Refugee wins five year
immigration battle
EXCLUSIVE by Gary Skentelbery
A REFUGEE who faced being stoned to death in Iran following an affair with a married woman has won a five year asylum battle to stay in Warrington.
During a court hearing in Manchester Shahin Pasbakhsh, 38, was told he is now free to remain in Britain after winning his appeal on human rights grounds.
He fled to Britain in 1999 when he faced a death sentence in his home land following an affair with a married woman, even though she had separated from her husband.
Despite handing himself over to the immigration authorities, never claiming a penny from the State and securing a full time job, he has been fighting deportation for more than five years.
He converted from Muslim to become a Christian and says he put his fate in “God’s hands.”
Now he is celebrating the start of a new life in Warrington, having recently married Marie “Terry” a nurse at the local hospital where they both work.
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me over the past five years,” said Shahin, who is now a popular member of the Accident and Emergency team at Warrington Hospital. He is also studying at his local college and has ambitions to become a nurse.
“The people of Warrington have been fantastic and I have had amazing support over the years. Now I know I am free to stay I have lots of plans.”
He met his wife two years ago at the hospital and despite the possibility of being deported back to Iran at any moment, they decided to press ahead and build a new life together.
“I know I did something wrong in Iran but the woman I was involved with was separated from her husband,” said Shahin, who learned English after attending college.
“If my punishment had been a year or two in prison I would have accepted it. But I think it is wrong that you should have to die for making one mistake.”
He had to flee Iran leaving behind his family, his home and all his wordly goods. He escaped to Turkey using a friends passport and then paid $6,000 he borrowed from his older brother in America to flee to England. He met up with family friends in Wigan before arriving in Warrington where he got work at the local hospital.
“I have not seen my parents for five years but we speak every week on the phone. I hope one day I will be able to see them again.”
He has faced numerous anxious moments over the years, spending time in immigration detention centres and winning last minute reprieves and appeals to stay.
His hard work and honesty has now paid off although Shahin says his belief in God has seen him through the difficult times.
He has become an active member of the Pentacostal Church in Widnes where he is a regular worshipper.
“I say my prayers every day and even during the difficult times I had complete faith in God.”
Shahin added: “I would also like to say thank you to my MP Helen Jones, who has followed my case closely, chasing information without me even asking. She has been a great help.”
Major hotel plan for
disused office building
by Terry Johnson
LONDON-based property developers want to open a plush hotel in north-east Warrington at the heart of a science and computers industry park.
The disused, multi-storey Rutherford House building in Warrington Road, Risley, could be transformed into an executive hotel with pool and associated leisure facilities and quality ground-floor restaurant.
The office block was former home to staff of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd who have since been re-located.
Rutherford House was one of the first new commercial buildings provided in Birchwood some 30 years ago to meet BNFL’s fast expansion after hive off from the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Risley.
Much of AEA’s extensive land assets have been, or are undergoing, re-development as part of a UK leading office park which has attracted top-name companies.
Pressure has been building for on-the-spot hotel accommodation for the hundreds of executives now travelling to and working in the Birchwood area.
A borough planning spokeswoman said: “The proposal for a hotel complex has just been received. It will be presented to planning councillors at a later date, together with a planning officer’s analysis”.
Associate Developments Ltd has put in plans for 17 apartments in three blocks off Folly Lane, Warrington.
Another developer, PTS Property Ltd, seeks to convert a Warrington Housing Association building in Buttermarket Street into 11 one and two-bedroom apartments.
“Charging policy has
NOT increased fly-tipping”
by David Skentelbery
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are reviewing their controversial policy on charging for the collection of bulky waste from homes across the borough.
But they no longer believe the policy has resulted in a big increase in fly-tipping in the town.
Although there has been a 10 per cent rise in fly-tipping – and some parts of the borough are plagued with the problem – much of the material dumped consists of bags of rubbish which would not form part of the bulky waste collection service.
Over the last 12 months there were 683 recorded incident of fly-tipping compared with 620 in the previous year.
“This would support research that there has not been a significant increase in fly-tipping,” states a report to be considered by the council scrutiny advisory group.
A free bulky waste collection service was operated until May last year when charges of ?17.02 plus VAT per collection were introduced.
As a result, demand for the service fell, significantly, by 45 per cent. Although officers had anticipated an annual income of ?100,000, in fact the service brought in only ?29,659.
A report to councillors later suggested there had also been a big increase in fly-tipping, with some areas plagued with dumping in passageways and on public open space.
Now, however, officers say there is no proven link between the charging policy and the increase in fly-tipping. Instead, they believe more people are taking their own waste to recycling sites rather than pay for the service.
They say the collection service is still a high quality service and that improvements are continually being targeted.
Councillors will have to decide whether or not to increase charges – or whether to do away with them altogether.
“Affordable” homes plan
deferred a second time
by David Skentelbery
A CONTROVERSIAL housing scheme involving 100 “affordable” homes has been deferred a second time because planning bosses at Warrington are not convinced the properties will, in fact, be within the reach of local people.
Members of the borough council’s development control committee refused to deal with the application for 224 homes off Oughtrington Lane and Longbutt Lane, Lymm when extra information they had requested arrived late.
Outline planning consent for the development was granted only on condition half the properties would be “affordable in perpetuity.”
But when developers Wilson Connolly North West produced detailed proposals, the “affordable” element turned out to include three-storey flats that would require an income of about ?27,000-a-year to purchase or cost ?650 a-month to rent.
Councillors demanded more information – but only received it when they sat down for their next meeting two weeks later.
Coun Albert Clemow said it was “ridiculous” to expect members to digest the complex information at such short notice and the committee put off a decision again.
Coun Sheila Woodyatt, who represents the Lymm area, said the committee were right to delay their decision. It was a very complicated issue and councillors needed more than a few minutes to study the proposals.
She added: “The people in need of these properties haven’t got this sort of income and can’t afford rents like this.
“This scheme is out of character with the area and does not meet the ‘affordable in perpet
uity’ criteria.”
She described the outline planning consent – granted after an appeal – as “the most disgraceful and perverse decision ever known in the borough.”
The application will now be considered by the committee on October 13.
“Lifetime skills” charity
celebrates 10 years
by Terry Johnson
A WARRINGTON-based ‘lifetime skills’ charity celebrates its 10th anniversary next month.
Warrington U3A – the University of the Third Age – was set up as a channel for retired and semi-retired people to share their skills, experiences and know-how with others.
Its activities cover a wide spectrum – from art appreciation to classical history, from line dancing to philosophy and astronomy.
Theatre, Tai-Chi and strolling are also enjoyed.
The group celebrates its milestone event at Warrington Masonic Hall on October 5.
