Village is voting on whether to become Welsh

4:36pm Sunday 20th April 2008

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RESIDENTS in a Nantwich village are voting on whether their community should become part of Wales.

The Audlem Online website originally came up with the idea as an April Fools story - but it seems many residents have taken the idea to heart.

And it could bring some real benefits - free prescriptions, free parking at NHS hospitals, and a Grand Slam winning rugby team!

The major Parish Plan project to build a sports centre in Audlem would also be realised almost immediately as every Welsh village with more than ten dwellings has a large Sports Centre.

The Government recently announced that prescription charges would be raised in England while they will remain free in Wales.

And Crewe's Leighton Hospital has doubled some of its parking charges in recent weeks - meaning that it now costs £3 to park for more than 20 minutes and £10 overnight.

Meanwhile parking remains free at all Welsh hospitals.

A spokeman for Audlem Online said: "The poll will be seen, we hope, as a humorous way to make a very serious point.

"Nobody in England, we suspect, wants to take away the many benefits the Welsh, and even more the Scots enjoy.

"We'd just like the same benefits - as all three countries pay the same level of tax.

"A yes' vote in the Audlem poll may attract widespread publicity and send out a serious message to the Government.

"One Audlem resident did suggest we applied be an on-shore' island of Scotland.

"Then we would also get free university education; free care for the elderly and road tolls would be slashed - many bridge tolls have been abolished in Scotland in recent years.

"In contrast, our nearest toll on the M6 at Cannock has been more than doubled from £2 to £4.50 since the road opened in late 2003.

It's a long way to Scotland however, and we think the Welsh proposal is more practical.

"After all, the border is a mere nine miles away and the Government has shown how easy it is to change, or create new borders with the controversial decision to split Cheshire in two."