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The Quality Parish Council Scheme is a Government Initiative to encourage capacity building within Local Councils. Number of Quality Councils in Cheshire - 20 (February 2009)
The most recent awards of Quality Status belongs to Kingsley and No Mans Heath and District Parish Councils, when they received proof positive of their best practice status a the panel meeting on 26th February 2009. Helsby Parish council renewed their Quality Status on the same day. Poynton-with-Worth was the first council in Cheshire to achieve Quality Status (October 2003) and was quickly followed by Upton-by-Chester and Winsford (March 2004). Helsby was the next council to achieve the accreditation in February 2005, but the real push for Quality happened in August 2005 with seven Cheshire Councils being accredited with QPS. These are (in alphabetical order only) Cranage, Lower Withington, Mickle Trafford & District, Middlewich, Somerford, Tarporley and Twemlow. Well done to all of the Quality Councils. December 2005 saw Tarvin and Audlem achieve the award. This award capped a magnificent year for Audlem, having won Cheshire Community Council Village of the Year & Most Vibrant Village awards in September, followed by the North of England title of Village of the Year and the National winner of the DEFRA "Building Community Life" award. September 2006 saw Antrobus Parish Council join the Quality ranks. Having won the title of Most Vibrant Village in Cheshire (up to 5,000 population) and been nominated for the NATIONAL Calor Village of the Year competition, 2006 has proven to be a rewarding year for the people and council of Antrobus. Well done to them all. Nantwich and Northwich Town Councils achieved Quality Status in November 2007. Shortly after, at the NALC Northern Conference near Skipton, the Mayor of Northwich proudly received his certificate from the National Chairman, Cllr Ken Cleary MBE. During September 2008, Congleton and Sandbach Town Councils were both accredited, with the "re-accreditation" process starting in December 2008. All three councils (Poynton with Worth, Winsford and Upton by Chester and District) all sailing through. The criteria had changed since these three first achieved the status and all of them noticed more difficulty this time. ChALC has organised training and information sessions that have been well attended and as a result of this promotion a number of other councils have expressed interest and have begun the process. Click here for a more detailed overview of the scheme and here for details of the tests to be met to achieve Quality Status. In addition, there is the Countryside Agency publication "a guide to becoming a Quality Council" available to download for free. If you are not on broadband, this will could take several minutes to download, so please be patient.
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