Agenda and minutes

The Council will be asked to approve the following resolution:

“That in accordance with Section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972, this Council wishes to place on record its high appreciation of, and the debt of gratitude of the Borough, to the Officers and Soldiers of 3 Medical Regiment and, in the light of the esteemed and close association between the Borough and the Regiment, resolved that the Freedom of the Borough be conferred on the Regiment and that it be granted the right, privilege, honour and distinction of marching through the streets of Chorley and on all ceremonial occasions with drums beating, bands playing and flags flying”.

Following the Special Meeting, the programme for the event will be as follows:

10.15am

Service in St Laurence’s Church (until 11.00am)

11.15am

The Mayor will present the framed Freedom Scroll to Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Meredith, Commanding Officer of 3 Medical Regiment on St Thomas’s Square, St Thomas’s Road.

11.30am

The Regiment, led by the Royal Engineers Band, will exercise their freedom by marching from St Thomas’s Square, turning left into St Thomas’s Road; right into Market Street; left into Chapel Street; left into New Market Street; left into High Street; right into Market Street filing past the Civic Party and guests on the Town Hall main entrance. The Regiment will then continue into Park Road and turn left into Back Mount and disperse on Farrington Street.

12noon

Guests, soldiers and officers from the Regiment are invited to a lunch reception in the Lancastrian Suite, in the Town Hall.

The Mayor welcomed distinguished guests and Councillors to a Special Meeting of the Council which had been called to formally agree to confer the Freedom of the Borough on 3 Medical Regiment.

The Mayor asked Members of the Council to formally consider the following motion:

“That in accordance with Section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972, this Council wishes to place on record its high appreciation of, and the debt of gratitude of the Borough, to the Officers and Soldiers of 3 Medical Regiment and, in the light of the esteemed and close association between the Borough and the Regiment, and to resolve that the Freedom of the Borough be conferred on the Regiment and that it be granted the right, privilege, honour and distinction of marching through the streets of Chorley and on all ceremonial occasions with drums beating, bands playing and flags flying”.

Councillor Bradley, Executive Leader of the Council formally proposed the motion and Councillor Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Resources seconded the proposal.

All political group leaders spoke in support of the motion, expressing their gratitude for the work of the Regiment – both by the regular soldiers and the reserves. They referred to the respect and pride the citizens of Chorley have for the Regiment, in particular the local connections through 64 Medical Squadron based at Devonshire Road, and their pleasure in awarding Freedom status to the Regiment as the highest honour the Council can bestow.

On being put to the vote, it was unanimously RESOLVED – that in accordance with the motion above, the Council confers the Freedom of the Borough of Chorley on 3 Medical Regiment and that it be their right, privilege, honour and distinction to march through the streets of Chorley and on all ceremonial occasions with drums beating, bands playing and flags flying.