We can confirm that Cllr John Grimshaw will be retiring from Council next year and will be replaced on the Conservative candidates list for Weaver & Cuddington by Harry Tonge.
Cllr John Grimshaw said “How do you condense 16 yrs as a District Councillor with VRBC and currently 4 years representing you/your Ward on Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Why did I become a Councillor in the first place you may ask-some say a thankless task!
It was in the blood. My father was a Parish Clerk and my mother was on the CPRE County Committee.
Currently we have testing times for Local Government but I am pleased to say that CWaC has had the foresight to make structural changes to its management, such that front line services have been largely unaffected and capital projects are coming to fruition in all areas of the Borough.
There will be some sadness in leaving the Council in 2015, and I will miss working with the many volunteers who make your locality so vibrant.
What to do next? I have a new grandson and another expected. House maintenance has taken a back seat. Under the current Community Governance proposals Willington, where I live, is to have its own Parish Council- some are saying ‘who better to ——-!’
The other chap in this picture (the one with the hair) is Harry Tonge, chosen by Eddisbury Conservative Association to stand at the next election in May, in my place. I know Harry well and am confident he would do an excellent job considering his background and personality.”
Kind regards
Cllr John Grimshaw
Harry Tonge said “I originally hail from the North East of England. After graduating from University, I moved to Cheshire in 1975 to work for Royal Dutch Shell at the Stanlow refinery in their Human Resources team.
Over the period of my career with Shell (35 years) I had the opportunity to work across a wide variety of increasingly senior jobs and an equally wide variety of locations before retiring in 2010.
I met my wife, Anne, at Stanlow. We have two grown up children and in recent times, two grandchildren.
Since retirement I have tried to put something back into the community through a number of volunteering opportunities. I am a magistrate on the West Cheshire bench, and an adviser for the Citizens Advice Bureau in Chester. I believe people have to contribute in shaping their local community and this led me to stand and be elected as a Parish Councillor of Delamere Parish Council.
I found the experience on the parish council, particularly the time I was Chair, very rewarding, particularly when we were able to ensure that the wishes of the local community could be harnessed to influence CWaC decisions affecting the locality. If elected as your CWaC Councillor I will ensure that connectivity of council decisions and local wishes would be at the forefront of my objectives.”
To contact Harry telephone 07772 114911 or email: harrytonge@btconnect.com
