)

“It’s not much use to most people in Crewe is it?” he said .”I don’t expect people to have to pay through the council tax for something you’ve got a National Trust for.”

He added: “I think it needs to be considered. If we’re looking at all options [during a cost of living crisis] why should Cheshire East do all the subsidy?”

He then said it might not be ‘such a stupid idea’ to ask other councils to ‘pitch in’.

“If it’s such a great asset, which it is said to be, a national treasure of some sort,  then perhaps there should be a wider support for it,” he told the LDRS. “Why is it Cheshire East people have to pay for it at a time like this. I think it has to be looked at, I really do.”

The Labour councillor ruffled a few feathers when he raised similar concerns at last week’s economy committee meeting.

“I can hear people expressing their shock and horror at what I’m saying, but we have to challenge anything, whether it’s Tatton Park, Buckingham Palace or anything else,” he told the meeting.

Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion (Lab), who is a member of the Tatton Park Board, told the meeting: “Up until the outbreak of the pandemic it was rapidly approaching balance for income, but the pandemic significantly reduced the income stream."

He said there was an increasing number of events in the pipeline.

But Wilmslow councillor Mark Goldsmith appeared incensed by Cllr Hogben’s comments.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith

“Places like Tatton Park pull in a lot of people from around the country as well,” said Cllr Goldsmith.

“They come and visit us, they stay in our hotels which boosts jobs, they eat food and [use] hospitality which helps our pubs and restaurants survive as well, so the money that that brings in to the wider economy is a lot more than we put in ourselves.”

He added: “I could argue also that, what is the benefit of a regenerated Crewe to the northern part of the borough? I don’t see the benefit, but I still accept it is necessary and it’s needed that we do it.

“The debate on whether we keep Tatton isn’t for now or whatever, and we need to look at what we can effect and where we do make savings to balance the books immediately.”