A Good Friday Passion Play

A Good Friday Passion Play took place in Crewe town centre on Friday 29th March 2013.  Reporter J White

The Play was organised by Churches Together in Crewe - http://www.crewechurches.org.uk - which is composed of churches serving the Crewe area.

Christians re-enacted the sequence of events from the entry to Jerusalem, the Passover Meal, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Play lasted an hour and weaved around Crewe town centre, including Victoria Street, the Square and Market Street, before concluding at Victoria Square.

Each sequence was narrated and accompanied by hymns played by a brass band and sung by the hundreds of people who attended.

Celebrations will take place in local churches over the Easter weekend.

I’ve uploaded all my photos to my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanawhite/sets/72157633119259868/

Teenage Cancer Trust

Reporter Jonathan White

A charity music night took place at The Market Tavern - http://www.themarkettavern-sandbach.co.uk/ - in Sandbach on Wednesday 27th March 2013.

The concert was in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust - http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/ - and acts included Dayve Dean, Jonathan Tarplee, Nick Bayes, Phil Maddocks, Dave Dove, Neil Smith, Liz Rosenfield, Geoff Mather and Nigel Kurtis Blonde.

The Market Tavern licensees Kevin McAvan and Steve Jones generously allowed their premises to be used at no charge for the concert. £282.36 was raised at the event for the charity.

Organiser Louise Gibson said, “I was motivated to organise the event by my cousin Lucy Pullen who has overcome a cancerous brain tumour. Lucy lives in Surrey and has setup a fund-raising committee to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. I was inspired by Lucy’s bravery and wanted to raise money to kit out specialist teenage units in hospitals. I would like to thank everyone for attending, Kevin & Steve for allowing us to use their premises and to the musicians for playing.”

Louise plans to organise another charity music concert for the Teenage Cancer Trust at The Market Tavern in July this year.

DEVELOPERS ASKED TO ADDRESS PARKING ISSUES ON NEW WILLASTON HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

 

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester is calling on developers to sort out the parking problems on a new housing development before it is adopted by the Council. (See below) He said,

" The developers need to take action to prevent vehicles cutting up the grass verges when they park on them and to stop non residents taking up the parking places of residents. This relatively new development of good quality private housing is being made to look unsightly due to thoughtless parking by a few. (see attached photos) Parking generally in the centre of Willaston is a major problem. Wistaston Road is the  main narrow road through the village, with rows of terraced houses, many of which have no off road parking.  This was an issue raised by the Parish Council and others when the planning application for the Meadow View development was submitted, but unfortunately the Planning Department chose to ignore the substantial objections and approve the development. Some of the residents have suggested that some of the grass verges could be removed to provide more parking space. Also a 'residents only parking' scheme could be considered."

Meadow View resident  Kerry Dennis said," The non-permitted vehicles are causing severe problems. Sometimes the vehicles can be very awkwardly parked and can prevent residents from entering and exiting with ease onto Wistaston Road."

Cllr Brian Silvester
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

Tel/fax 01270 567757

Call for all major public buildings to have heart defibrillators

 

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester is calling for more defibrillators  in major public buildings in the Borough and is supporting the national campaign (see below). He said," We know that with defibrillation, the survival chances increase from 10% to 75%. They are simple to use, computerised, tell you what to do, and it analyses the heart rhythm for you, shocking the patient out of an abnormal rhythm. They are a very cost effective way of saving lives. Cheshire East currently have defibrillators at Delamere House and the Municipal Buildings in Crewe, Macclesfield Town Hall, Westfields in Sandbach and Dalton House in Middlewich. We also have one in every leisure centre in Cheshire East. I am pleased with what Cheshire East has done but I would like to see more done, particularly in well used public buildings like the main libraries. I would have thought that some local charitable bodies could be persuaded to  help fund the provision of some more much needed defibrillators. I am also writing to the Crewe and Nantwich MP asking him to support the campaign"

Cllr Brian Silvester

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

Tel/fax 01270 56775

Give all public buildings heart defibrillators: Campaigners in appeal to David Cameron

23 Mar 2013 10:21

The campaign was launched after 12-year-old Oliver King suffered heart failure during a swimming lesson

Saved: Fabrice Muamba benefited from rapid treatment

David Cameron has been urged to order all public buildings to have a heart defibrillator in a bid to save hundreds of lives every year.

Campaigners including leading doctors, health experts and MPs have written to the prime minister asking him to consider changing the law to make the life-saving machines compulsory in every community.

The campaign, backed by England skipper Steven Gerrard, was launched following the death of 12-year-old Oliver King who suffered heart failure during a school swimming lesson in Liverpool.

His parents say more than a dozen young people die each week from undiagnosed heart problems.

A petition has been launched to try to force Parliament to discuss the issue.

The call for more machines also comes after the Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba nearly died during a match but was saved thanks to prompt treatment and the use of a defibrillator.

Oliver’s dad Mark King said the lifesaving machines must be made more widely available to spare other families the pain they have gone through.

He said: “Losing Oliver has driven us along because of the heartbreak that we’re suffering.

“We can’t stand by and read every day that children are dying. It’s just total devastation for the families and friends. We can’t let it go on.”

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is among those backing campaigners who want a full debate on the issue in Parliament. The group will meet at Westminster Hall on Monday to push the campaign forward.

London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, who is backing the campaign, said: “It has been supported by Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Fabrice Muamba. We hope we can get defibrillators installed in all public buildings.”

The 17th Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival

Jonathan White, Crewe

The 17th Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival - http://www.nantwichjazz.com - takes place over the Easter weekend. Organisers are expecting up to 40,000 people to attend the Festival over its five day period (Thursday 28th March to Monday 1st April) with over 100 performances at over a dozen pubs and venues in Nantwich. More than £1 million is expected to be injected into the town’s economy.

Entry to festival pub gigs is via a £6 wristband on sale from the Crown Hotel, Crewe Lyceum, Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich Tourist Information centre, the Nantwich Square or online.

Headline acts include The Blockheads, Shakatak, The Wonder Stuff, Sad Café and Courtney Pine.

The Cat (http://thecatat.com/) and Firenze (http://www.thenantwichnews.co.uk/) on Welsh Row and the Railway Hotel (http://www.railway-hotel.org/m.entertainment.html) on Pillory Street have their own Easter live entertainment, with free entry to all events.

Save Time, Do It Online – And Win An iPad!

 

Cheshire East Council residents can now view their Council Tax and Business Rates bills 24/7.

And if you sign up for the online Citizen’s Account service before May 31 (2013) you could win an iPad!

If you are a person or business liable to pay Council Tax or Business Rates, a Citizen’s Account lets you view your accounts and bills online. Landlords can access information about Housing Benefit payments made to them in respect of tenants.

This handy service is free, secure and easy to use – with no more bills to file or shred. You also get email notification when bills are issued.

Depending on which service you access, you will be able to view:

● A full statement of account;

● A list of your payments;

● The instalments to be paid;

● Discount or exemption details;

● Adobe PDF formatted version of your bills.

Councillor Peter Raynes, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member in charge of finance, said: “This is an excellent online service that does away with the hassle and extra cost of paper bills and lets people see their accounts 24/7 and take more control.

“Using the online service is quick, convenient and costs the Council and Council Tax payers far less to administer. Not only that, but if you sign up by May 31, you have a chance of winning a state-of-the-art iPad tablet.

“As a Council our revenues department receives more than 8,000 telephone queries and another 9,000 written communications each month. We also send around 350,000 paper bills and 60,000 reminders each year – with 18,000 court summonses issued.

“Going online will help make communication, simpler, faster and more cost effective. The average face-to-face revenues transaction costs the Council £7.40 – while web transactions cost us just 32p. Going online is clearly the way forward for the benefit of all taxpayers. I would urge all Council Tax payers to register to start saving time and hassle!”

To start your Citizen’s Account simply register online at:

www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/citizensaccount

Residents who apply to join the service by May 31 will be automatically entered into a prize draw with the chance to win an Apple iPad tablet computer donated by our software provider Gandlake – at no cost to the Council.

Feed your imagination and brush up on your art skills at Swirly Whirlys

St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice’s Swirly Whirlys crêperie, ice cream parlour and old fashioned sweet shop in Nantwich is inviting creative Cheshire residents to brush up on their art skills and make new friends at the same time.

The innnovative Swirly Whirlys shop, based at 6 Pillory Street, officially opened its doors in November and has quickly established itself as a popular and tasty hit with the local community.

And now the unique store, which is certainly a tasty treat for eyes both young and old, has launched new weekly art drawing classes for adults, held every Wednesdays from 11am-1pm.

The classes are led by a qualified art teacher and cost £10 per person, which includes a crêpe and a drink. And of course all the proceeds from the classes go to the local hospice.

St Luke’s Retail and Operations Manager Steven Holmes commented: “We’re delighted to have our art classes up and running in our fantastic studio.

“To begin with, the classes will focus on still-life pencil drawing however we would love to extend this to include water colours and more in time.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to improve your skills, or even learn a brand new one, in great company.

“You can also treat yourself to a mouth-watering array of freshly cooked crêpes.

“Swirly Whirlys is a feast for the eyes and imagination so what better place to be creative.”

Classes are limited to eight people a session so booking is essential.

Over £6500 a day is needed for St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice to open its doors every day, and the majority of that money is found through fundraising and donations.

Aimed at children, their parents and grandparents, the historic three-story Swirly Whirlys encompasses a luxurious traditional sweet shop where children can indulge in a treat to eat, while parents can relax and also enjoy wonderful food. There is a fabulous craft studio incorporating a party area, plus throughout the store you’ll find plenty of wonderful gift ideas.

Swirly Whirlys staff and volunteers are also excited about the soon to open Butterfly Garden at the rear of the shop, the perfect place to spend time on a spring day.

For more information or to book your party call 01606 555870 or email Nantwich@stlukes-hospice.co.uk.

Seasonal enforcement targets motorcyclists

 

Cheshire Police will be out on patrol over the Easter period as part of a motorcycle enforcement operation which is running over the initial dates of March 23/24 & 30/31st April 6/7th & 13/14th.

Operation Caesar II will be a joint effort by North Wales Police and Cheshire Police to provide a high policing presence in a bid to reduce motorcycle casualties.  Historically, the force area experiences a seasonal increase in the number of collisions during the spring/summer period where it is evident that riders on high powered bikes can take risks and as a consequence are likely to become involved in collisions.

The operation has been launched to coincide with a period when a high number of motorcyclists are likely to be on the roads, such as Bank Holiday weekends and for specific motorbike events.  Officers will be pulling over motorcyclists for moving traffic offences concerning speed, dangerous driving or excessive noise.   

National statistics show that a number of fatal and serious road traffic collisions involve motorcycles which occur on a small number of strategic roads throughout the force area - in particular specific "gateways" which carry motorcycling traffic into North Wales or onward through the county using renowned motorcycle routes.

During 2012, seven out of the eight motorcycle fatal road collisions in Cheshire occurred over the weekend period, two on a Saturday and five on a Sunday. This trend has continued into 2013, where three of the five fatal collisions to date have involved motorcycles, two of which have occurred on a Saturday.

It is hoped that the operation will reduce the number of collisions involving motorcycles throughout the force area but also give officers the chance to engage with motorcyclists by promoting ‘Bikesafe’ − a police led motorcycle project that is run by most forces throughout the UK, helping to reduce the number of bikers being hurt on the roads.

As part of the enforcement activity, Cheshire Police will also be watching road users; that may endanger motorcyclists on the road for moving offences such as using mobile phones or speeding whilst driving.

Boost for Crewe with new road to be built at Basford West

 

Cheshire East Council has successfully bid for £2.7m of Government to build a new link road built on the edge of Crewe which will unlock opportunities for growth in jobs, housing and prosperity.

The £4.7m* Basford West spine road will be built between the Shavington junction of the A500 and Gresty Road. This will help the town to realise its economic potential as part of the All Change for Crewe programme.

The half-mile stretch of road will improve access to Crewe railway station and then on into the town centre and will present opportunities to develop the existing land in the Basford West area for retail and leisure developments and also for much-needed new homes.

The land will also be earmarked for commercial use, including rail-related development such as the proposal for a HS2 infrastructure maintenance depot. In total, this will provide more than 2,000 new jobs and an additional £40m of value to Crewe’s economy.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “This is more excellent news for Crewe and further proves this Council’s commitment to helping this town to grow and thrive again.

“It also shows that this Government is taking Crewe seriously as a place for investment, because it recognises the town’s huge economic potential.

“The road itself will provide excellent local and strategic links to Crewe and Nantwich as well as the A500 and M6. It will ease traffic on the existing roads in the area and offer relief to other routes into Crewe, such as the A5020 and Weston Road.”

It is one of two bids Cheshire East Council submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) for a share of its Local Pinch Point Fund.

The authority is now waiting to hear whether it has been successful in applying for £2.8m to widen the B5078, which leads to the M6 at junction 16 at Barthomley.

Work is set to begin on the spine road in spring 2014 and will complement the construction of the Crewe Green Link Road, currently planned for May 2014. Works will be co-ordinated to minimise impact on the existing road network with the target completion date of the spine road being September 2014.

For more information and to view the bids, type ‘pinch point funding’ into the search engine at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

Public support police tweet-a-thon

 

Cheshire Police joined more than 100 other forces around the world in a ‘tweet-a-thon′ to increase awareness about the work of the police.

The social media marathon ran for 24 hours, starting at 8am on Friday 22 March, using the hashtag #poltwt.

The tweets provided a snapshot of what was happening across the force during this time, with a focus on anti-social behaviour and alcohol abuse.

More than 100 tweets were made from the Constabulary Twitter account during the event. They were retweeted more than 300 times and received more than 200 replies.

The event resulted in a 10% increase in the number of followers on the account.

Front line officers from the neighbourhood policing teams contributed during the day and custody suites tweeted about alcohol incidents throughout the night.

The Force Control Centre was also involved, tweeting about 999 calls and real-time alcohol incidents as they came in.

Deputy Chief Constable Helen King said: "The tweet-a-thon was an excellent opportunity for us to engage with the public and raise awareness about what we do as a force.

"The response from the public was overwhelmingly positive and it was pleasing to see social media being used to reach out to the communities that we serve."

"Thank you to everyone who was involved in making it a success."

The event was also used to raise awareness about Cheshire Police campaigns, including the ‘Think! Car′ drink drive campaign and the ‘Rape Shatters Lives′ campaign.

For more information about the campaigns, visit the Cheshire Police website: http://www.cheshire.police.uk.

To follow Cheshire Police on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/cheshirepolice.

Police appeal to witnesses following theft from Crewe retail park

 

Police are appealing for witnesses to the theft of a number of mobile phones from a shop in Crewe.

At 6.35pm on Thursday 14 March 2013, three men entered the Carphone Warehouse and pulled 26 mobile phones from a display.

They then fled from the store across the retail park towards Earle Street.

The first offender is described as white, tall and in his late 20s. He was wearing a blue woolly hat and a blue bomber jacket.

The second offender is white, small and in his mid 20s. He was wearing a black woolly hat and dark clothing.

The third offender is black, slim, tall and in his 20s. He was wearing a black woolly hat.

DC Mike Rushton said: "We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw these men running from the scene towards Earle Street and getting into a vehicle.

"Anyone with information should contact me on 101 quoting incident number 836 of 14 March 2013. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

Cheshire East highways team fights heavy snowfall

Cheshire East Council’s highways team is continuing its battle against the current extreme weather.

The team has worked around the clock across Cheshire East since snow arrived in the early hours of Friday morning and all low-level routes are now clear and town centre streets have been treated.

However, it is still fighting to clear blocked roads in the north east of the Borough. Communities in Wincle and Wildboarclough have experienced heavy snowfall and drifting of snow which is causing routes to become blocked.

Highways staff are now digging out the minor routes into these areas to access isolated farms and communities. As of today, the A54 Macclesfield to Buxton road, A537 Macclesfield to Buxton road and the B5470 Macclesfield to Whaley Bridge road have reopened and are passable with care.

Councillor David Topping, Cabinet member in charge of the environment, said: “Continued snow drifts and abandonment of vehicles makes it much harder for our teams to do their jobs.

“But I must say they are really pulling out all the stops to keep the roads of Cheshire East clear and they deserve a lot of praise for this.

“There was a problem at the weekend where a milk tanker struggled to get access to farms in the Wincle area. But the highways team, farmers and our farming contractors all worked hard to clear the roads so these supplies could get through.

“Meanwhile, we have several JCBs excavating paths through the high snow drifts as well as our local farming contractors and local hill farmers working to maintain access to the roads which have been opened up by the JCBs.

“It will remain very cold this week with a minor threat of snow showers so it is still advisable to only take to the roads unless necessary.”

Keep an eye on the @CheshireEast and @CECHighways Twitter feeds for updates.

Show your pride in Crewe Alex!

 

Cheshire East Council is urging people to get behind Crewe Alexandra when they play in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy next weekend.

The Alex take on Southend United on Sunday, April 7, in what will be the club’s first-ever cup final appearance at Wembley Stadium and a second visit to the home of English football after they won the League Two Play-Off Final last May.

And the Council will be involved in the build up to the big occasion when its Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dorothy Flude, visits the Alexandra Stadium tomorrow (Wednesday, March 27) to meet the manager, Steve Davis, the players and see the trophy the team is vying to win.

The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, which is contested between all 48 teams from the Football Leagues One and Two, will be on display in the club shop at the Gresty Road stadium from 3pm-6pm tomorrow.

There will be opportunities for people to come in and have their pictures taken with the trophy and players and get autographs.

Councillor Stewart Gardiner, Cabinet support member for health and adult social care, which includes responsibilities for leisure, said: “We want Cheshire East to be a place with strong and supportive communities so we very much want to show our support for Crewe Alex in the cup final. On behalf of all at Cheshire East I wish them the very best of luck.

“Crewe is a town on the up and we should all want to show our pride in the town and continue to support all our sportsmen and women.

“I hope everyone gets behind the team at Wembley and I would encourage all those who can to make their way to the Alexandra Stadium tomorrow to meet the manager, players and our Deputy Mayor with the trophy.”

Cheshire East Council makes public the cost of the Lyme Green investigation

 

As part of its policy of being more open and transparent in its activities, Cheshire East Council has today made public the cost of the engagement of expert legal advice and of a Designated Independent Person to complete the investigation of allegations about the actions of a number of senior staff at the Council, in connection with the Lyme Green development project.

Council Leader Councillor Michael Jones said: “In setting up this independent investigation, we wanted to ensure that there was a full and robust account of what had actually taken place in relation to Lyme Green.

“We knew in advance that the use of a Designated Independent Person (DIP) would not be a cheap option but, given the level of public concern about the matter, we felt this was a necessary price to pay.

“We have worked closely with the DIP, which has enabled the time taken to complete the review to be shortened, as well as giving us very clear outcomes in his comprehensive report. Actions have been taken or are in hand on all these recommendations.

“We have also engaged the services of an expert legal adviser to assist this process, particularly in supporting the work of our staffing sub-committee, which considered the report of the DIP. The full costs of all this vital work have now been identified as £225,000.

“As promised earlier, we will shortly issue a summary of the findings of the DIP, whose report must remain confidential, and this will demonstrate that we have acted on the lessons to be learned from these unusual events.

“My hope would be that we can now draw a line under this episode and move forward more positively to deliver the very best services we can for the people of Cheshire East.”

A horse with a website?

 

A new yard, Lakeside Livery, based near Crewe in Cheshire, has taken on a project horse…who now has his own website and following!

Chester, also known as Golden Folly, is a 16.2hh chestnut Thoroughbred gelding, just turned 9 years old. He was bred by Angmering Park Stud in West Sussex which is owned by the Duchess of Norfolk. On average Angmering Park breed on average about 14 foals each year, all of which are trained as racehorses.

Chester raced on the flat eight times, with five different jockeys, and came third once. Videos of Chester racing can be seen on the website for Racing Post. After being unsuccessful on the racetrack, he was then sold. We are not sure how many homes he has had since, but we know he has had at least three before coming to us here at Lakeside Livery, where we took him on as a project horse to spend time with and develop him.

Lakeside Livery is an exclusive full livery yard that has just opened and to almost prove our capabilities, we took Chester on and gave him his very own website to document his training and development.

Since starting the website, Chester has become a little bit famous. We have had people call up asking about him and wanting to come and visit him, free equine complimentary therapy sessions, even free bags of feed for him!

We would love Chester to be a successful competition horse – whether that be in dressage, showjumping, eventing or any other discipline. Our plan is to take our time with him, find out what he enjoys and what he is good at. We will then try to develop him in that area.

We have adopted a soft spot for Chester and we are not going to spend 6 months with him and then ship him off somewhere else. He will be with us for at least a couple of years – hopefully for life.

Watch this space to see how he develops!

Website: http://chester.lakesidelivery.co.uk/

Email: chester@lakesidelivery.co.uk

Tel: 01270 820218

Press notes: High resolutions images available on request. For any more information, you can contact Roseanna Sunley – Roseanna@lakesidelivery.co.uk / 07772040568

The below photographs were taken exactly 20 days apart. Even though that is such a small time space, you can start to see how his body is starting to change - he is starting to fill out and muscle is starting to develop.

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPEDoWEdzOE&list=HL1364153401&feature=mh_lolz

Crewe-Nantwich Greenway: OPEN

 

A wide-range of characters from Cheshire East’s past and present attended the official opening of a 4km traffic-free rural corridor between Crewe and Nantwich.

Mayor of Cheshire East Councillor George Walton cut the ribbon to mark the end of six years of hard work on the Sustrans Connect 2 Crewe-Nantwich Greenway, set well back from the A530 Middlewich Road.

Cllr Walton was accompanied by Cabinet member in charge of the environment Cllr David Topping, Crewe Mayor Cllr Margaret Martin, the chairman of the stakeholder group Cllr Arthur Moran as well as an array of dog walkers, cyclists, runners, horse riders and skateboarders on the first day of spring. 

There was also a Roman soldier, a roundhead civil war solider and a Crewe railway man present. All three characters are represented in steel around a customised portrait bench close to the road leading up to Alvaston Hall Hotel. This is a feature of Connect 2 routes across the country and is designed to represent the area’s history.

A toucan crossing has also been installed close to the Rising Sun pub to allow people to access the greenway across the busy A530. The speed limit has also been reduced.

The greenway is a joint project between the Council and sustainable transport charity Sustrans.

The route will increase the number of people walking and cycling in south Cheshire by offering them a traffic-free way of getting between the two towns, linking to shops, schools and major employment areas within Cheshire East. This will bring health as well as environmental benefits.

Cllr David Topping said: “I am delighted that this greenway is now officially open and it opens up parts of the countryside that have previously been inaccessible.

“As a Council we are committed to supporting sustainable forms of transport and this greenway now allows people to walk and cycle between these two towns.

“The welcome addition of new crossing installed on the busy A530 should also make it much safer for people wanting to access the greenway.”

Cllr Walton said: “It was an honour to officially open this new greenway and it was great to see so many people there who will all be able to use this new route.

“Hopefully it will persuade more people to leave the car at home and get out in the fresh air and take some exercise.

“I am sure that Cheshire East residents will be making use of this greenway for years to come.”

Peter Foster, regional director for Sustrans, said: “Our experience on the previous 14,000 miles of the National Cycle Network has us convinced that we’ll see lots of walkers, cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchairs out enjoying this new route. 

“With the help of our partners and local campaigners we’ve created an attractive traffic-free journey from the Barony to Queens Park. 

“Choosing to walk or cycle for short journeys – such as to work, to school or to the railway station – is good for your health, it’s good for the planet and it’s good for your wallet.”

 

The Crewe to Nantwich Greenway was officially opened on Wednesday 20th March 2013.

The route runs from Tipkinder Park in Crewe, through (and around) Queens Park, around King George V playing fields to the Rising Sun Inn, then west through the fields alongside the A530 Middlewich Road to Barony Park where it ends at Beam Street in Nantwich. It will give pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists a traffic-free route between Crewe and Nantwich. The western section from the Rising Sun Inn to Barony Park has been designed to accommodate horse riders. 

A ribbon cutting ceremony by Councillor Peggy Martin (Mayor of Crewe), Councillor George Walton (Mayor of Cheshire East Borough) and Councillor Arthur Moran (Nantwich Town Council) took place at the 'Portrait Bench', located by the entrance to Alvaston Hall. The ceremony was also attended by walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders. 

The Portrait Bench features life-size sheet steel effigies of a Roman Soldier, a Civil War Roundhead and a Railwayman: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/portraitbench

The route was funded by the Big Lottery Fund, constructed by William Pye Ltd and promoted by Sustrans (sustainable transport charity).

Nantwich Weather

All roads and paths into Nantwich are currently clear. The remaining snow is melting away as the temperature stays above freezing point. See pics taken this afternoon at Nantwich Lake, Water-Lode by the River Weaver, the Town Square and St Mary's Church.Jonathan White, Crewe

Police advise public not to remove road closure signs

 

Snow and ice continues to affect roads across the county.

This has created dangerous conditions for motorists and has led to a number of roads being closed.

Cheshire Police is asking that the public do not remove road closure signs as they are putting other motorists at risk who may not be familiar with the area.

Car Thefts

Please be aware that there have been several incidents of thefts from vehicles over the past week. These include vehicles parked on residential driveways in hours of darkness. Many of these incidents have involved unattended insecure vehicles. Please ensure that you dramatically reduce the risk of becoming a victim by ensuring you secure your vehicle when left, even if only for a short period. Any items of value which are left on show can often increase the chance that a thief will find it worthwhile to break into a vehicle so please be sure to remove all items from sight. This includes sat navs, mobile phones, bags, and even loose change.

A large proportion of vehicle crime is committed by opportunist thieves.  Don't make it easy for them, remember that your vehicle can be like a shop window for thieves so don't advertise your goods to them.  Would be thieves are not only interested in seemingly valuable items they will steal almost anything from a vehicle so make sure you consider removing some of the more obscure items that might be in your car.
If you leave any of the items in the following list on show in your car you are making your vehicle vulnerable:
Bank Cards
Briefcases
CD'S / Tapes
Cheque Books
Coats or Clothing (Old or New)
Credit Cards
Handbags
Loose Change
Mobile Phones
Purse/Wallet
Satellite Navigation Systems
Shopping Bags (Even if used to store an item of no value - remember it might be worth a passing thieves while to break in to see what is in the bag)
Sports Bags and Equipment
Stereo (Detachable Front Panels)
Sunglasses (Designer and non-branded)
If you can see any items left in your vehicle so can a thief!
Please ask all members to be conscious of this not only when at home but whilst out and about.

Snowfall affects roads across the County - Advice to drivers

 

Snowfall across the county during the night has continued into this morning, and motorists are urged to take extra care.
Snow has created dangerous and slippy road conditions in many areas, particularly Macclesfield, Congleton and the Cat and Fiddle. In West Cheshire roads are particularly affected in the Kelsall Hill and A51 areas.
The motorway network is passable with care but delays are to be expected. Please check the Highways Authority website for more updates.

Police are offering the following advice:
1. Only make journeys that are absolutely necessary.
2. Ensure your car is fully defrosted with full visibility.
3. Maintain a safe and constant speed and avoid sudden braking that can cause your car to skid.

Collective Energy Switching Campaign Gathers Pace

 

Almost 2,000 Cheshire East residents have signed up to the Collective Energy Switching campaign since it launched last month.

The number of people interested in getting a better deal on their energy bills is rising each day as similar campaigns sweep the country. Cheshire East Council has joined forces with other local authorities as part of this campaign.

The energy provider offering the best deal will win our ‘collective custom’ during a reverse auction held on April 9. More than 35,000 households from the 50 local authorities involved have already registered.

People are being urged to register their interest by April 8 by either visiting: www.energytogether.co.uk or by calling 0300 123 5035. One person can register up to four other households through email and there’s no obligation to commit until after the auction is held.

Councillor Janet Clowes, Cabinet member in charge of health and adult social care, said: “We really need as many people as possible to sign up so that we can get the best deal when we go to auction in April.

“This is all about putting power back into the hands of people and beating the energy price rises that can cause so many vulnerable people to suffer fuel poverty during the harsh winters.”

Benefit fraudster ordered to repay money

 

Cheshire East Council has successfully clawed back more than £140,000 from a convicted benefit fraudster.

The Authority’s consumer protection and investigations team secured a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act against Syed Sabur Ali for £142,055.54.

Ali, 61, had previously pleaded guilty of six counts of dishonestly making a false statement or representation by failing to declare that he had capital exceeding £16,000 with a view to obtaining housing and council tax benefit, following a prosecution by the Council’s benefit fraud team. 

Ali was found to have benefitted from a criminal lifestyle to an extent of £166,960.89 and had £142,055.54 of assets available for the purposes of confiscation.

At Chester Crown Court (on March 14), Ali, of Osprey Drive, in Wilmslow, was told that he must pay £15,251.90 within 28 days of the order and the remaining £126,803.64 within six months of the order or face an 18-month default prison sentence and still be liable for payment of the order.

Councillor Les Gilbert, Cabinet member in charge of communities and regulatory services, said: “This case sends out a clear message that we will not only go after people who commit benefit fraud, but that we will also look to deprive them of the proceeds of their crime wherever possible. 

“The benefit system is there to help those who need it most. Abuse of this system will not be tolerated.

“This investigation sends out a clear message that crime doesn’t pay.”

Bell Ringers Wanted

Jonathan White

St. Mary's Church - http://www.stmaryswistaston.org.uk/ in Wistaston require new bell ringers, aged 10 years and over. For further information please come to the Church before any Sunday morning (10:40am) service or to any Monday evening (8-9pm) practice session.

The Wistaston Singers

Jonathan White (on behalf of Phil Houghton).

Over seventy people watched The Wistaston Singers choir perform a concert at St. Mary's Church, Church Lane in Wistaston on the evening of Saturday 16^th March 2013. Phil Houghton was the Musical Director and also introduced each song and soloist. The programme included soloists Sally Thompson (violin), Christopher White (ukulele) and Phil Houghton himself on the organ. Jane Hale was also the accompanist for the evening. The choir sang Sing a Song of Sixpence (Diack), Someone to Watch over Me (Gershwin), Les Misérables (Schonberg), Some Enchanted Evening (Rodgers), You'll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers and Hammerstein), The Music of the Night (Lloyd Webber), Ave Verum (Mozart), Phantom of the Opera (Lloyd Webber), Stranger in Paradise (Wright and Forrest), All I Ask of You (Lloyd Webber) and A Clare Benediction (Rutter). The audience was invited to join in for the finale which was Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (Hughes). Refreshments were served during the interval. Proceeds will go to St. Mary's Church funds.

Musical Director Phil Houghton said, “We were delighted to sing at St. Mary's Church as a way of thanking them for their hospitality when we had to move our rehearsal venue from Nantwich for ten weeks last year. It was an evening that was enjoyed by all and a great start to this year’s series of concerts by the choir, which will include an away day and concert in Bakewell in Derbyshire on 11th May.”

The Wistaston Singers were originally formed by members of the choir at St Mary's Parish Church, Wistaston in May 2000 and now number over forty members singing four-part harmony music. The choir perform a variety and eclectic choice of music ranging from choral church music and anthems, Gilbert and Sullivan items, music from the shows, music from modern composers such as John Rutter encompassing from the 15th century to the 20th century. They perform up to five concerts a year at various venues in south Cheshire and one concert out of area as an ‘Away day experience’. The choir is also available to perform at weddings in the area. The choir rehearse weekly in the parish rooms of St Mary's Church, Nantwich on a Wednesday evening from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. New members are welcome and further details may be obtained from Choir Secretary Jill Oakes, Tel: 01270 662940 and email: jillandjohnoakes@uwclub.net

Weaver Way

Jonathan White, Crewe

On Saturday 16^th March this year myself and a friend (Mark) walked part of the Weaver Way. The Weaver Way - http://www.discovercheshire.co.uk/Route.aspx?refnum=DC067&region=1 - is 40 miles long and stretches from Frodsham in the north to its most southerly point at Audlem and includes sections of the River Weaver and Navigation, the Trent and Mersey, and Shropshire Union Canals. We walked the section from Audlem to Nantwich, which was 6 miles in length and followed the Shropshire Union Canal. The route regularly features boards with local information relating to the immediate vicinity. I recommend anyone interested in the outdoors to visit the website and walk all or part of the route. It's all good for the body & mind!

50 Shades of Grey

The books 50 Shades of Grey is sweeping the world and in some places stores are running out of rope as women rush out the buy it to try some of the bondage in the book. Its often misunderstood art as people think of it as sadism but that is a separate thing. Bondage is a sensual act between two consenting adults and is general fun. Now its come locally to Facebook  so local people can discuss and post pictures meet up etc.

The Facebook page offers pictures, tutors for beginners  and stories. Its normally NOT porn as most of it is tastefully done. Because of the 50 Shades of Grey there is an explosion of websites on the subject and BBWs(Big Busty Women) are in very high demand  and the FB page offers people the chance to start there own website.

What is amazing is the money a housewife started a site from her own front room posting pictures and videos and she now sells from her site over 250,000 units a month. Some units may only be 50p for a photo but videos sell from £5-£20 so no matter how you work out that many units it’s a lot of money every month and as its hosted state side no income tax. So pop over to FB and see what its all about your Bound to Love it.   

CREWE ALLOTMENTS DISPOSAL PROCESS CRITICISED

 

The process by which all the Council allotments in Crewe are to be disposed of has been criticised. Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester said, " I was approached by a constituent who rents an allotment in Crewe and he was very concerned. I have now managed to ascertain that the plan is to transfer the allotments to the new Crewe Town Council,on a 150 year lease, when it is elected later in the year but this is not mentioned in the public notices that have been published.( See notes below) The Borough Council have no way of knowing if the Town Council will  want to lease the allotments so the action is premature and could lead to an unnecessary loss of Council funds. Even if the Town Council are interested other parties could outbid them for the allotments. The Borough Council are trying to move forward in a mad rush and are in danger of becoming seriously unstuck. It is as if they have learned nothing from the Lyme Green fiasco. Cheshire East are moving forward without proper consultation with the allotment holders and local residents. This is just the latest example of where  a decision has taken place before any consultation has begun. The Borough Council need to get their act together."

SPENDING £210,000 ON GREAT CRESTED NEWTS IS A DISGRACEFUL WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester says he is appalled that  £210k of public money is to be spent building a pond for 18 newts made homeless by A500 Crewe Green link road. That is a cost of,  an unbelievable, £11,600 per newt, Six years ago I revealed that protecting just 56 great crested newts during the building of the A500 Shavington by-pass cost a staggering £414,479 ( 1.5% of the total cost of the scheme) or £7,400 for each newt protected.

He said," This is a total waste of public money. The huge amount of resources devoted to creating new habitats for great crested newts by private developers and public bodies is an incredible and unnecessary waste. The requirement to find new habitats for newts, when development takes place, is an European Union (EU) Directive requirement because these newts are rare in some EU countries but they certainly are not rare in this country. They are found on virtually every major development site across the country. I have written  to the Crewe and Nantwich MP calling on him to ask the Government to take urgent action to have the UK exempted form this ridiculous EU Directive.This directive is costing the taxpayer millions every year and is adding unnecessarily to the cost of new housing and other developments like much needed new roads and employment sites."

Cllr Brian Silvester BA (Hons)
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Tel/fax 01270 567757

A500 Shavington Bypass – road closure to allow resurfacing repairs

 

The A500 Shavington Bypass will see lane closures over two days this week to allow urgent repairs to the road surface.

The eastbound lane will be closed between 9.30am and 4pm, on Thursday, March 14.

On Friday, (March 15) the westbound lane will be closed between 9.30am and 4pm.

The road surface is particularly in need of repair on the approach to several of the roundabouts. It had been hoped that the work could be done overnight (Monday to Wednesday) however, the sub-zero temperatures have prevented this being possible.

The Council apologises for any inconvenience the lane closures may cause motorists. However, the priority has to be the safety of road users and the repairs are now urgent.

● Note: Information about gritting and gritting routes can be found on the Cheshire East Council website – www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

Police tighten up on seatbelts

 

As part of a European wide road policing campaign, Monday 11^th to 17^th March marks seatbelt enforcement week.

Operation Macaroon has been launched by Cheshire Police in response to this with targeted enforcement across Cheshire and this will be operational all week.

According to the Department for Transport’s Think campaign, drivers and passengers aged 17-34 have the lowest seatbelt wearing rates combined with the highest accident rate. Any drivers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law and drivers caught without a seatbelt face on the spot fines of £60. If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500.

Sergeant Rachel Gallagher commented that "anyone who is in a car irrespective of where they are sat will endanger all other passengers in that vehicle if they are not wearing a seatbelt. If you are not wearing a seatbelt, you are likely to be thrown from your vehicle and potentially crushed if that vehicle rolls"

In the past three years, there have been six similar campaigns run by Cheshire Police, the results of which show a continued increase in seatbelt offences. In March 2012, 139 tickets were issued whilst for September 2012; there were 279 tickets issued. This indicates that the message is still not getting through to motorists to drive safely and without risk to your passengers.

The Facts

- Over 90% of adult front seat passengers and drivers wear seat belts, as do 66% of adult rear seat passengers. If wearing rates in the rear were as high as those in the front, a further 30 adult lives would be saved each year.

- Since the law to wear seatbelts in the front was introduced in 1983, front seat belts are estimated to have saved 50,000 lives, 590,000 serious casualties and 1.5 million minor injuries

- As many as 15 front seat occupants are killed annually by the impact of an unbelted rear seat passenger

- Seat belt wearing rates are higher in rural areas (93%) than in urban areas (89%)

- Women (94%) are more conscientious than men (86%) at wearing a seat belt

- There is evidence that people are less likely to use seatbelts on short or familiar journeys - this puts them at serious risk of injury in a crash.

You can read more about Cheshire Police at www.cheshire.police.uk

Nominations close for Crewe Parish Council election

 

A total 47 candidates will stand in the Crewe Parish Council election on April 4.

There are 20 seats on the new body, which is to be formed following public consultation last year as part of the Crewe Community Governance Review.

Nominations for Crewe parish councillors have now closed and details of who is standing in each ward can be seen on the Cheshire East Council website.

All Crewe residents who are registered to vote will receive a poll card by March 15, which will contain voting information.

Those who are not registered to vote, or have moved house recently, should contact the elections hotline on 0300 123 5016 or email Cheshire East Council’s elections team at electoral.information@cheshireeast.gov.uk

To register to vote at these elections a completed application form must be received by Monday, March 18.

People can also choose to vote by post or by proxy. For more information and application deadlines simply type ‘voting’ into the search engine at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

Cheshire Police Guide to Staying Safe Online

There have been a number of internet scams reported to Cheshire Police which involve viruses or spyware. One member of the public recently reported a virus which attacked their computer by blocking all access once they turned it on. A page was displayed appearing to be from Cheshire Police because it showed the police authority logo and the address for police headquarters in Winsford.

They were then asked to pay an upfront payment of £100 to remove the block by either going to a shop and buying a Ukash voucher from which the code could be entered online or paying via money transfer through Western Union. The fraudster claims they will unblock the computer screen after being paid.

Realising that this was a hoax, the member of the public did not pay any money and because they had antivirus software installed, the computer had detected the infected files straightaway. They commented that "The virus is clever because when it attacked my computer, it displays your IP address, login name and tries your location as close as it can."

All members of the public need to become more aware of the online scams that are operating, as the internet is increasingly being used to pay for goods by credit card, accessing bank accounts, and downloading web content online. Being’security savvy’ is the message that Cheshire Police are communicating.

DS Peter Kidd from Cheshire Police stated that "The internet has wider implications for the public who are not protecting themselves whilst online. This can be anything from disclosing your bank account details on websites using insecure web browsers, and downloading content to using the internet without a firewall in place or without antivirus software installed. Antivirus software will stop most viruses from even entering your laptop because they raise the alarm to infected files which have been found. Cybercrime can be minimised if the public know what preventative measures to take, prior to going online"

Staying safe online

1. Avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud - do not give any personal information (name, address, bank details, email or phone number) to organisations or people before verifying their credentials.

2. Many frauds start with an email. Remember that banks and financial institutions will not send you an email asking you to click on a link and confirm your bank details − otherwise known as phishing. Always question whether an email could be bogus.

3. Only use legitimate sites when paying by credit card. If there is NO padlock in the browser window or ‘https://’ at the beginning of the web address to signify that it is using a secure link, do not enter personal information on the site.  Using verified by visa, when paying by credit card online can also give you extra protection.

4. Avoid using any money transfer service such as Moneygram and Western Union to pay for purchases. They are completely untraceable and are not secure.

5. Criminals use popular sites like eBay and PayPal to attempt to take money from people. Use PayPal when paying for an item, it is secure, you have cover if the item doesn’t turn up or is not as described up to the full purchase price including delivery and it costs the buyer nothing. 

a) Log into eBay directly from your web browser by typing the address www.ebay.co.uk into your browser address bar, do not use links, email links or shortcuts.

b) Ensure your password is secure and is not something that can be guessed easily like your date of birth. Try to use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols that don’t form a word.

6. Keep your antivirus software up to date and keep your firewall on at all times.

Personal safety

1. Be very careful when you register with an internet-based dating agency or join an online dating chat room. There are dating scammers online − you may receive a contact from someone overseas who shows an interest in you. Gradually, you develop a long-distance relationship through emails, instant messaging, texting and phone calls. As the relationship develops, your exchanges become more intimate.

Once the fraudsters are confident that their relationship with you is strong enough, they will tell you about a problem they are experiencing and ask you to help out by sending money, for example, they have arranged to visit you but need money to pay travel costs, visa costs etc.

The person you have fallen for may also ask you for naked photos of yourself and/or ask you to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam. In some circumstances, the fraudster may blackmail you into giving them money or threaten to show any pictures of you on facebook or youtube. Once you send them money, the fraudsters will keep coming back with more reasons to send them money.

There is a government funded website called www.getsafeonline.org which is a ‘go to’ guide for the general public outlining all issues relating to the internet if you want to read more or go to the fraud page of cheshire.police.uk

Since the launch of Action Fraud across Cheshire on 18th February, victims of internet fraud are being advised to contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit their website at www.actionfraud.police.uk where the incident will be referred to the police force concerned.

Further appeal following fatal collision in Middlewich

 

Police are making a further appeal for witnesses following the fatal collision in Booth Lane in Middlewich on Saturday 2 March 2013.

PC Paul Burke said: "I am particularly keen to speak to the driver and occupants of a small hatchback car, which is a light silver-blue colour.

The car is similar to a Ford Ka or Peugeot 106 and was travelling from Sandbach towards Middlewich at the time of the collision.

"They may have valuable information that may help us with our enquiries so I would urge them to contact me."

At 12.12pm a white Ford Transit minibus had been travelling along the A533 Booth Lane towards Sandbach and turned right into a private drive when it was in collision with a green Kawasaki ZX 400 motorbike which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The motorbike was then in collision with a black Volkswagen Golf which had been travelling behind the minibus.

The motorcycyclist, Peter Wrench (19) from Middlewich, received critical head injuries. He was taken to North Staffordshire Hospital but sadly died the following day.

Anyone with information should contact PC Paul Burke on 101 quoting incident number 445 2 March 2013.

American students find out about policing in Cheshire

 

A group of American students have been spending time with Cheshire Constabulary to gain an understanding about the policing model from "across the pond".

The group, which included eighteen students and two professors from the University of Central Florida, made the visit as part of an exchange programme with the University of Chester.

They spent three days learning about policing in Cheshire, visiting stations across the county, finally culminating in a visit to Winsford headquarters on Friday 8 March.

Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick said: "The visit by the University of Central Florida provided a great opportunity for us to learn from both policing cultures.

"The visit focused on Specials and volunteers, and we heard about the large number of reservists, unpaid volunteers like Specials, and how they support policing in the States, which gave us ideas for our own Public Participation programme.

"Women in policing was also a focus for the visit as it coincided with International Women′s Day and they were able to see the work being done within the uniformed Specialist Operations department to encourage our own female officers to apply for posts.

"A huge thank you for all those that made the exchange a real success."

Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer met the students at Winsford headquarters.

John said: "I was pleased to meet the American students and learned a lot about the differences between the American model of policing and our own.

"Volunteering is at the centre of my plans for Cheshire Constabulary and it was particularly interesting to hear about the way in which reservists and volunteers support policing in the States."

SPRING GARDEN SECURITY ADVICE

 

As temperatures start to increase and days get longer many of us take the opportunity to tidy up our gardens.  Now is an excellent time to double check that your garden is secure and implement extra security measures to assist you in keeping crime free throughout the spring and summer months.

·        Ensure that there are no weak points or gaps along fences and hedgerows that form the perimeter of your garden.  These provide easy access points and undermine the security that you have in place.

·        Try and keep wheelie bins locked up.  Bins can be used in two ways to aid an opportunist thief.  They can be moved to provide a convenient stepping stone over property boundaries or they can be used to carry stolen goods.

·        When planting, put heavy stones in the bottom of pots or planters to make them more difficult to be carried away.

·        If possible, anchor valuable garden ornaments or furniture to the ground.

·        Lock tools and ladders away when you are away from your property / overnight.  By leaving tools and ladders out you are providing an easy option for burglars as they can use these to gain entry to homes or outbuildings.  This also means that they don’t need to carry tools with them so if they are stopped by the police there is no evidence that they are going equipped to engage in crime.

·        Clever planting can enhance the security of your property as well as looking attractive.  Prickly bushes and plants can be located at vulnerable areas / entry points around your property to create a spiky barrier.

·        Burglars sometimes like to work undercover, therefore it is advisable to trim back any hedges, bushes or tall trees that might provide a convenient hiding spot for thieves.  This also increases the natural surveillance of your property meaning, in terms of schemes like home watch that, you can keep an eye on each others houses easier and report any suspicious behaviour as it happens.

·        Consider how you currently use lighting in your garden.  Are there areas that are too dark and might benefit from lighting?  Lights with motion sensors can be used to offer protection by covering specific areas of your garden or consider dusk till dawn lights to offer better overall lighting overnight.

·        Sheds and outbuildings need to be properly secured.  Many of us have a number of valuable items stored in such places and yet the security of these buildings often falls well below the security that we use on our homes.  Extend your house insurance to cover any valuable items or consider having your house alarm extended to cover outbuildings.  Property mark any valuable items and increase security by fixing them to the floor / wall or locking within a metal cage.

There can be an increase in thefts from sheds and outbuildings during spring and summer as people forget to lock them when they go out in the day or overnight.  This provides an easy option for thieves so make life as difficult as possible for them and ensure that you take the extra seconds to lock these buildings when not in use

SKIN HEALTH SPA CELEBRATES MAJOR NATIONAL AWARD WIN

Nantwich-based Skin Health Spa is celebrating achieving a highly coveted national award for ‘Employer of the Year’ at the recently held Professional Beauty Awards 2013.

The leading aesthetic clinic group, with its HQ based on Welsh Row, Nantwich was presented with the esteemed award at a glittering black-tie event at London Hilton on Park Lane. The winners were announced on the night by TV presenter Claudia Winkleman.

The Professional Beauty Awards is the most prestigious awards scheme for the beauty aesthetics, nail and spa industries, recognising those who make a real difference to the industry and encouraging their development.

Adam Flint, Skin Health Spa’s Operations Director comments: “We are thrilled to receive the Employer of the Year Award. There was a thorough judging process which involved interviews, trade tests and mystery shops.

Skin Health Spa invests heavily in the training and on-going development of our teams at each of the six clinics. We recognise the vital role that our people play in maintaining our exceptionally high customer service levels, which are monitored closely through regular customer polls on elements of the service such as quality of the consultation, treatment effectiveness, professionalism of the team and aftercare advice.”

Skin Health Spa in Nantwich offers an array of up-to-the-minute beauty options including skin rejuvenating laser treatments, anti-ageing and wrinkle reducing options, treatments for sun damage, pigmentation and acne scarring, permanent hair reduction, pioneering derma roller facials, microdermabrasion, plus more traditional waxing, indulgent facials, massage and even spray tanning.

With an extensive list of long-term celebrity clients, Skin Health Spa has been at the forefront of skin treatment since 1999. Expertise in the field of non-invasive laser treatments has made Skin Health Spa one of the UK's leading centres for advanced skin care.

During a visit to a Skin Health Spa clinic, customers not only find a safe and professional environment, but are also in the capable hands of our experienced doctors, nurses and aestheticians who are trained to provide each client with professional and trusted advice.

Skin Health Spa’s main focus is to help people feel better about what nature has given them through the improvement of their appearance and by taking better care of their health.

Skin Health Spa has six clinics nationwide in Nantwich, London (Marylebone and City), Birmingham, Leamington Spa, and a recently opened, state of the art  flagship clinic in Manchester.

More information can be found at www.skinhealthspa.com or by calling 0800 24 25 145.

You can also find us on Facebook, and keep up to date with all Skin Health Spa news on Twitter: @skinhealthspa.

Strong local objections to proposed housing development in Willaston

 

  I attended the last meeting of the Willaston Parish Council and I fully supported the objections (listed below) of the many concerned residents present and the Parish Council to the proposed development of 21 houses on land off Cheerbrook Road in Willaston. I would urge local residents who want to object to the application to write or e-mail to Cheshire East Planning  by the 20th of March. The application is due to be decided at the Southern Planning meeting  on the 1/5/13 and I have asked to speak in support of the local residents and the Parish Council, who are objecting  against the application. I have also written to the Council to object.

The objections of the Parish Council are these :-

13/0641N - Construction of 21 two-storey residential dwellings, new shared access and associated works, Land to the north of Cheerbrook Road, Willaston

Willaston Parish Council strongly objects to the above planning application on the following grounds :-

1. This site lies within the Green Gap as defined in Policy NE.4 of the saved Borough of Crewe and Nantwich Replacement Local Plan 2011 and also within the Strategic Open Gap as defined in Policy CS 5 of the emerging Cheshire East Local Plan.  The application is, therefore, in contravention of both the existing saved local planning policy and the emerging Cheshire East Council planning policy and should be refused on those grounds alone.

2. The site fails to meet at least 10 of the criteria on the North West Sustainability Checklist, including some of the key criteria of proximity to schools, medical facilities and transport links.  In four of the criteria the site would be rated as "Significant failure to meet minimum standards." Therefore, the proposed development should be considered unsustainable. 

3. Not only is the local primary school more than 1,000 metres from this site, but it is also already over-subscribed.  There have been several cases over recent years when young children living in the village have not been able to gain a place in the local primary school and have had to travel to surrounding areas in order to secure a primary school place.

4. The drains and sewers along Cheerbrook Road do not have the capacity to cope with further development and there are grave concerns regarding potential flooding.  When The Paddock development was built on the other side of Cheerbrook Road some of the properties had to have cesspits included as the existing drains and sewers were inadequate.

5. There are already significant issues with traffic congestion in the area.  The very busy Cheerbrook roundabout at the junction with the A51 Nantwich bypass is at the end of the road and long queues of traffic form at peak times along the A51 between the Cheerbrook, Peacock and Middlewich Road roundabouts.  Travel in the opposite direction from the site involves passing through the centre of Willaston village, where congestion occurs due to the narrow roads filled with parked cars.  There is a significant lack of parking facilities within the village and this is exacerbated by rows of terraced houses in the village centre with no off road parking.

6. Cheerbrook Road itself is a narrow road with no pavement on one side of the road, but being a relatively straight road it is subject to all too frequent speeding by motorists.  It is a key area monitored by the local Speedwatch team and a significant number of vehicles are recorded exceeding the speed limit.  The proposed entrance to the site is directly opposite to the entrance to another small development and would effectively form a dangerous crossroads. 

7. There is no public transport at all covering this area of the village.

8. There are several wildlife species afforded protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the European Habitats Directive which have been regularly observed on the site, including barn owls and bats.

9. Some of the proposed properties as shown on the Landscape Layout are in very close proximity to existing properties on The Fields and would be overbearing. 

This council would also like to express great concern at the cynical and premature removal of several mature trees at the frontage of the proposed site.  This site was previously subject to planning applications for the construction of a single dwelling (application nos. P07/1435 and 10/4452N).  Condition 5 of the planning approval to application 10/4452N stated :-

"Prior to the commencement of the development, details of measures to be used to protect the existing trees along the frontage of the site with Cheerbrook Road from damage due to construction work shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and such measures as approved shall be carried out before the development commences and maintained throughout the period of construction until completion of the development."

"Reason : To ensure that these trees which make a significant contribution to the visual character of the area are not prejudiced by the development.  This is in accordance with Policies NE.5 (Nature Conservation and Habitats) and BE.2 (Design Standards) of the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich Replacement Local Plan 2011."

Whilst this is a separate application, the premature removal of these trees prior to the submission of this application is directly defiant of the above condition and is clearly designed to remove a potential obstacle prior to consideration of the application.

Yours faithfully
Cllr Brian Silvester
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Constabulary supports International Women’s Day

 

Cheshire Constabulary is supporting International Women′s Day which is held annually on March 8^th and celebrated globally.

To mark the event, a group of officers and police staff will be taking part in a street dance workshop at Police Headquarters to raise money for a local women′s charity.

Event organiser, Sergeant Kelly Rooke said: "International Women′s Day provides us with an opportunity to focus on issues that affect the women in our communities.

"It gives us the chance to ensure that women are afforded a bright future free from fear, harm and inequality.

"Small local events can have as much impact as large ones. Our dance workshop will seek to bring together women from different backgrounds for a few hours of exercise and fun.

"Behind the fun is a serious theme as we turn the spotlight onto domestic abuse. During the dance workshop, we will be raising funds for Crewe Women′s Aid which offers assistance to victims across Cheshire East.

"I would like to encourage everyone to stand up and help put an end to violence towards women."

Cheshire Police will also mark the event with the launch of ‘Twista Sister′, a new mentoring scheme for teenage girls.

The initiative is a joint enterprise with the Local Area Partnership at Cheshire East, providing guidance and support for young women.

In addition to one-to-one mentoring, the scheme also includes group events run by Manchester Metropolitan University and Cheshire Fire and Rescue.

Sergeant Lindsay Chamberlain has been involved with setting up the initiative.

She said: "I have been a mentor to several young women over the years and from this experience I understand how powerful mentoring can be.

"Putting this together with well-structured group activities, which will tackle issues such as alcohol related anti-social behaviour, will make the Twista Sister programme a balanced and inspiring adventure for both the students and the mentors."

Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer fully supports International Women′s Day and is pleased with the Constabulary′s way of celebrating the day.

John said: "I hope that this year′s International Women′s Day theme encourages more women to report any violence committed against them.

"In Cheshire, I′m supporting the Speak Out campaign being run by Cheshire Constabulary which encourages people to report any type of abuse that is committed against them. I′m also supporting the Home Office′s Teenage Relationship Abuse campaign, encouraging young people to report violence and abuse."

For more information on Cheshire Constabulary′s ‘Speak Out′ campaign, visit www.cheshire.police.uk.

Letter to the Editor

 

A Saving of £26 for every Council  taxpayer, thanks to the Government and the CE Council.

Dear Sir,

                Cheshire East Council should be congratulated on the Council Tax freeze for 2013/14, the third year of  no council tax increase, with a promise of another Council tax freeze next year. Thanks are also due to the Government for the £3.6 million grant over two years that allows the Council to not increase the Council Tax yet again. Without  the Government grant the average Council tax would had gone up by £26 over two years. What Cheshire East has done is in sharp contrast to those 40% of Councils elsewhere in the country who have declined the Government grant and  have put up the Council Tax instead. Shame on them. It beggars belief that these Councils constantly complain of Government cuts but then turn down millions of pounds of grants from the Government when they are offered.

Yours Faithfully
Cllr Brian Silvester
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Man arrested on suspicion of Crewe off licence robbery

 

Police are have arrested a 28-year-old man following an investigation into a robbery at an off licence in Edleston Road in Crewe.
The robbery occurred shortly after 10.20pm on Sunday 3 March 2013 at Bargain Busters.

A man had entered the store and threatened the shop assistant with what appeared to be a piece of broken glass and demanded money from the till.

The offender then fled the scene.

Families Hit Back Over High Fuel Bills

 

Hannah and Sean Barton are a typical Cheshire East family - two young kids, not enough time and a raft of big bills each month.

But now a scheme to drive down energy bills could make life more affordable for them – and other Cheshire East families – by encouraging them to get together and save together, before April 8.

The Collective Energy Switching campaign encourages people to sign up - for free - and sees energy providers with the best bid win the ‘collective’ business during an online auction held on April 9.

Cheshire East Council is hoping to reach its target of 7,000 people signing up. There’s no obligation to switch and it could save customers more than £100 each year on their energy bills.

Hannah, 28, a housing officer, from Wistaston, near Crewe, said: “We just don’t have the time to look through all the different tariffs that energy providers offer and, to be quite frank, it’s just too confusing.

“There isn’t a moment in our household when energy isn’t being used and our bills are expensive.

“It is pretty annoying to keep hearing how energy companies are making huge profits in the face of families struggling to keep their homes warm during these cold winters.

“We will definitely think about joining the scheme because there’s nothing to lose and there’s no obligation to switch after the auction takes place.”

Husband Sean, 27, is an IT consultant who works from home while juggling child care responsibilities.

He added: “It can be cold working from home, so I have the radiator on during the day, which I’m sure adds to our heating bills quite substantially.

“I generally sort the bill payments out but I’m not always sure how our energy is worked out and I don’t really have the time.

“I have to consider that the time lost researching the best deals would probably end up with me losing money I could be making while working.

“It’s pretty frustrating really but this scheme sounds like it could take the hassle out of trying to find the best deal.”

• Watch this short film about Hannah and Sean and please feel free to use it on your website to promote the scheme. The more people we get on board, the better buying power people will have: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RQ0aRaPPQ8

Your one minute guide to Collective Energy Switching:

 

How does it work?

On April 9, we will conduct an online auction with the energy companies to see who will offer the best deal to residents. You will then receive a personalised offer to be able to make a decision whether to switch or not. The switch to a new energy provider is then handled on behalf of residents. To join the scheme log on to: www.energytogether.co.uk or call 0300 123 5035.

Why are we doing it?

There are around 28,000 people in Cheshire East who are unable to afford to heat their home adequately, or are paying high bills that they can’t afford in order to keep their home warm. The UK as a whole has some of the highest levels of excess winter deaths in Europe. As energy prices rise, we anticipate that the problem will grow.

Where is it happening?

All across Cheshire East, and is promoted by a significant marketing campaign. But people who don’t live in Cheshire East can also take part in Cheshire East’s scheme, or can see if their local Council is running a similar campaign. One person can register up to four other households via email.

Police appeal for witnesses to off licence robbery in Crewe

 

Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery at an off licence in Edleston Road in Crewe.

Shortly after 10.20pm on Sunday 3 March 2013 a man entered Bargain Busters and threatened the shop assistant with what appeared to be a piece of broken glass. He demanded money from the till but the shop assistant refused.

A struggle ensued but the offender opened the till himself and took some cash.

He then fled the scene and was seen heading towards Lord Street. The shop assistant was not injured but she was left shocked by the incident.

PC Mark Davies said: "We are particularly keen to speak to two customers who understandably fled the scene at the beginning of the robbery. We would also urge anyone with information about this robbery to contact us so that we can identify the person responsible and bring them to justice."

PC Davies added: "We are also looking at the possibility of whether this robbery could possibly be linked to the robbery at Owens General Stores in Wistaston Road, which took place on Friday evening."

Anyone with information should contact PC Mark Davies at Congleton CID on 101 quoting incident number 939 of 3 March 2013.

Alternatively information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Recognition for young fund raisers

 

Police & Crime Commissioner John Dwyer, who is also President of the Royal British Legion, Nantwich branch presented young cadets with recognition awards for their efforts in fundraising for the RBL poppy appeal.

The fire cadet who collected the most money was Joe Young (pictured with John Dwyer). The Air Training Corps winner was Cadet Charlotte Vernon and the Army Cadet Force winner was Corporal  Eleanor Walker.

The cadets help with filling the poppy boxes and they collected on Nantwich Town square, Bridgemere Garden Centre and at Nantwich Town Football Club.

The overall total of the Poppy Appeal so far in the Nantwich branch for this year is over £31,000 pounds.

John Dwyer said, as Police & Crime Commissioner I hear many views about young people and this clearly shows that not all young people are bad. These young cadets are prepared to give up their free time for good causes and what a worthwhile cause it is to collect donations for fallen forces past and present. I commend the efforts of these youngsters and was proud to visit them and present their awards."

Fraudster Jailed

A man who conned a Crewe resident out of more than £30,000 has been jailed for three years and four months after a successful prosecution by Cheshire East Council’s consumer protection and investigations team.

Carlos Joseph Saylus Price, 44, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court this week (Monday, March 4) to two offences of fraud and two counts of using aggressive commercial practices.

Price first visited the man on October 6, 2011. He claimed that while the victim had been away for a few days visiting friends and family he was forced to carry out emergency work to repair his roof.

The resident, who is 64 and lives alone, did not ask for the work to be done. More importantly, the work was never carried out.

Price demanded £1,600 for the bogus work. Despite his doubts, the victim withdrew the money from a cash point in Crewe and paid Price.

Over the next three months the victim was visited a further 10 times after receiving phone calls from a man named ‘John’, demanding more money for the roofing work. If the payments weren’t made the victim was told his roof would be removed.

Price returned to the address on occasions during this period and he made a further three unwanted visits in January and February 2012, using aggressive tactics in order to get more money from the victim.

In total, £33,250 was paid out by the victim.

Price, of Pringle Street, in Rochdale, was arrested in February, 2012, after Cheshire police installed a covert surveillance camera in the victim’s home and Price was identified from the images.

A complex investigation followed which revealed the extent of the offending.

In a statement to the court the victim said he felt as though he had been “tricked and constantly misled”.

He added: “I was fearful about what they would do if I didn’t continue to pay them money…. and I also feared for my personal safety as they made threats towards me and were always pushy and intimidating.”

Councillor Les Gilbert, Cabinet member in charge of communities and regulatory services, said: “This prosecution should send out a clear message: that the Council will not tolerate rogue traders conning Cheshire East residents.

“I would like to thank our consumer protections and investigations team for their hard work on this case and Cheshire police for their assistance.

“Fortunately, the large majority of traders across the Borough are reputable and trustworthy.”

Judge Dutton described the incidents as “mean, nasty and intimidating” and praised the investigation for a “job done properly”.

Anyone with an elderly or vulnerable relative or neighbour is encouraged to consider the Nominated Neighbour Scheme developed by the Council’s consumer protection and investigations team. It is designed to help vulnerable people who are known targets for criminals who cold call at their homes.

More information on this scheme can be found at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

Anyone with concerns about doorstep callers, or  who would like to request a Nominated Neighbour pack, should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506.