The candidates for the Handforth Ward for next month's Borough election have been announced.
Local residents will have the choice of six candidates when they go to the polls on Thursday May 7th to elect their Cheshire East Council representatives.
The candidates are:
• Phil Barton, Conservative Party
• Barry Burkhill, Handforth 'Ratepayers' Association (Independent)
• Alan Davies, Labour Party
• Gillian Davies, Labour Party
• Anthony Harrison, Conservative Party
• Dennis Mahon, Handforth 'Ratepayers' Association (Independent)
We will publish more information about each of the candidates shortly.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
• To support the Handforth War Memorial Committee and deliver a War Memorial.
• To build disabled parking bays at Honford hall
• To commission disabled access to trains
• To campaign for a High School for Handforth
• To consult on Handforth centre redevelopment
• To work with local residents on ’20 is Plenty’
• To protect Handforth greenbelt
• To establish regular ‘surgeries’
• To Be Positive and take responsibility, not tell you to contact Cheshire East or your MP
I have a good friend who dared to disagree with and flout a policy at a very local Conservative Party group level - Philip Barton was apoplectic with rage demanding they be thrown out. My friend left voluntarily no longer wishing to be associated with party run by such a dictatorship.
Let us also not forget Philip Barton’s tirade on wilmslow.co.uk in the run up to the by-election in Wilmslow in 2013 when he referred to residents (who dared to discredit his campaigning claims) as “liars”, not once but twice, and then as “cyber trolls”.
Wilmslow residents were not impressed and voted for the Independent candidate who won by a considerable majority.
Whilst Anthony Harrison has yet to be put to the test regarding his claim that he will “oppose the current Local Plan proposal for 1850 homes” on Handforth’s Green Belt land it is a fact that every single other Conservative councillor across the Borough has “toed the party line” and voted in favour of the Local Plan, no matter what they may have said to the residents they represent. Note also the use of the term “current Local Plan” – this is a ruse as parts of it are in any case being re-assessed at the instance of the Inspector as a result of its fundamental flaws.
To illustrate this point further in their recent election leaflet Philip Barton & Anthony Harrison are making promises to Handforth residents about local issues that HAVE ALREADY BEEN, OR ARE CURRENTLY BEING, ADDRESSED by councillors other than themselves. Is this a reflection of the desperation of the Conservative Party that their candidates are publicly laying claim to the work done by others?
So let’s take a look at some of their “Priorities”.
“Community Support for Handforth” – “unused Council funds” in the form of S106 monies have already been retrieved from Cheshire East Council through negotiation by Independent Ward Councillors, Barry Burkhill and Dennis Mahon, and current Chairman of Handforth Parish Council, Brian Tolver.
“Against the Current Local Plan” – Conservative councillors have proven time and time again they have to vote for the benefit of the Party, rather than for the benefit of the residents. Indeed Councillor Harrison resigned from Handforth Parish Councils Planning & Environment Committee last year. He did not attend the recent Local Plan workshop at Cheshire East Council and has had no participation in preparing opposition to the Local Plan.
“Improve Handforth’s Local Facilities” – Handforth Parish Councillors Tolver and Fox have been in discussions with Cheshire East Council regarding improving the use of the Youth Centre for several months. Handforth Parish Councillors are in discussions with Friends of Meriton Road Park and Handforth Model Engineering Society regarding widening the use of the pavilion in Meriton Road Park for the benefit of all residents. The introduction of the Charity “Hampers of Hope” offering a food bank, a Job Club and Money Management Courses to the residents of Handforth was instigated and aided by Councillors Tolver and Thompson.
“20 is Plenty” Campaign – this is a concept that Cheshire East Council already intend to implement throughout the Borough.
“War Memorial in Handforth” – Anthony Harrison launched the project in December 2013 in an article on East Cheshire News. I continue to fully support the charity having been on Handforth Parish Councils War memorial working group however mistakes have been made since Anthony Harrison launched the Charity with the aim of installing the memorial by November 2015. The last update received from the Trustees earlier this month reported funds raised to date at £3,000, which is some way short of the further £40,000 required.
“Better Local Roads and Footways” - Cheshire East Council are as a matter of course systematically repairing roads and footpaths. Handforth Parish Councillors Thompson and Chapman who have taken the lead in Highways Accessibility and dropped kerbs on behalf of Handforth Parish Council submitted a comprehensive report on footpaths, roads, and dropped kerb issues to Cheshire East Council earlier this year.
I would also like to mention improved access for the railway station. Handforth Parish Council and Handforth's Ward Councillors Barry Burkhill and Dennis Mahon have for some time been in discussions with planning officers at Cheshire East Council regarding this issue and a possible solution through the sale of the land currently owned by the Royal British Legion. Whilst Conservative councillors, even leaders, can make the right noises and “promises”, it is the planning officers who can influence planning applications – not councillors - and that is why Councillors Tolver, Burkhill and Mahon have been talking to the people at Cheshire East Council WHO CAN make a difference. George Osborne's (so far) empty promises to look at Handforth Station' access have so far proved to be exactly that - empty.
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT COUNCILLORS WHO HAVE ALREADY PROVEN THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD FOR YOU, THE RESIDENTS.
Who do you want to represent you at Cheshire East?
Your choices are from these:
Two Independent candidates from HANDFORTH
Barry Burkhill and Dennis Mahon
or two Labour candidates from ALDERLEY EDGE
Alan and Gillian Davies of Wrayton, Congleton Rd, ALDERLEY EDGE, SK9 7AD
or two Tories from WILMSLOW,
Phil Barton of 20 Edgeway, WILMSLOW, SK9 1NH and
Anthony Harrison of 4 Highfield Estate, Manchester Rd, WILMSLOW, SK9 2JR
Who do you think will do the best job for you,
representing your HANDFORTH interests?
Community support for Handforth:
Current councillors claim to be working hard for Handforth and think that claiming they have released S106 monies after 18 years is an achievement. This is not an achievement! This money and many more hundreds of thousands designated for use in Handforth has gone for decades without being utilised where we need it most. This should not be happening, and ask yourself, why have they now released it within weeks of an election?
Improving Handforth's local facilities
None of those councillors have done any work with the community centre, yet again many motions were not passed and over £220000 of YOUR money sits in the reserves of Handforth Parish Council.
'20 is plenty'
This indeed is a national campaign which I presented and wanted to see implement in Handforth under the parish council but when I presented the campaign proposal to Handforth Parish Councillors in March 2014 none of the councillors wanted it in our village and one remark from Mr Tolver was that it would only reduce the risk of a fatality by 2%. Clearly this isn't the case but please feel free to look at the national campaign website as this should be implemented in all built up residential areas.
War Memorial in Handforth
Both the ward councillors and HPC councillors have only scrutinised the good voluntary work of the foundation that is leading the way with this project. HPC have not been involved in this project, have no concept of its progress or its costing and have only been negative in the achievements of the charity.
Roads and Footways
All of the residents know the state of the roads and Footways, this has been the case for many years now. It is about time that the Handforth Ward has councillors that will report these promptly and fixed imminently, instead of claiming that there is no money for this work to be carried out.
Access to the Train Station
This has been an issue for Handforth's station for decades. I lead this project in 2013 when it was discussed in the House of Commons with neighbouring councils key stations Sandbach and Kidsgrove. It was then looked at by national rail and the department of transport. Both agreed to support the project and entered negotiations with CEC. This has been followed up by myself and Phil and will be solved imminently. Yet again, a decade old problem and other people are trying to take credit just before an election. Surely the current councillors would have solved this issues out many years ago if indeed it was their work!
In response to the last comment, my family have lived in Handforth for over 4 generations. I was born and raised on church road, my dad is the local plumber and my mum ran the local babysitting circle and work at Peter Herds in the paddock. We moved to Manchester Road when I was 13 and still live in the Handforth ward for whom I hope to represent and continue to work hard for!
The Community Centre (the Youth Centre) is a Cheshire East asset, and Handforth Parish councillors are making real progress towards securing its future alongside Cheshire East public servants - again, no help from any Conservative councillors.
Roads and Footways: the number of reports that have gone in to Cheshire East from Handforth’s Ward councillors and the Parish council is legion. But, who controls the purse strings? Conservatives at Cheshire East.
We need councillors who will keep chasing and chasing, not party hacks who will sit on their hands until the leader tells them which way to vote.
As the author of the Handforth Community War Memorial Trust progress report to which Ms Fox refers, I would like to jog her memory on a couple of issues she seems to have forgotten. The first is £10,000 'pledged' by Handforth Parish Council, I'm surprised this has been overlooked as it has been promoted by Toni Fox and Brian Tolver on this site, in local newspapers, in HPC newsletters, on Facebook, is in several Agenda and Minutes documents and in the current HPC budget for 2015/16. Secondly we have a very generous donation of foundations/groundworks/paving from Carillion Construction Services the value of which has been conservatively estimated at £10,500.
Of the £50,000 originally guesstimated by the HPC working group, we therefore have circa £23,500 and as we now have a quotation for the true cost of the memorial, pending further public consultation regarding decoration, the Trustees have no doubt it will be installed on programme and within budget.
The Trustees are working extremely hard to bring this project to fruition and it is very unhelpful for any parish or borough councillors to suggest otherwise.
As you have stated Handforth Parish Council unanimously voted to give a grant of £10,000 to the Handforth War Memorial Fund, however, Councillor Harrison and the Trustees chose to change the name when setting up the Charity thereby nullifying that decision which will necessarily be rescinded after the requisite 6 months.
The Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation website states that the "target" figure is £60,000. Taking into account the £3,000 raised since November 2014, and the kind donation by Carillion, in excess of £40,000 still needs to be raised prior to the Charities "programmed" installation date of November 2015.
As I have stated previously personally I support the project, however, should the Charity decide to submit a new request for a grant from Handforth Parish Council that will be a decision for the newly elected councillors.
The donation of £10,000 was pledged to the charity and featured in the Wilmslow Express with a quote from Brian Tolver wishing the group all the best later that month and it was only in March’s full council meeting that yourself a lot with the other members of Handforth Parish Council voted to ring fence the £10,000 into the next financial year. The clerk has confirmed this to the charity, the councillors and to members of the public that this funding does not need to be rescinded at all.
The trustees are working extremely hard to raise the required funding to deliver a high quality war memorial as scheduled. As I have outlined in previous discussions, as the Chairman of the charity I am taking a 3 pronged approach to meet our projects costs by: receiving offers of good will in the form of materials and construction, through reducing the costs at the supplier and by fundraising and creating awareness of the fallen through the local community and businesses. This is being carried out whilst ensuring that the village is provided with a high quality memorial.
Below are the contents of a statement issued today by John Brooks, Parish Clerk of Handforth Parish Council.
“I would like to clarify the situation regarding the war memorial reserves:
At this time, Handforth Parish Council supports the creation of a war memorial in Handforth, but has not voted to give any money to Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation.
In order to give this group financial support, councillors would have to vote on the sum that they wished to transfer over to them.
This would have the effect of rescinding the earlier vote – supporting Handforth Parish Councils war memorial working group."
The £10,000 was ring fenced in order that funds could be available should the Charity wish to request financial support, and should the newly elected councillors wish to support such an application - otherwise the money would have been passed back to the operating reserves of the parish council - and therefore is not pledged to the Charity as you state.
May I wish Anthony Harrison all the very best and the trustees of our Handforth memorial Foundation
and to you fox i say good riddence
As you have decided to be a candidate for Wilmslow, why do you still have such an interest in the Handforth election? I've lived in Handforth for 12 years and until recently had never even heard of you. I wish you well in your run for Dean Row and would suggest that you focus on that. Surely your time would be better served campaigning and asking the Wilmslow residents what you can do for them rather than blowing hot air on here and berating people. Some of the people you want to vote for you have already suggested that you're spending more time worrying about the Handforth elections, than the one you're actually standing for.
Don't you?
If elected for the Dean Row Ward I will take this ethos with me - folk are fed up with lies and deceit.
Correcting misinformation and untruths with evidential facts and the truth is "nasty", "spiteful", "negative" and "slanderous"?
I would suggest, with respect Kerry, that when you take up your position as a parish councillor representing the uncontested west ward in Handforth next month that telling the truth and being factual are attributes that the residents you will be representing will be hoping for, and, deserving of.
Let us all work together to make sure we can improve our living area after all that it why we are here
The war memorial is moving forwards at a fantastic pace and I am extremely proud of both the level of support from the community and hard work of the team of trustees. This is a fantastic project to rightly commemorate the fallen of Handforth. Carillon have been an excellent support and have helped the trustees to carry out all of the ground planning to a high standard. Both the trustees and myself are driven to provide Handforth with a quality memorial that will last for generations.
Anthony you know fine well my strong view in regard to parish councils being non-party political for the good of all residents. I know from personal experience that the Conservative party hierarchy view service on parish councils as the first stepping stone to greater political progress and you told me this is exactly the plan “Dave and George” have for you. You told me that the next thirteen years of your political career were secure!
The first time we met, you said that you were against so much housing for Handforth and joined the “Hands off Handforth” group to help with the risk assessment for walks organised for residents over our precious meadows. I pointed out to you in no uncertain terms that you would have no choice other than to vote for the party line and therefore you could not possibly vote against the CEC plans. You disagreed. We shall watch this space with interest.
Phil Barton
Whatever next Phil? Have a heart man and give it up.
Your “work” in your own inimitable way for the residents of Wilmslow was rejected out of hand in favour of an excellent strong Independent candidate determined to preserve the precious Wilmslow greenbelt. I understand that you were the first Conservative candidate ever not to be elected in Wilmslow; such was the opposition of the residents of Wilmslow to building on their greenbelt.
Why then have you turned your sights on the good and possibly unsuspecting people of Handforth by trying to gain their votes with your outrageous written statements regarding what you are able to do for us including “PLANNING”?!!! Oh no Phil! Please think again.
Your written election statement that you are -
“PASSIONATE ABOUT IMPROVING OUR LOCAL AREA” is incredible.
All this after you publicly screamed for my expulsion from the local Handforth Conservative Association because of my involvement in opposing the outrageous planning of not 500, 1000, 1500, but then 2300 homes is disgraceful.
After seven years of working for the Conservative party, I had no regret in August 2013 in resigning when the chair of Handforth Conservatives and you said that building on the greenbelt was only one of the issues for Handforth. Mm! But WHAT AN ISSUE! It doesn’t come much bigger than this.
My “offence” was that I had agreed to canvas for a friend on behalf of the “Hands off Handforth” Group. At the time I was unaware that there was to be a Conservative candidate selected for the Parish Council and because I had the audacity to stay committed to canvas for that friend, you accused me of being disloyal and working for the opposition. You then tried to impose a condition that I “might” be allowed to remain a member if I promised never to vote for an opposition candidate but to vote for every Conservative candidate in the future, no matter who they were or what their policies were.
I’m sure you will remember my reply Phil.
This is Conservative democracy in action!
Beware residents of Handforth.
The cocktail Messrs Barton and Harrison would bring as borough councillors could be devastating for us. They say in their election pamphlet “We oppose the current Local Plan proposal for a further 1850 homes and will campaign for a sensible development and for the protection of the Strategic greenbelt land in Handforth East”. You may believe them but after personal experience, I do not.
You may also be sure that Anthony Harrison and Phil Barton are steeped in the Conservative party regime and therefore will have no option but to toe the party line if elected as councillors. We really do not need these men wielding power over us because unlike the Independent candidates Barry Burkhill and Dennis Mahon, Messrs Barton and Harrison will not be allowed to oppose CEC. They have too much to lose personally to vote against their party line.
If this outrageous planning comes to fruition in Handforth and surrounding areas you will not need a car. We have gridlock on the roads now in rush hours: if we have another 4000 houses taking in the plans for Woodford, Handforth and Wilmslow I leave it to your imagination what life will be like for us all then.
I agree, as many others do, that new homes are needed but not 2300 or anywhere near that number in this village.
I know what our election literature says as I wrote it and all of which are reasons I am passionate about fighting for Handforth and ensuring that we have a strong voice shouting for our village to ensure we receive our proportion of development and not other neighbouring town or villages. I have never been told how to vote or what to believe in!
As has been previously stated unequivocally by the Parish Clerk;
"Handforth Parish Council has not voted to give any money to Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation."
I am also reliably informed that when Gary Barton (Conservative) was canvassing on behalf of yourself and his father and was told by a Handforth resident that "he didn't believe that the Conservative candidates Anthony Harrison and Philip Barton would vote against the housing plans" his reply was "they can't vote on a decision that's already been taken......."
Who made that decision..............the Conservatives.
Did the Wilmslow Conservative Councillors oppose the development of 204 houses on Adlington Road, overwhelmingly opposed to by local residents......NO.....each and every one voted FOR it.
Who continue the fight to save Handforth's Green Belt and only support the amount of housing needed for the growth of the village ................the Independents.
Not satisfied by the drubbing you got in Dean Row then- when you made a complete **se of yourself on this website by losing your temper when challenged... several times?
I see that one of your sons is standing again (not sure about the nice chap who works in Sainsbury's- perhaps he has come to his senses) Mrs B. seems to be singing the praises of WTC's excellent decisions: http://bit.ly/1J3WqwI
I really do not see why local (dog-poo) politics should be tied to party-political, Bullingdon-Boy, decisions made by the party which represents none of us here: the 0.001% hedge-fund managers and bankers.
Seriously folks, we do not need any party-politics at this level- let's decide how to spend our money for the benefit of those most in need; rather than scattering seeds on a bit of waste-land down by the by-pass and then try to gain kudos for doing so.
The only person who is attempting to dupe residents is Anthony Harrison by continuing to knowingly and falsely state to both the press and residents that money has been donated to Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation by Handforth Parish Council when clearly it has not.
As I have previously stated I support the war memorial, I was on the war memorial working group, and I supported the planning application earlier this month as Chairman of the Planning & Environment Committee. I even had an email from Anthony thanking me for my support!
What I will NOT support or condone is the misinformation being broadcast about money that Handforth Parish Council has not, to date, donated to HCWMF.
I would suggest that it would be in the best interests of both yourself, and Anthony, that you should acquaint yourself better with the facts before making allegations about MY behaviour......
In October 2014 Handforth Parish Council pledged £10,000 to the HANDFORTH WAR MEMORIAL FUND.
Following 2 months of prevarication and inactivity, even to the point of being unable or unwilling to open a bank account in order to commence fundraising, the project was taken over by a group of trustees and a registered charity was formed. THE HANDFORTH COMMUNITY WAR MEMORIAL FOUNDATION commenced fundraising in January with a view to completing the project by Remembrance Sunday this year.
The foundation have now been informed that as the £10,000 was pledged to HANDFORTH WAR MEMORIAL FUND and not HANDFORTH COMMUNITY WAR MEMORIAL FOUNDATION the trustees now have to reapply for the £10,000 which is not guaranteed to be forthcoming.
In both cases the end result would be to have this long overdue tribute to our fallen heroes built by November this year so can someone tell me, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Firstly, despite what has been said above, as Chair of HPC, I have no powers over and above those of any other councillor, to make pledges; I simply have a vote, same as the rest. Saying that I did so is wrong.
HPC has to date only made one single formal decision about the War Memorial: last October, we agreed, unanimously, to pledge £10,000 towards its cost. At that time, it was intended that the entire Memorial project would be carried to completion by HPC.
The £10,000 was pledged to the “Handforth War Memorial Fund” (HWMF), the name by which the fund for the project was at the time known.
Shortly after that, Cllr Harrison asked that the entire project should be taken over by himself and other residents under the management of a charity – this eventually was registered as the Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation (HCWMF). Note the difference in name between this and the original HWMF, and of course the entirely different legal structure - a separate charity, rather than a part off HPC.
Legally, there is absolutely no possibility HPC could simply hand over the pledged £10,000 to this new Foundation without a resolution of the full Council. That would mean we HAVE to rescind (cancel) the original pledge. This all sounds pedantic, legalese, bureaucrat-speak. And to some it can sound like backtracking, or failing to keep promises. Nonsense: as councillors, we are responsible to the taxpayers, and these rules, annoying as they can be, are there to protect the taxpayers and their money. If we don't follow the rules, we can be sued.
Except for volunteering a further £500 towards HCWMF's start-up expenses, the October 2014 decision to pledge the £10,000 to HWMF is the ONLY decision that HPC has made. No backtracking, no change of mind, no saying one thing and doing another. All that happened was that the Foundation got started, (under an entirely different name and legal construct).
I double-checked all the above statements with the Parish Clerk, and today I have done so yet again.
I wrote, on behalf of HPC, to Cllr Harrison a couple of months ago, to clarify all this, although I was surprised it was necessary. The situation is EXACTLY what should have been anticipated as a consequence of the decision to establish an entirely separate body, the HCWMF.
In any event, I don't see what the fundamental problem is. The target the Foundation has is to collect a further £40,000 by fund-raising, and so far it has reported to HPC that it has collected £3,000. It will have no need of the Parish Council's £10,000 until that target is met.
I think the HCWM Foundation should join with me in putting this wholly unnecessary agitation on the part of residents to rest, by confirming the above.
12 months they managed the project they would have known this and had to change the name themselves.
Legally the donation requires a note adding to explain the name change, the donation was made for the installation of the War Memorial, end result would be the same. What confuses me however is the numerous references made by Brian Tolver to this donation, in the Wilmslow Express where he wished the foundation luck, even in the recently issued HPC
newsletter the £10, 000 donation is mentioned with no statement of problems with name changes or rescinding the donation, even though the councillors were well aware of the issues they had. Perhaps it was just a good PR opportunity all along!
As you read all of these comments it is very clear that Toni is only trying to discredit myself when for months the clerk made it clear and I quote from an email from him only on the 20th April to our treasurer: "At March meeting of the council, councillors voted to ring fence the sum of £10,000 for the war memorial fund. Had this not been done the money would have been passed to the operating reserves and and whole new vote to authorise the expenditure would have been required".
It was also Brian who made a press release to the Wilmslow Express stating the pledge. We never applied for the £10,000 but now you feel it's acceptable to try and discredit the work of a local community led charity. Any I look forward to seeing where the £500 is minuted under these new terms you have stated are legally necessary.
In my volunteer role with a Handforth Park community support group, I can remember very well the need to expel this man from membership of the group (by democratic process), due to the part he willingly played in taking part in clandestine meetings involving a number of the group's commitee members intent upon splitting the group up.
His deception, along with these rogue committee members who were also expelled, was very well kept, with no clues regarding the secret intention to break up the group ever revealed to the group members who were not involved in the plot. so well practised!
His part in this deception and indeed the entire plot, only came to light when certain emails containing information about their plans were mistakenly sent to the wrong people!
The guilty parties were challenged and asked to explain their actions, but were unable to do so, hence they were all quickly expelled from the group by democratic vote of the remaining group members.
Would I trust this man to represent me as a Handforth Councillor?
No.
I need to be able to have faith in those who represent my interests at Council.
I need to be able to trust that what I am being told is the truth, not lies.
Be very wary with your vote Handforth voters!
Remember this unfortunate tale!
Your response comes very, very near to libel. You seem to be implying that the Parish Council has not behaved properly, financially. That could only happen if the Parish Clerk allowed it. Our Parish Clerk is the most properly behaved officer I know.
If you genuinely think HPC has behaved improperly, you are duty bound to seek recourse through the proper official channels, not to fling cheap politically motivated comments around on websites.
As it happens, the decision HPC made that enabled the £500 to be paid to your Foundation, was proposed by me in the September 2014 HPC meeting, and seconded BY YOU. And when this was proffered to you for the Foundation, I didn't notice any objection on your part.
Brian Tolver
Chair, Handforth Parish Council
You must be referring to the meeting following the official AGM of FoMRP 2013 in which the committee at the time was re-elected in a majority vote. There was then a lot of debate between the groups main committee and its events sub committee that was headed my Mrs. Walsh, over financing of a May Festival event. It was over this matter that as the Parish Councillor for the ward in which the park resides I was quested about how an issue of finance could be resolved by the then chairman. I discussed the matter and made a simple suggestion as a resolution; to have two bank accounts, one for the main group and a secondary account for the events committee. This would then allow the events committee to monitor its finances independently and reinvest any profits generated from events held. I proposed all of this to be discussed at the next members meeting where it could be proposed and voted upon. I was never a member of the group and the work of the previous committee was outstanding. Could you please advice me of who the current committee comprises of since January’s AGM.
Brian,
I am trying to clarify the agenda item in which the £500 was agreed as if what you’re saying is correct then it would appear that it was agreed under the same terms and in the same meeting as the £10,000. Therefore, I am correct in thinking that the change of name to Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation on the advice of both our bank and the charity commission would not effect the pledged donation and therefore not have to be re-voted upon as the £500 didn’t either.