Parish “coalition” urged
to fight travellers’ camp
by Lesley Wilkinson
THREE parishes are being urged to form a ?coalition? to fight plans for a travellers? site at Grappenhall, near Warrington.
Nearby residents say the encampment, on land off Cartridge Lane, is blighting the green belt and is likely to cause road safety hazards due to increased traffic.
They want the parish councils of Lymm, Appleton and Grappenhall and Thelwall to join forces to oppose a retrospective planning application by gypsy leader Thomas Smith, who is understood to have paid more than ?100,000 for the land involved.
Hardcore has already been laid, caravans moved in and electricity supplies were laid on.
The ?invasion? took place in advance of any application for planning permission.
Paul Kennedy, speaking on behalf of residents from the Cartridge Lane area, told Appleton Parish Council the encampment was already having an impact on the neighbourhood.
He said: “Residents are very worried that this will get approved and we will have a site there that may develop into something larger than what is currently proposed.”
He said Mr Smith seemed a “decent, steady fellow.” But residents opposed the development on the “greenest, of green belt” land.
Travellers’ by virtue of their status were often able to set up sites in green belt areas. He was concerned the borough council may be unable to stop the site developing.
“If we get a robust response against this from local parishes, it may deter travellers from trying to set up encampments on other green belt land,” he added.
There were massive objections when several caravans moved onto the Cartridge Lane site in November.
Now a retrospective planning application has been submitted for change of use to a caravan site for a traveller’s family, with associated work, including hardstanding, utility room, cess pool and fencing.
Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council is formulating objections to the application and Appleton has already sent objections to the borough council.
Coun Dot Edward of Appleton said: “The site is intrusive and damaging to the local landscape.”
Whistle while you work!
CATERING staff serving up Christmas dinners to Warrington students dressed up as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to raise money for St Rocco?s Hospice.
The festive feast was at the Warrington campus of the University of Chester.
More than ?40 was raised as the staff ?whistled while they worked.? . Catering operations manager Tina Girard said: ?We dressed up at Halloween and everyone enjoyed themselves, so we thought we would do something similar for Christmas.
?All money raised will be donated to St Rocco?s Hospice in Warrington, which provides care and support for those who are terminally ill, and their families.
?We would like to thank everyone who took part, and made the day a great success.?
Drug dealer jailed
for three years
by James Parr
A MAN found with ?1,000 in cash and 32 bags of drugs in his car was jailed for three years at Warrington Crown Court yesterday (Wed).
Ian Parsonage, 30, was stopped after two police officers spotted him driving unusually.
He tried to hide a bag of cocaine under the vehicle but the officers saw what he was doing.
Parsonage, of Birch Avenue, Winwick, Warrington admitted supplying class A drugs.
Caroline Harris, prosecuting, said Parsonage, who was accompanied by a 15-year-old youth, complied with police requests to get out of the car. But he then leaned back inside the vehicle and wiped a cut on his face with a towel.
As he was doing so, the officers saw him throw a bag under the car and asked him to move it forward. A full search of Parsonage and the car revealed 16 10 lb bags of cocaine and another 16 of diamorphine, as well as ?1,0000 cash.
Francis Nash, defending, said that Parsonage had acted as a runner for the youth. He was a well-educated man who at the time had a full time job and used the drug money to supplement his wages.
Recorder Tim Holroyde said Parsonage had taken part in delivering “32 opportunities to wreck people’s lives.”
He ordered that he forfeit the Fiat Punto used in the incident.
Council criticised
over foie gras
by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON Borough Council has been criticised by a woman who wants a ban on the sale of foie gras ? the food delicacy produced by force feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their liver.
Ms Janet Thornton asked the council what it was doing to discourage or prohibit the sale of foie gras in the borough under the provision which enables members of the public to ask questions at council meetings.
She asked what the council was doing to discourage the sale of foie gras in the borough or to ban the serving of the product at any council event, or event over which the council had control.
Ms Thornton pointed out that some other councils, including York and Bolton, had already taken action to ban foie gras at council functions.
She asked if the chief executive could write to Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State responsible for animal welfare, asking him to ban the sale of foie gras in the UK and asking him to lobby for the production and sale of foie gras to be banned throughout the European Union.
Coun Roy Smith executive member for Community Services, said it was a difficult ethical issue as foie gras was a legal product, provided it met food safety standards. He could not see how the council could ban it.
It would be ?Quixotic? to ban it at the Town Hall because it was never served at the Town Hall anyway.
Ms Thornton said she was disappointed at the council?s response to her question in view of the action taken by other authorities.
Armed raiders grab
cash from bank
by John Hendon
ARMED raiders who burst into the Nat West bank at Culcheth, near Warrington are still being hunted by police.
The masked men ? carrying a firearm and a knife ?entered the branch, forced a member of staff and a customer into a back room and demanded cash.
They then fled the scene with a substantial amount of money in a 57-registered Audi A4.
The vehicle was found abandoned nearby several hours after the incident at 4.30pm on Tuesday, November 18.
Police are now appealing for anyone who may have any information about the incident or the car, to contact DC Gary Langrish at the Warrington Specialist Investigation Unit on 01244 615 159.
Care trust scoops four
“stop smoking” awards
by James Parr
WARRINGTON Primary Care Trust is celebrating after scooping four awards for their No Smoking Day earlier this year.
On a national scale the PCT won the overall award for their event on the day, while smoking cessation specialist Linda Rainford won three prestigious awards for making best use of the 2007 ‘Make a fresh start’ theme, most creative use of No Smoking Day materials and best use of a health setting.
Stop smoking services provided information stands and displays throughout the town in places such as Warrington Hospital, the market and Birchwood Shopping Centre.
They also ran a poster competition with the local schools, where the theme was “Make a Fresh Start” and fresh flowers were handed out to the people of Warrington.
Linda Rainford said: “We are very pleased to win an award for our No Smoking Day activities. The day was a great success and introduced many people into our service. Stopping smoking is the one single thing you can do to dramatically increase your chances of living a longer life. We run clinics throughout Warrington and daytime or evening appointments are available.”
Chief Executive of the charity No Smoking Day, Dan Tickle added: “Thanks to the passionate support of our local organisers, No Smoking Day has remained the UK’s leading public health event for a quarter of a century. For their d
edication and commitment – as well as their willingness to spend wet Wednesdays in March dressed as a giant cigarette – we’re indebted to each and every one.”
Council fight to save
driving test centre
by David Skentelbery
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have agreed to support a campaign to save the town?s driving test centre.
Coun Brian Axcell, the council?s executive member for Environment Services, has pledged to ask officers to approach the Driving Standards Agency and work to retain the a centre in the town.
He was responding to a question put by Mark Blackburn, of the Warrington Professional Driving Instructors Association, asking if the council would support a fight against the announced closure of the test centre.
Coun Axcell said it would be a major inconvenience to local people not to have a driving test centre in the town.
The problem was the European legislation now required driving tests for motor cycles to have an ?off-road? area.
Warrington?s centre could not provide this and the nearest that could was at St Helens.
Coun Axcell said: ?The council was not consulted about this ? and I feel that Warrington should have its own test centre.
?There is no reason why a test centre for cars should not be retained in the town, even if the motor cycle tests have to go elsewhere.?
