'Essington, home to Walsall Football Club'
Essington Parish Council is a 'Quality Status Council'
Water Tower could be pulled down
A controversial water tower in village near Wolverhampton / Walsall, which is no longer used for water storage could soon be knocked-down if a Parish Council has it way.
Essington's water tower which hasn't been used for water storage for more than 10 years could be raised to the ground if Essington Parish Council get's it way, it was revealed today.
The controversial water tower in Hawthorne Road in the centre of the village has been the home to mobile phone masts since the tower was made redundant. Councillors and residents have campaigned for many years to get the masts removed. Local residents formed a group called FAME: Flight Against Masts in Essington, who have secured many victories against other masts being erected in the village.
Now Essington Parish Council has turned its focus onto the water tower after taking legal advice.
District and Parish Councillor David Clifft, Chairman of Essington Parish Council, said: " The Parish Council had been looking into the matter of the water tower in Essington, for the last several months. After taking legal advice we have under covered that there maybe a ruling that if the tower is no longer used for the storage or use of water the land it sits-on will revert back to Cannock Rural Council, which no longer exists. Further investigations have shown the land is part of the housing stock which was transferred from South Staffordshire District Council in 1997 to form South Staffordshire Housing Association."
Councillor Clifft, added: "We have now contacted the Housing Association, briefing them of the situation and passed over the full case file of our findings.
Councillor Clifft, added: "If our findings are correct, then the water tower could be pull down, removing the controversial masts."
Express & Star December 2009
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