Frodsham Town Council apology

May 2 2008 by Rebecca Edwards, Chester Chronicle

A WIDOWER started to build a memorial seat at his wife’s grave then was told to dig it up by councillors.

Frodsham Town Council have apologised to 71-year-old George Horsefield and admitted their “mismanagement and lack of control” was to blame for the confusion.

Mr Horsefield was told by town councillor Frank Pennington that his builder son could lay a flagstone base for a bench at the town council-run cemetery in Tarvin Road, where his wife, Margaret Horsefield, is buried.

So he was “shocked” when Town Clerk Alison Kunaj told him it had not been approved and the flagstones would have to be removed.

Addressing the council this week, Mr Horsefield said: “I was shocked when I got the call from the town clerk. I explained what had been agreed with Cllr Pennington, but she said it would have to go to the Amenities Committee.”

Mrs Kunaj advised councillors that only officially approved work at the cemetery would be covered by the authority’s public liability insurance.

Cllr Pennington is a member of the Amenities Committee which he claimed had approved the work.

However, the council could find no record of approval and committee minutes indicated the issue had been deferred pending further investigation.

Cllr Pennington insisted: “As far as I knew, it would be alright, providing a proper builder did the job. I told Mr Horsefield it had gone through the committee, he said ‘thanks’ and that’s the last I heard about it.”

The breakdown in council procedure has worried councillors.

Cllr Brian Lloyd said: “Mr Horsefield did this work in good faith but what’s happened is completely out of order.”

Cllr Andrew Dawson said: “These are not Mr Horsefield’s problems, but it is an emotive issue and the council should now show some dignity and humanity and close it for him now.”

Mr Horsefield said he was happy with the outcome of the meeting and was now looking forward to installing the seat.