“Too busy” planners turn
down an offer of help
by David Skentelbery
PLANNING chiefs at Warrington turned down an offer of a meeting with the Local Government Ombudsman to discuss ways they might improve the way they respond to complaints from the public.
Senior planning officers declined the offer because of pressure of work – and despite the fact the Ombudsman had noted that a “high proportion” of complaints made against the council related to planning matters.
Of 41 complaints the Ombudsman received last year, 20 concerned planning matters.
This is revealed in a letter to the authority from Ombudsman Mrs Patricia Thomas accompanying her annual report which showed she had upheld six complaints against the council.
Mrs Thomas says the character of the complaints against Warrington revealed no serious areas of concern.
She praised the authority for its willingess to respond positively to complaints – and noted that the number of complaints fell slightly compared with the previous year, against the national trend.
But she noted the “high proportion” of planning complaints and while accepting this could reflect the buoyancy of the economy and the geographical, social and economic profile of the borough, suggested the council should consider if the complaints could have been resolved internally.
She criticised the council for being unnecessarily defensive in two cases. She also noted that an offer to meet with senior planning officers had been declined through pressure of work – but said the offer was still open.
Council solicitor Howard Norris said although the Ombudsman had upheld six complaints against the council, four related to one decision by the council so in fact the complaints related to only three decisions.
Overall, the number of complaints had gone down, against the national trend and the general content of the Ombudsman’s letter was very positive. It was the council’s intention to seek to build on its good relationship with the Ombudsman wherever possible.
This would include taking advantage of training and briefing opportunities offered to the council’s officers.
Exhibition marks death
of “painter laureat”
by David Skentelbery
AN exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of artist Lamorna Birch and a celebration of his many friendships with leading painters of the 20th Century opens at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery on October 2.
“Shades of British Impressionism: Lamorna Birch and his Circle” will run until February 12 in The Mezzanine gallery.
Samuel Lamorna Birch was born in 1869, at Egremont, near Birkenhead. He adopted the additional name of Lamorna from the valley of that name between Newlyn and Lands End where he lived from 1892 until his death in 1955.
He has been described as the “painter laureat” of his time.
The valley was a place of great natural beauty that became home to the Lamorna colony of artists and writers of whom he was both founder and father figure.
Lamorna Birch was perhaps the most prolific leading painter of the 20th Century, producing more than 20,000 pictures of all kinds in a working life spanning some 70 years.
He grew up in Manchester and worked in Lancashire until his teens when he moved to Cornwall. Throughout his working life he returned to the north of England to paint and fish and meet old friends.
After his death, there were two memorial exhibitions, one at the Fine Art Society in Bond Street, London and the other at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead.
It is appropriate that 50 years on Warrington is to host the third.
The exhibition will have a particular slant in that the selection of works is based on on the many friendships, trysts, romances and enclaves that surrounded this most adventurous and archetypical artist of the early British Impressionist school.
His circle of friends – many of whom worked with him in Cornwall – included A.J. Munnings, Harold and Laura Knight, Harold Harvey, Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, T.C. Gotch, Norman Garstin, Dod and Ernest Procter and Henry Scott Tuke.
These painters helped to change the face of British art with their emphasis on colour and light, truth and social realism.
Works by many of Birch’s friends are included in the exhibition and among those already secured include an array of portraits of him by Henry Scott Tuke, Harold Knight, Elizabeth Forbes and RC Weatherby.
There is a local touch with Warrington Museum’s own good example of a drawing by Munnings of a horse fair.
The very last painting Birch produced, dated 1954, a small watercolour from a private collection, will also be exhibited, as well as his last Royal Academy picture, appropriately showing the stream in his beloved Lamorna Valley.
Robbery victim
taken to hospital
by staff reporter
A MAN was taken to hospital after being attacked and robbed in the early hours of the morning in O’Leary Street, Warrington.
The 35-year-old was waiting for a taxi around midnight when he was approached by a lone man who suddenly attacked him, causing serious injuries to his face.
He was knocked to the ground and property was taken from his pockets before his attacker left.
Police said the offender was about six feet tall, of medium build with short blonde hair. He was clean shaven and wearing a short sleeved top and blue denim jeans.
Anyone who witnessed the attack or can help with any other information is asked to call DC Darren Hughes at Warrington CID on 01244 350000.
Mystery of ?7,0000
gift for hospice
by staff reporter
A MYSTERY benefactor has given a ?7,000 car as a raffle prize to raise money for Warrington’s St Rcco’s Hospice.
The brand new Toyota Yaris will be raffled in the Golden Square Shopping Centre between August 23-28. The tickets will cost just ?1 each and the winner will even be able to choose the colour of their new car.
Tickets for the first St. Rocco’s Hospice car raffle will be on sale at Golden Square Shopping Centre from Monday 23rd August until Saturday 28th August.
Every penny will go directly to St Rocco’s as the car has been given by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
St Rocco’s has already raised more than ?110,000 through its on-going partnership with the shopping centre over the last four and a half years. All money raised will be added to this running total.
The draw will be made at Golden Square Shopping Centre on Saturday December 18 and tickets will be on sale again at Golden Square from October 25-30 and again in the week December 13-18.
Golden Square manager Andrew Ward said: “We are glad to be able to continue our support for St. Rocco’s. This particular raffle is a winner for both the hospice and the person who eventually drives away in the car.”
Probe into
car blaze
by staff reporter
FIRE investigation officers are looking into a blaze which completely destroyed a car at Warrington.
The blaze was on the car park at the shops at Fearnhead Cross, Fearnhead.
Fire crews raced to the scene but by the time they arrived the car was engulfed in flames and it proved impossible to save the vehicle.
The cause is now being investigated. The blaze could have been the work of arsonists or could have been caused by an accident.
No-one was hurt.
Youngsters take part
in “mini-Olympics”
by John Hendon
MORE than 60 young people from disadvantaged parts of Warrington participated in a series of sports and arts activities designed to promote the Olympics.
The event was held at the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Young Peoples Centre and was run in conjunction with the NSPCC, Participation through Sport, Positive Futures and Warrington Borough Council.
The youngsters were divided into teams to represent the Olympic countries. They then designed team t-shirts, participated in Olym
pic sports, sampled food from each of the countries and then represented their country in the “Mini Olympics.”
World Tae Kwon Do champion James Mylie, and Olympic and Commonwealth Games boxer Courtney Fry, dropped by during the week-long event to give demonstrations and taster sessions.
Sally Dobbing, Positive Futures Manager, said: “The Olympic week was a resounding success with all the participants learning about the games and the countries involved. The team t-shirts were fantastic and they really pulled together when they competed in the Mini Olympics.”
