Business park approved –
after ?450,000 roads pledge
by David Skentelbery
UNITED Utilities have won planning consent for a business park at Warrington ? after pledging a ?450,000 contribution to improving local roads.
The Forrest Way Business Park in Forrest Way, Sankey Bridges will provide warehousing, light industrial and office uses.
It will be built on land at risk of tidal flooding from the Mersey and, as a result, will involve raising the ground level.
Objections were received from local residents and a similar earlier scheme was thrown out by the borough council?s development control committee in January when a number of councillors expressed concern about the impact of any increase in traffic on roads in the Sankey Bridges area.
United Utilities appealed against that refusal and a public inquiry was scheduled for early next year. But it is expected that approval of the amended proposals will result in the appeal being withdrawn.
Although the site adjoins the Green Belt and contains a wildlife corridor and a section of the Trans Pennine Trail runs around the edge, it is classed as disused brownfield land.
Some improvements to the ecological value of the land are proposed, including a landscape buffer, tree planting, creation of a wild flower meadow and a wetland zone to provide a habitat for amphibians.
The scheme received strong support from the borough economic development unit which said the scheme would provide jobs at firms of a type, size and mix for which there was a proven demand.
Main change from the previously refused scheme is an agreement to cap the size of individual units which make the development unattractive to large scale distribution users such as major supermarkets but more attractive to smaller firms less likely to use heavy transport.
The decision has left neighbours unhappy, however.
One said: ?How many more times do we need to object to more building in Sankey Bridges. Our road system will not cope and previous land raising caused serious flooding to adjacent properties. This proposal threatens to create further flooding.?
Last ditch attempt
to save school
by staff reporter
HUNDREDS of protestors are expected at tonight?s meeting of Warrington Borough Council?s executive board when the vexed question of closing Woolston High School will again be on the agenda.
Organisers of the save-the-school campaign from Woolston have hired coaches to take demonstrators to the Town Hall in a last ditch attempt to sway the committee.
But a recommendation from officers is that closure of the school should be confirmed.
The campaigners have received support from Labour councillors and Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
However, reports to be considered by the committee tonight indicate that dwindling numbers of pupils mean one school must close ? and that it should be Woolston.
Padgate High ? the other school which had been considered for closure ? has more pupils and has achieved better results in recent times, the reports claim.
Running trio crowned
national champions
byJames Parr
A TRIO of runners from Warrington?s Priestley Collage are celebrating after being crowned as national champions.
Stephen Broadhurst, 17, Danny Cliffe and Matt Jackson, both 16, are all members of Warrington Running Club.
After winning numerous accolades for the Warrington Club, all three of the students were selected to represent Cheshire, where they won the National Cross Country relay.
Success at national level is becoming a regular event for the sprinting students as they have previously won the same title at under 13 and 15 level.
Matt commented: “We have been running together so long now that we have developed a great team spirit and we are obviously delighted with the national title.”
Balancing studying with running is a careful task the three students have to manage, as they regularly run 50 miles a week to keep them in shape for competition.
They also have the benefit of receiving expert tuition from their coach at Warrington, Phil Hickson, and also have access to experts in the Sports Science field at Priestley.
Danny said: “Phil, our coach at Warrington has been very supportive. He has been there in our situation before, while since arriving at Priestley we’ve found the tutors and the facilities to be excellent.”
One of the next challenges for the trio will be when the runners move up the age categories to u20s level, which if successful will open the way for possible appearances on the international stage.
Specialist accreditation
for local IT company
by James Parr
A WARRINGTON based company has been awarded the prestigious Microsoft Small Business Specialist Accreditation.
IT support company CE Services were able to achieve the status after two of their employees, Matthew Dyson, Richard Delooze, both passed a training course with flying colours.
This accreditation now allows CE Services to provide support for small to medium businesses including network solutions.
Microsoft say the programme was brought out due to the overwhelming demand by small businesses for further support to build easier connections that will allow them to be run quicker and be more efficiently.
Managing Director of CE Services, Mark Ralph said: “We have been working with small business not only in the Warrington area, but also further afield for many years and have achieved an outstanding level of customer satisfaction from them.
?By obtaining this accreditation it simply confirms our expertise and commitment to the smaller clients in our customer base. I am thrilled that Matthew and Richard did so well in their exams and I am sure this accreditation will provide new clients with the confidence to work with us over and above some of the national providers of IT support who don’t necessarily understand how small businesses work.”
Council shortlisted for
care service “beacon”
by John Hendon
WARRINGTON Borough Council is busy preparing to showcase its innovative work with people in care after being nominated for an award under the Beacon Scheme.
Under the theme Dignity in Care, the council has been short-listed as a result of their good practices for those in care.
Run by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the scheme is designed so organisations can learn together and from each other to continually improve their own services.
Minister for Care Services, Ian Lewis, launched a national “Dignity in Care” programme in 2006 to eliminate tolerance of indignity in health and social care services through raising awareness and inspiring people to take action.
Strategic director for community services Helen Sumner said: “The themes are selected each year by government ministers and we were very pleased this year to be able to contribute to a theme we are all so passionate about.
“Central to our approach is the belief that the genuine involvement of service users and carers in the planning and delivery of services is the single most important step to securing dignity. Being short listed is a real testimony to the aspirations and everyday work of staff in ensuring that dignity in care is paramount.”
Next up for the council is a visit from the Specialist Beacon Team before they make a formal presentation to the assessment team in January.
The eventual winners of the award will be announced in March next year.
Firm unveils new
corporate identity
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON-based firm Morris and Spottiswood have unveiled a brand new corporate identity at their Birchwood office.
Chief executive Chris Saxton was on hand to add the finishing touches to the new image outside their Birchwood offices.
The company, which employs more than 100 staff at the Birchwood site, has moved away from
its traditional hard-edged, black and blue Morris & Spottiswood branding in favour of the organisation’s more relaxed and employee-focused culture.
Chris said: “Our success is very much driven by our people and we wanted to convey in our new corporate identity a feeling of Morris and Spottiswood being a special place to work.
“The softer, less formal new logo featuring two squares side by side suggests an open, friendly and non-hierarchical company to work for and to do business with.”
Burns Night
celebrations
by staff reporter
LYMM and District Roundtable are holding their annual Burns Night in the New Year to raise funds for charity.
A fantastic night is in store as guest speaker Steve Daley, who was Manchester City’s first million pound player and was capped by England at youth level, will be supported by comedian Ian Sludgeleef.
Traditional Burns supper and a Scottish wine tasting session will all be included in the ticket, which is priced at ?30.
The annual Burns Night takes place on January 25 and for further booking information contact Raymond Chan on 07734 333325, all bookings must be received before January 19.
[ 04.12.2007, 09:01: Message edited by: James P ]
