Council clampdown on
under-age drinking
by Lesley Wilkinson
A CLAMPDOWN on under age drinking in Warrington is being launched following reports that 56 per cent of shops and off-licences in the town have sold drink to under-18s.
To spearhead the campaign Warrington Borough Council has appointed a new under- age sales alcohol co-ordinator, Diane Shaughnessy who will work for trading standards.
She will try to educate and train retailers in shops, supermarkets and off-licenses on the dangers of selling alcohol to young people. Many traders have already signed up to the campaign.
Trading standards wants to identify why shop workers sell alcohol to youngsters despite being trained not to. During a test purchase exercise last year one outlet sold alcohol to a 15-year-old.
The agency is working with a variety of groups, including Youth Services, Warrington Primary Care Trust, Drugs Action Team and the Police, on the campaign in a bid to reduce the harm to young people’s health and the community.
Coun Mike Hannon, executive board member for community and wellbeing, said: “Drinking among young people is cause for concern as is the ease with which they are able to purchase it.
“Our aim is to work very closely with local traders who sell alcohol to address this problem and to work with young people and schools to promote a series of schemes and campaigns we are running – such as the local Proof of Age Card,” he added.
The new post has been funded by the Warrington Health Partnership.
Diane said: “The problems do not lie solely with youths buying alcohol but also with those older persons who buy it on their behalf. This is another area that we will look at very closely. I hope that by working alongside the trade we can greatly reduce the number of sales taking place.”
Families at war
over parking
by John Hendon
FAMILIES are at war in two neighbouring streets in Stockton Heath – over parked cars and wheelie bins.
People in Heath Street say that people from Bedford Street are parking their cars in Heath Street, often blocking driveways and frequently leaving residents without a space to park their own vehicles.
Mrs Lynn Stanley, of Heath Street, attended a meeting of Stockton Heath Parish Council to highlight the problem.
She claimed many cars were left long-term in Heath Street by Bedford Street residents.
“One car has been parked there for several months with a ‘for sale’ sign on, and one person from Bedford Street parks a van in Heath Street. Cars also park partly on the pavement,” she said.
“We also have people parking in the street for shopping and going to the nearby churches. One neighbour often cannot get their car into their drive as it is blocked,” she added.
Mrs Stanley also complained that people from Bedford Street – which backs onto Heath Street, often left their wheelie bins out for several days, rather than returning them to their premises.
One regularly left their bin out for a week and just took it in to fill it before collection day.
Chairman Coun Graham Roughsedge pointed out that people did not have a right to park outside their home.
But motorists who parked on the pavement and or on the road with “for sale” signs on were committing offences. Residents could report these to the police.
He said members were investigating “residents’ only” parking schemes that would alleviate the problem, but this would be a long-term solution.
The council agreed to ask people to put their wheelie bins away rather than leave them in the street. They are also to check with the borough council’s environmental health officers to see whether they can assist with the problem.
A chance to walk
the Millennium Green
by David Skentelbery
MEMBERS of the public are being asked to join in a “walkabout” on a new piece of open green space at Warrington – and to make suggestions for its future.
The trustees of Appleton’s Millennium Green plan to stage their annual “walk” around the green on Sunday, October 24 – and would like local residents to join them.
This will be the first step of preparing a management plan for the green for the coming year and it also offers an opportunity to local people to have a say on future developments.
The Millennium Green is now well established and was a blaze of colour this summer, thanks to a new wildflower meadow. But more work is required and the “walkabout” will be used to identify areas of woodland for thinning, brashing, coppicing, underplanting, etc.
More planting of wildflowers is planned next year and the trustees would like people’s ideas on what sort of flowers to plant and where they should go.
Experts from the Mersey Valley Project will be giving advice to the trustees on how the work should be carried out.
The walk will start from the footbridge off Dale Lane at 11am
Loving homes sought
for foster children
by Lesley Wilkinson
LOVING homes are being sought for children across Warrington as people are urged to consider fostering.
People from all walks of life have helped the Fostering4me campaign get off to a good start, but homes are needed for other children.
The scheme, working in partnership with Warrington, St Helens and Halton councils, is a bid to combat the shortage of foster carers across the three boroughs. The project is supported by the rugby teams mascots from each town, including Wolfie from the Wolves.
The campaign focuses on the needs for different types of foster carers. Some children need short-term care during a time of problems at home. Others need permanent care until they become adults, and respite care of a few hours up to a week, is needed for children with disabilities.
Foster carers can be aged 21 to 80, working, retired or unemployed. They do not need to have children of their own. Foster carers are trained and supported and receive an allowance for the work they do.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact the team on 0800 195 5221 or visit the website at www.fostering4me.co.uk http://www.fostering4me.co.uk
Residents oppose
homes on farmland
by staff reporter
PLANNERS are to visit the site of a proposed housing development adjoining a historic farmhouse at Penketh, near Warrington – after hearing of massive objections from nearby residents.
More than 60 letters of objection have been received by the borough council and there is also opposition from Penketh Parish Council and a local action group.
They claim the scheme will mean the loss of a greenfield site, have a harmful impact on the listed farmhouse and that the proposed properties would be at risk of flooding from the nearby Mersey.
Protected trees would be lost, along with hedgerows and other wildlife habitats.
Objectors also dispute claims that the farmland on which the houses would be built is no longer viable for agricultural use.
Penketh is already over-developed and has less than half the national average of public open space, they claim.
Planning officers recommend the scheme for approval, but councillors decided they should inspect the site before reaching a decision.
