SHAW is to remain a Parish Council after a narrow defeat for campaigners looking to change the name to Town Council.
An eight-month debate, including a public consultation, over a possible switch of identity ended at the March meeting of the Parish Council.
Five councillors voted in favour of converting to a Town Council, including chair Denise Tindall, while six voted against the motion. Cllrs Dawn Blackburn and John Aspinall abstained.
Voting in favour of a change of status were: Cllrs Tindall, Shaun Duffy, David Bibby, John Hall and Mike Dodd.
Voting against were: Cllrs Howard Sykes, Julia Turner, Paul Turner, Louie Hamblett, Angie Farrell and John Wood.
Before the vote, the Council received a list of the public responses.
But Cllr John Hall said: “We don’t seem to have reference as to who these people are.
“We have no idea if they are from Royton or some other location.
“When we did the strategy for this we did say we’d be interested in knowing where they were from and who basically they are.”
Clerk Tony Hilton said: “Of the 15 responses, only two provided their addresses.
“One respondent advised they didn’t want me to share their comments without written permission which I sought and didn’t get.”
Cllr Mike Dodd said: “Something in the region of 50 percent mentioned costs in their replies without having any idea of costs.
“Before a decision is made do we have some proper estimates?
“And I would also think that we should have perhaps costs over one year, costs over two years, costs over three years.”
Cllr Hamblett insisted: “My concern is how far do we wish to drag this out? And how far do we wish to continue going round in circles?
“We need to carry on with the act of council business because we have stalled many orders of the day.
“Now is the time to pull the boot straps up and make a decision.”
After the vote he added: “The money that was proposed for the re-branding exercise could be better used to bring this building, especially the internal works, into refurbishment.”
On his decision to abstain Cllr Aspinall said: “I don’t think enough information has come out.”
Cllr Blackburn added: “I abstained because I wanted to know more about the costings.”
However, Cllr Tindall replied: “We have gone far enough now. We are eight months down the line and we needed to make a decision.,
“That decision is ‘against’ so we will remain a Parish Council.”
Cllr Sykes concluded: “I thought it was a crackers idea at the start and it is still crackers. And whether it cost a £1 or £1,000, I am opposed to it.”