Crewe News: May 2011

Monday, 30 May 2011

New cycle route

The cycle route now goes across Tipkinder skate park and across the car park to the Queens park. The next step is to get the route in the park done which then connects to the path towards Nantwich so you will be able to ride or walk from Nantwich to Crewe without using the road

Cheshire East’s silver bin roadshows are a success

A string of roadshows on the ‘Think Silver, Think Recycling’ campaign have been a big success.

Cheshire East Council staff were on hand at Crewe, Nantwich, Congleton and Sandbach to offer help and guidance on the recycling and waste transformation scheme, which now allows residents to use the silver bin for all of their recycling.

In Crewe and Nantwich areas, where the silver bin is already in use, additional items such as glass, mixed plastics, foil and cartons can now be recycled. Congleton, Sandbach and surrounding areas will have also received a new silver bin.

The roadshows helped to iron out any issues which residents may have had with the new scheme they could enter a competition to win £350 of vouchers to spend on a bicycle from Audlem Cycle Sport, courtesy of the Council’s recycling contractor, UPM.

Councillor Don Stockton, Cabinet support member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “The recycling and waste team members were able to solve any problems and provide residents with advice, information leaflets, calendars and stickers.

“They were also on hand with helpful hints and tips of how best to recycle and to take requests for replacement or larger bins.

“The scheme is rolled out in the north of Cheshire East in the autumn, so residents should keep their eyes peeled for roadshows.”

Thousands of green bins, which were previously used to collect paper in Crewe and Nantwich, have been collected by Cheshire East.

However, anyone who still has a green bin and wishes to have it collected should contact the Council to arrange a collection.

For more information, contact the recycling and waste team on 0300 123 5011 or at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/recycling

How they measure success I dont know from my point of view its a right cockup. They hadnt arranged to collect our black bins so if I hadnt complained it would have been over 3 weeks before its collected and it cost me £4 to sort their mess out. Now of coarse the bins are the wrong size as the grey bin now take most of the rubbish so being smaller its full so you have to put rubbish in the back bin as there is nowhere else to put it

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Great Council Ripp Off Answer

Councillor Silvester, had this reply when he asked about the phone charges. Its one thing to change the numbers if people know what its going to cost them. It means some low income families will not be able to afford to call the council

The contact strategy for Cheshire East is to use 0300 numbers for our published telephone numbers. 0300 numbers are also known as public trust numbers and are designated for use only by public bodies and non profit organisations. Calls to 0300 numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls. These rules apply to calls from any type of line including mobile, BT, other fixed line or payphone.

This strategy was put in motion before vesting day with the publication of the golden number that I am sure you will be familiar with – 0300 123 5500. Last June, we introduced a series of ‘essential numbers’ to enable customers to connect directly to the service they required without having to go through the switchboard. The essential numbers have also allowed us to gradually close down the various legacy numbers from the previous authorities to reduce confusion and to reflect the ongoing harmonisation of services. Most of the legacy numbers were geographic, i.e. 01625 or 01606, but I know that there were a very small number of non-geographic 0800 or 0845 numbers.

We believe that the 0300 numbers represent the best value for both the Council and our customers, given they count towards any inclusive minutes from landline or mobile. We typically answer calls in less than 20 seconds, but over the last few weeks we have had much extended wait times due to the unprecedented increase in call volume as a result of the changes to the waste and recycling collections in the south of the Borough. This has resulted in wait times of 10 minutes or more at the busiest times which will probably explain the cost of the calls that Mr Wright experienced. We are now seeing a return to typical call volumes for waste and recycling as the new collection schedule takes effect.

MP's news

Welcome ...

Welcome to this my 83rd electronic news bulletin.

This week Sir Roy McNulty published his interim review into value for money of the UK's rail industry. In his report Sir Roy suggests we now have one of the most expensive railways in the world because the previous government allowed costs to spiral out of control. The purpose of the McNulty review is to reduce these costs so we can get a better deal for taxpayers and farepayers.

If the Government succeed in implementing the McNulty agenda over the next few years our aspiration will be to put the era of inflation-busting fare rises behind us. That will only be possible if the industry comes together to support the McNulty reforms so that we can get the costs of our railway back to a sustainable level.

Following the publication, I took the opportunity to ask the Transport Secretary in the House of Commons whether the terms and conditions of the West Coast Main Line franchise would include provision for train operators to play a more active role in the future of stations, especially in their infrastructure and presentation to passengers. For Crewe station this will be an important condition of the franchise if we are to see major improvements backed up by long term train operator buy in. You can read the Secretary's answer here.

Please remember, you can always contact me directly if you have any questions for me.

You can forward the bulletin on to your friends and family, who can sign up themselves by clicking here for my website.

Best wishes,

Edward Timpson
Member of Parliament for Crewe & Nantwich

I have recently ...

Held a Constituency Surgery at my office in Crewe
Met with the Chief Executive of South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce to discuss how more support can be provided to local businesses
Officially opened a new playground at Weston Primary School in Crewe, meeting staff, parents and pupils. Congratulations to them all for raising the £5,000 needed by holding an array of fundraising events including a mass bunny hop!
Met with the Chief Executive of Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation to discuss the strengths and challenges of NHS plans
Officially unveiled a public bench at Churchyardside in Nantwich to celebrate the work of Diabetes UK in Crewe & Nantwich
Played a charity football match for the UK Parliament Football Club fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust at Stamford Bridge
Met with MPs from the North West and BAE Systems to discuss the companies projects in the North West of England, and in particular at Radway Green
Attended the annual general meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Asthma, to reaffirm my commitment as a supporting officer
Chaired a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children and Care Leavers, including panel guests Tim Loughton MP (Children's Minister), Robert Tapsfield (Chief Executive of The Fostering Network) and fostering parents.
Asked the Secretary of State for Transport, Philip Hammond MP, on the floor of the Commons, whether the terms and conditions of the West Coast Mainline franchise will enable train operators to take a more active role in the future management and infrastructure of rail stations. view here
Officially opened the Haslington Show with my family

Photos & Video ...

Edward plays a charity match for UK Parliament Football Club fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust

You can view all my photos and video at edwardtimpsonmp.com

Virgin London Marathon 2011

Raising money for Parkinson's UK in Crewe & Nantwich

In April I completed my 9th marathon, raising money for Parkinson's UK Crewe Branch. There's still time to sponsor me on my webpage and help support a great organisation!

Words from Westminster

Edward Timpson, Crewe & Nantwich Chronicle

It’s been a big month for our country.

Not only have we had local council elections at a time when councils are taking tough decisions on how to work more efficiently and fairly, but we’ve also had the AV referendum to decide how we elect MPs.

We achieved the right result in that referendum, choosing to elect the most popular candidate and maintain a direct link between MP and voter.

In Crewe and Nantwich people voted by a factor of almost three to one for the current system.

Also, after predictions of a tough day for English Conservatives, we saw gains in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency and countryside.

The Conservatives had an extra win in the rural areas, a great result in Leighton and Haslington, and maintained their base in Nantwich.

Labour benefitted from boundary changes in their favour and the collapse of the Lib Dem vote but still no councillors outside of Crewe or in Nantwich.

Congratulations to the successful Labour candidates, and I look forward to working with them.

Congratulations also to the Nantwich Independents, and I also look forward to continuing my relationship with Councillor Arthur Moran.

One of the most enjoyable activities for me as an MP is visiting youth organisations in the constituency.

Over the last year I’ve attended many events, including those of South West Cheshire Scouts, Nantwich Air Cadets, the Brownies and the Sea Cadets in Crewe.

All these organisations rely on volunteers to function.

I was struck by the number of volunteers and organisers I met who were frustrated by the red tape associated with criminal records checks and other bureaucracy that hampers their work and recruitment of new helpers.

The biggest frustration seemed to be the need for a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check for every voluntary post held by an individual. Some volunteers I spoke to had undergone nine checks in less than two years.

I’ve also had a number of constituents come to my surgeries dismayed to find that inaccurate or inappropriate information in the checks has hindered their search for a job, as employers discard applications on sight as a result of that information.

Last June, this Government commissioned a criminal records review to examine whether the current regime strikes the right balance between respecting civil liberties and protecting the public. This was to be undertaken in parallel with a thorough review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme which checks the records of those who want to work specifically with vulnerable groups.

The first phase considered whether the balance between civil liberties and public protection could be improved by scaling back the employment vetting systems which involve the CRB, whether the systems used could be made less burdensome, and whether police intelligence should form part of the CRB disclosures. Amongst the recommendations were:

- Children under 16 should not be eligible for CRB checks.

- Criminal records checks should be portable (transferable) between jobs and activities.

- The Criminal Records Bureau should introduce an online system to allow employers to check if updated information is held on an applicant.

- A new CRB procedure is developed so that the criminal records certificate is issued directly to the applicant.

- A package of measures to improve the disclosure of police information is overseen by an independent expert.

The recommendations are brought in via the Protection of Freedoms Bill, at Committee State in the House of Commons. That Bill also introduces a number of changes to the Vetting and Barring Scheme to scale back to common sense levels.

I’m very pleased this Government is scaling back the criminal records system and look forward to these measures having a positive impact on youth organisations.

Traders rent petition stalls council decision

Nutsford Guardian

A PETITION collected by Knutsford’s market traders has stalled the borough council’s decision on whether to implement a 25 per cent rent increase.

The market hall stallholders, based in Silk Mill Street, collected a petition with more than 700 signatures in a bid to overturn the rent rise planned by Cheshire East Council.

George Osborne, Tatton MP, collected the petition from the market traders when he was in town for Knutsford Royal May Day.

Market stallholders in Crewe and Nantwich met with their MP, Edward Timpson, last week, to discuss the matter before deciding on their next course of action.

A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said the increase had not been brought in yet, and would not be introduced until the petition had been looked at.

“We have received the petition, which is currently being processed in the normal fashion,” she said.

“We acknowledge that the response has been supported by local shoppers.

“The proposed increase has not yet been implemented, and will not be implemented until the petition has been considered.

“A date for the meeting in which a decision will be made on the proposed increase is currently being sought and will be publicised in the near future.

“We would like to thank market traders for their patience in this matter.

“The UK-wide Valuation Office Agency initiative, to transfer the responsibility for the payment of business rates from the council to individual market traders, has complicated the challenge of being able to provide a breakdown of rent.

“Whereas under previous policy, Cheshire East Council paid a sum for the entire building, no market trader will be liable to pay business rates if their market stall has a rateable value of less that £6,000.

“The council is currently attempting to understand the financial implications of this situation at all of its indoor markets.”

Call for CCTV to stop grave thefts

Crewe & Nantwich Chronicle

A WOMAN who supports bereaved parents says CCTV is the only way to stop child graves being ‘violated’.

Natasha Nuttall says the Teddy Bear Garden in Crewe Cemetery has become a target for thieves who steal ornaments and soft toys from the graves of young children and babies.

The Crewe woman is the founder of the South Cheshire and North Staffordshire Support Group of Sands – the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society – and has herself been victim to the heartless thieves.

Her baby daughter Tia tragically died just 15 hours after she was born.

Natasha said: “I’m very keen to see CCTV installed. It’s the best solution.

“When something’s stolen from your child’s grave, it feels like you’ve failed them and they’ve been violated.

“A grave should be somewhere for families to go to remember loved ones but it feels like they can’t put anything nice there because it will be taken.”

Natasha’s in contact with Crewe mum Heidi Norman who was 34 weeks pregnant when baby Jorgie Jasmine was stillborn last September.

Several ornaments have been stolen from her daughter’s grave.

Heidi said: “The council thinks wardens on patrol stops things from being stolen but unless CCTV’s installed, the situation won’t change.”

Natasha and Heidi met Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson who was appalled to hear of the thefts.

“The council assured me that both the police and community wardens were involved following the thefts and in improving security and they’ve offered to meet members of Sands.”

A council spokesman said: “The thefts are desperately upsetting and disappointing and we deplore the behaviour of a minority who have acted in this heartless and cowardly way.”

He added community warden patrols had increased and “we’re pleased there have been no repeat incidents.”

Bright Future for solar panel firm

Crewe & Nantwich Chronicle

MP Edward Timpson will officially open the new offices for solar panel installers, the Green Electrician, on Friday.

The Green Electriciam has moved its offices to Wardle following significant expansion of the company over the last year.

Previously based in Little Budworth, the business has grown from four employees to more than 30 in just over 12 months.

"The expansion follows the introduction of the Government Feed-in Tariff for Solar PV Panels in April 2010," explained director Claire Davies. "The feed-in tariff pays a premium for every unit of electricity generated by solar panels, making it a very sound investment both financially and environmentally.

"Installations in Cheshire have boomed over the last year, there is a lot of good south-facing roof space in the towns, villages as well as countryside.

"We are installing as many solar panels on agricultural and commercial buildings as we are on private homes.

"The office and warehouse in Wardle is ideally located to serve customers in the North West. It has excellent access to routes in all directions."

Conservatives win in Cheshire East but Labour gain seats

Crewe & Nantwich Chronicle

THE Conservatives are still the biggest party in the Crewe and Nantwich area on Cheshire East Council, with 12 councillors after Thursday’s local elections.

But Labour gained ground on them, picking up three seats to take their total to eight.

The fate of the Liberal Democrats nationally was mirrored in the Crewe and Nantwich area and the Lib Dems now have no seats in Crewe and Nantwich.

Long-serving Lib Dem councillor David Cannon lost his seat.

It is not possible to make direct comparisons with the council line-up before the election because of the boundary changes. However, Labour have made the greatest inroad in the Crewe and Nantwich area of the borough.

There are now 12 Conservative councillors, eight Labour and three Independents.

The election in the Crewe South ward has yet to take place because of the death of Lib Dem Cllr Betty Howell. Those two seats will be contested on June 16.

Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson said: “After predictions of a tough day for English Conservatives, we’ve actually seen gains in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency and countrywide, and a hugely successful result in the voting system referendum.”

“In Cheshire East, 88,669 voted against AV with 33,241 in favour.

“In the referendum, the people chose to elect the most popular candidate as their MP and maintain a direct link between MP and voter.

“In the local elections, the Conservatives had an extra win in the rural areas, a great result in Leighton and Haslington and maintained their base in Nantwich.

“Labour benefited from generous boundary changes in their favour and the collapse of the Lib Dem vote, but still have no councillors outside of Crewe, and none in Nantwich. Congratulations to their successful candidates. I look forward to working with them.

“Congratulations also to the Nantwich Independents and I look forward to continuing my relationship with Cllr Arthur Moran.”

In the former Congleton borough area the biggest losers were again the Liberal Democrats.

They managed to hold on to their three Alsager seats but now have no representation in Sandbach or Middlewich.

Elsie Alcock, who lost her seat to Labour’s Sam Corcoran in the Sandbach Heath and East ward, said: “I’m afraid people may not have gone for those who have local people’s interests at their heart.

“A lot of people have gone with the country and not with the local community.”

In the former Congleton borough area, the Conservatives now have 14 seats, Labour has one, the Lib Dems three and there are three Independents.

Overall the whole of the Cheshire East Council – which also includes the former Macclesfield borough – is still very much Conservative dominated.

The make-up of new council is: 52 Tories, 14 Labour, four Lib Dems, 10 others and two vacant seats.

There are now 82 seats on the council – prior to Thursday there were 81.

Before the election there had been 58 Conservative councillors, six Labour, 12 Lib Dems and four others.

Full Election Results for Crewe & Nantwich

Crewe & Nantwich Guardian

DESPITE Labour victories in Crewe, Conservatives remain the biggest party in Crewe and Nantwich following the Cheshire East Council elections on Thursday.

The Tories now have 12 councillors, with Labour increasing their total to eight.

The Liberal Democrats suffered the most and now have no seats in Crewe and Nantwich. There are three Independent councillors.

For the full results please click our 'election results' link on this website.

Conservative campaigners claimed that Labour's victories were partly down to ward boundary changes.

The election in the Crewe South ward was postponed because of the death of Clr Betty Howell.

Those two seats will be contested on June 16.

Voters across Cheshire East rejected the Alternative Vote system by almost three-to-one.

In the local referendum, 88,669 said ‘no’ to AV - with 33,241 voting in favour.

Following the local election count, local MP Edward Timpson said: "After predictions of a tough day for English Conservatives, we have actually seen gains in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency and countrywide, and a hugely successful result in the voting system referendum.

"In that referendum, we chose still to elect the most popular candidate as Member of Parliament, and maintain a direct link between MP and voter.

"In Crewe and Nantwich people voted by a factor of almost three to one for the current system - a greater proportion than the national average.

"In the local elections, the Conservatives had an extra win in the rural areas, a great result in Leighton and Haslington, and maintained their base in Nantwich.

"Labour benefited from generous boundary changes in their favour, and the collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote, but still have no councillors outside of Crewe, and none in Nantwich.

"Congratulations to their successful candidates, and I look forward to working with them.

"Congratulations also to the Nantwich Independents, and I also look forward to continuing my relationship with Councillor Arthur Moran."

5 ways to contact Edward Timpson

By email: timpsone@parliament.uk
On the web: edwardtimpsonmp.com
By phone: 01270 501 725
By post: 30 Victoria Street, Crewe CW1 2JE
In person: Click here to see surgery times

Cheshire East announces Crewe South election candidates

An election has been called for the Crewe South ward on Cheshire East Council.

Crewe South residents – are you eligible to vote?

Residents planning to vote in the Crewe South election are reminded that they must be registered by Wednesday, June 1.

Two new councillors will be elected to serve the Crewe South ward on June 16 but the deadline for receipt of applications to register, or to amend or cancel existing postal vote arrangements, is June 1.

New applications to vote by post must also be received by that date. Postal voting packs will be sent out on or around June 3.

Anybody unsure if they are registered to vote can check now by calling Cheshire East Council’s electoral services department on 0300 123 5016.

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on election day. Registered electors will receive their poll cards shortly, which show the polling station where they can cast their vote.

A total of six candidates will stand for two vacant council seats available in Crewe South.

The Cheshire East elections were held on May 5, but the election for Crewe South was postponed following the death of Councillor Betty Howell.

The candidates are as follows:

AHMED, Jubeyar CON
FLUDE, Dorothy Hilda LAB
HOGBEN, Steven William LAB
ICKE, Robert John LIB DEM
SMITH, Lisa Ellen LIB DEM
TURNBULL, Steve, CON

Cheshire East Council Chief Executive, Erika Wenzel, said: “I urge all registered electors in Crewe South to vote, so they can have their say on important matters and issues that affect their lives.”

The election will be held on Thursday, June 16 and the count will take place during the evening at the Municipal Buildings in Crewe.

Residents urged to air views on Crewe Green Link Road

Residents in Crewe still have time to air their views on a major project which will help shape the future of the town.

A three-week pre-planning application consultation ends this week (Friday, May 27), in which people can give their views on the proposed Crewe Green Link Road scheme – a key component in the All Change for Crewe project.

Three successful consultation events have already been held but residents can still visit www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/allchangeforcrewe and fill in a questionnaire to help shape this vital step in making Crewe a gateway to the north.

Caroline Simpson, head of regeneration at Cheshire East, said: “It is very important that people have the opportunity to make comments and to find out more about this scheme.

“This is why we are reminding residents that there is still time for those who have not yet commented to make sure their thoughts are known.

“This is a major project which is key to the future economic prosperity of Crewe.”

The link road would create an alternate bypass for Crewe, improving access to the A500 and M6 and alleviating traffic passing through the town.

It also is hoped it will unlock the potential of two major employment sites at Basford and facilitate the creation of new jobs in high-value employment over the next 20 years.

A planning application for the road will be submitted once the consultation period has been completed.

Cheshire archaeology in the spotlight at international conference

Cheshire’s archaeology is in the spotlight at an international conference in Copenhagen this week.

The conference, entitled the Preservation of Archaeological Remains in Situ, is being held at the National Museum of Denmark, in Copenhagen (from May 23-27), to discuss the latest expertise on how best to conserve and manage our heritage.

Archaeological excavations in Nantwich over the past 30 years have revealed the existence of exceptionally well-preserved organic artefacts.

These have survived due to the waterlogged conditions and include a wealth of wooden objects and structural timbers that date back to the Iron Age.

Nantwich is unique among Cheshire’s historic towns in this respect and the significance of the remains is comparable with those from nationally-important locations, such as York, Carlisle and Lincoln.

Cheshire East Heritage Champion Councillor Rachel Bailey, Cabinet member with responsibility for development management, said: “This is deserved recognition for Cheshire’s Archaeology Service.

“This work ensures that these amazing but fragile artefacts will be studied and preserved for future generations to marvel at and learn from.

“The report will be of invaluable help to other historic environment professionals, who can use it to share knowledge and experience, to evaluate lessons learned and generate new ideas for projects and practices.”

Nantwich was an important centre for salt production and excavations have produced spectacular evidence of well-preserved large Roman timber brine cisterns and huge hollowed-out medieval tree-trunks, known as ‘salt ships’, which served to store brine. Part of one of these salt ships is on display at Nantwich Museum.

Jill Collens, Cheshire East’s lead archaeologist, says “In an attempt to understand more about these waterlogged deposits, the Nantwich Waterlogged Deposits Project has been set up by archaeologists in Cheshire East Council, funded by English Heritage, with work being carried out by environmental consultants SLR Consulting.

“Samples have been taken across the town to establish the precise extent and depth of the deposits at different locations and to understand their current state of preservation.”

The project will provide information on the threat to archaeological deposits from drying out. This will help ensure the survival of the town’s archaeological heritage and its timber-framed buildings through sustainable development.

A management strategy has been produced and the stability of the waterlogged deposits in the town are being monitored and measured over the next three years.

Tim Malim, principal archaeologist at SLR Consulting, will present the latest results of the work in Nantwich at the conference in Copenhagen, where work from sites in the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Canada and Turkey will also be discussed.

Cheshire East Planning Consultation process flawed

In December 2010, Willaston Green Gap Action Team submitted a petition of 1231 signatures to Cheshire East Council objecting to the fact that the Green Gap around Willaston was not included in the draft Core Strategy Issues and Options Consultation document issued on 4th November 2010.

Last week, Cheshire East published a 29 page response to the Consultation. This states on page 5:
“The response to the consultation includes 1295 comments, from 460 separate consultees. A petition, requesting the retention of the Green Gap boundary in the Willaston area, on the edge of Crewe, was also received. The petition contains 1,231 signatures. Although the consultation was based on a questionnaire, a large proportion of consultees chose to submit their comments via letter or e-mail, rather than complete the questionnaire.”

The population of Cheshire East is approximately 383,600 people. Therefore a response of 460 (excluding the Willaston petition) represents a response of only slightly more than one tenth of one percent. When representatives from Willaston Green Gap Action Team met with representatives from the Spatial Planning team in March, they were told that this was thought to be a “normal response”. Willaston Green Gap Action Team consider this to be an extremely poor response indicating that the consultation process is flawed.

The consultation responses were requested via a portal on the Cheshire East website, which Willaston residents reported as being difficult to use and that they were only aware of through the actions of the Willaston Green Gap Action Team.

The Consultation report can be viewed at:
http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning/spatial_planning/local_development_framework/core_strategy_dpd/report_of_consultation.aspx

Willaston Green Gap Action Team can be found on facebook – search for “savethegreengap”
or can be contacted by emailing savethegreengap@hotmail.co.uk

Monday, 23 May 2011

Great Council Rip OFF

In Crewe we have all ways had a 0800 number to report rubbish or contact the council for problems with bin collections. It been very good as if there is rubbish in the area you can ring up free and get the rubbish moved normally the next day.

We have now gone onto the recycle bins and our bins weren't due to be emptied for over 3 weeks so I rang the council on their new number on the bin collection leaflet 0300 1235011. It took them time to get me to the right person who then had to ask someone else.

The was still a problem so a couple of days later I rang again to get it sorted.

Then I got a shock as my phone bill from BT arrived and the cost of calling the council was £2 per call so its cost me £4 to sort out their cock up. People need to be warned that if you want to talk to the council now its going to cost you mega bucks its a total rip off. Lots of people on low income will get some shocks when they see the price and many wont be able to call anymore due to high cost.

Before you call the council beware of the cost

Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald reappointed

Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald reappointed as Leader of Cheshire East – and health expert boosts Cabinet team

Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald has been reconfirmed as the Leader of Cheshire East Council.

The Conservative, who represents Wilmslow West and Chorley Ward was formally elected to the post at a meeting of Full Council today (Wednesday, May 18).

Cllr Fitzgerald, who is also the leader of the Conservative Group and Chairman of the Cabinet with responsibilities for resources, has led Cheshire East Council since it was formed as a new unitary authority on April 1, 2009.

He unveiled an unchanged Cabinet team – except for the introduction of a new member to replace health and wellbeing portfolio holder Cllr Andrew Knowles, who lost his seat at the local elections.

Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald said: “I am honoured and proud to have maintained the confidence of my party group and the elected council members to be re-elected to lead Cheshire East Council.

“Cheshire East is a new authority and, as it enters its third year, projects are still in progress but not yet matured. This situation led me to believe that I would have been standing back from unfinished business if I had not chosen to stand again for the leadership of the Council.

“With regards to the major changes which will take place within the NHS, I believe that over the next five years, the joining together of primary care and public health is an absolute necessity.

“It will be vital from at least two view points: firstly, for joined-up provision of preventative health care and the promotion of good health and, secondly, for greater co-operation and coordination in provision of care for the sick.

“My Cabinet is essentially the same strong, capable and committed team – but with one new and talented recruit.

“Reflecting my comments on the growing importance of joined-up health care, I have appointed new member Cllr Peter Hayes to oversee the health and wellbeing portfolio.

“Cllr Hayes has considerable experience within the health service, having chaired the Macclesfield NHS Trust for 11 years and sat on national health committees.

“The composition of the Cabinet is now one which has matured into an effective group, who know each other and work well together as a team. This is an essential prerequisite to meeting the challenges ahead – most significantly, delivering more for less for the people of Cheshire East.

“We have a lean budget this year and we are still shaping the workforce to the true needs of the services.

“We look forward to performing effectively and preparing Cheshire East to be an excellent and exemplary Council for the benefit of all our residents.”

The Cabinet members are:

● Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald, Council Leader, Chairman of the Cabinet with responsibilities for resources;

● Cllr Roland Domleo, Deputy Leader, responsibilities for adult services;

● Cllr Rachel Bailey, responsibilities for safer and stronger communities;

● Cllr Peter Hayes, responsibilities for health and wellbeing;

● Cllr Rod Menlove, responsibilities for environmental services;

● Cllr David Brown, responsibilities for performance and capacity;

● Cllr Peter Mason, responsibilities for procurement, assets and shared services;

● Cllr Hilda Gaddum, responsibilities for children and family services;

● Cllr Jamie Macrae, responsibilities for prosperity.

Crewe housing scheme wins excellence award

A £4.5 million Council-backed project to enhance a Wulvern Housing estate in Crewe has scooped a major award for excellence.

Cheshire East has supported Wulvern to transform the Sherborne Road estate into a more attractive place to live.

And now it has won the Regeneration Scheme of the Year at the Housing Excellence Awards 2011 – beating off four other nationwide nominations.

The first phase of the scheme involved the demolition of 13 dilapidated properties to create more public space, the refurbishment of 53 houses, nine new homes, community facilities and traffic calming measures to increase road safety.

Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, said: “Cheshire East is extremely proud to support this project, which has successfully helped to regenerate a part of Crewe and create a better living environment for its residents.

“The aim was to create a sustainable community, make best use of existing accommodation and reduce anti-social behaviour and we hope to replicate this process in other parts of the Borough.

“This project is an excellent example of Cheshire East working with others to deliver for its residents.”

Councillor Peggy Martin, ward member for Crewe East, added: “I was very impressed with the improvements when I walked around the estate. It is good to see better parking facilities and the new houses are beautiful to look at. I am confident that the residents will benefit from this scheme.”

Private sector housing officers will shortly be releasing information on the advice and assistance which is to be made available to owner occupiers on the next phases of the development to help them to improve their homes.

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

MP’S News

Welcome ...

Welcome to this my 82nd electronic news bulletin.

This week the Government announced a £60 million commitment to get more vulnerable young people into work. Boosting Apprenticeships and radical reforms to transform vocational education are part of a series of measures outlined by the Government to prioritise youth employment, and tackle some of the long term structural barriers that stop some young people from getting a job and starting their career.

I took the opportunity from this announcement to highlight in the House of Commons the excellent work being done at the De Vere Catering Academy in Wychwood Park near Crewe where dozens of our young and aspiring local people are benefiting from taking part in high quality employer led apprenticeships that equip them with the skills they need to succeed in the job market.

This comes as over 100 large companies and tens of thousands of small companies around the country have responded to the Government's call and pledged to offer work experience places. In total the Government will provide funding for up to 250,000 more Apprenticeships over the next four years, and funding for 100,000 work placements over the next two years than would have happened under the previous Government.

I welcome the package of measures and believe they will address the serious problems of youth unemployment here in Cheshire and across the country.

Please remember, you can always contact me directly if you have any questions for me.

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Best wishes,

Edward Timpson
Member of Parliament for Crewe & Nantwich

I have recently ...

Held a Constituency Surgery at my office in Crewe
Met with the Strategic Director of Places at Cheshire East to discuss important issues and projects across Crewe
Met with a local business to discuss how the personal injury claims culture is affecting small businesses
Spoke in the House of Commons about work of the De Vere Catering Academy at Wychwood Park near Crewe and the vocational opportunities it is offering dozens of young and aspiring people in our local area
Officially opened new offices of rapidly expanding local business, The Green Electrician, who specialise in solar PV installation
Met with a constituent during the Royal National Institute for the Blind lobby of Parliament
Attended a special briefing in support of Credit Unions, in Parliament. We have a fantastic and expanding Cheshire Neighbours Credit Union based in Crewe of which I am a member. For details on how to join or benefit from their financial assistance and literacy support please contact them on 01270 586 217.

Photos & Video ...

Edward attends 100 Squadron (Nantwich) Air Training Corps' annual dinner

You can view all my photos and video at edwardtimpsonmp.com

Virgin London Marathon 2011