Councillor’s anger over
“bullying” developers
by David Skentelbery
A SENIOR councillor at Warrington has hit out over developers who “ride roughshod” over local people’s wishes over housing in the borough.
Coun Ian Marks, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on the borough council, was speaking on the eve of an important planning meeting when councillors have been told they must make a decision on a controversial “affordable housing” development at Longbutt Lane Lymm.
Coun Marks urges members of the development control committee to throw out the proposals – even though they have been warned this could result in substantial costs being awarded against the borough council.
Coun Marks said: “It greatly annoys me the way the developer for this site is trying to bully the Council into submission. He only got planning permission because of a loophole on affordable housing.
“It is absolutely essential that he is made to build genuine affordable housing – not housing that is just a bit cheaper than housing elsewhere. The council has firm views about the housing mix it wants to see on the site and we should do everything we can to make this happen. I urge the committee to be courageous and turn down this application.”
Coun Marks said residents and councillors were very concerned about road safety aspects of the scheme but had been told they could not even consider this.
He added: “Legally this may be true, but it is a nonsense that we can’t talk about it. We must find a way of putting this issue back on the table.”
The development control committee – which has already refused to reach a decision on the scheme once – meets again tomorrow (Wednesday) with firm instructions from officers that they must either approve or refuse the application by Wilson Connolly North West.
?480,000 repairs for
“toast rack” bridge
by John Hendon
TRANSPORT chiefs at Warrington are to spend ?480,000 improving and extending the life of an important road bridge known locally as the “toast rack.” Walton New Bridge, which carried the A56 Chester Road over the Bridgewater Canal, is to undergo major repairs, starting on Monday, November 8.
The bridge has already undergone waterproofing and structural repairs on the upper decking.
Now work is moving into Phase Two of the scheme, to strengthen its structure from beneath. Both aspects of the project are essential to maintain the functional life of the structure.
The work is expected to last for 24 weeks, during which traffic will be restricted to flow in one lane in each direction and a 40mph speed limit will be extended to the junction of Underbridge Lane.
Concrete Repairs Ltd have been awarded the ?480,000 contract.
Borough council transportation chief Phil Johnson said: “While we are not expecting the works to cause major delays, we will be doing anything necessary, in partnership with the contractors, to minimise any inconvenience, particularly over the Christmas period.
“The importance of this period to town centre trading and businesses generally, cannot be underestimated. The council is acutely aware that, while essential maintenance work will prevent more serious disruption later, all such works have to be managed as proactively as possible to minimise any disruption.”
Residents to get a say
on waterside plans
by David Skentelbery
RESIDENTS are to be fully consulted over future developments in the Howley area of Warrington, borough council chiefs have pledged.
Four major housing schemes have already been given outline planning consent and further applications are expected.
But Town Hall bosses have promised that there will be full consultation with the local community.
Fairfield and Howley councillor Yvonne Fovargue welcomed the pledge.
She said: “There is an active and vibrant community in Howley and we all want to ensure that this community not only survives but is strengthened and improved by local developments.”
Coun Fovargue is concerned that developments must be accompanied by improved road infrastructure, public transport links and improved access to the waterfront with associated areas of recreation.
She added: “If the strategy includes community aspirations such as recreation, improved street lighting and an accessible river frontage with careful consideration of the impact on the road network.
“The riverside area could be a jewel in the crown for the local community.”
The waterside from Kingsway Bridge to Howley Footbridge has already received four major outline planning approvals for residential development and it is likely that further planning applications will be submitted in the future.
If implemented these will lead to a significant change in the character of the riverside and surrounding area.
Coun Fovargue along with Warrington South MP Helen Southworth is pushing council bosses to publish and consult on a strategy for the area and involve local residents and interested parties in discussions about the future of the area.
She said: “There is an active and vibrant community in Howley and we all want to ensure that this community not only survives but is strengthened and improved by local developments.”
Plans are in the pipeline for residential development on the old Mississippi Show Boat site, 77 residential units on the Edwards Cheshire Site, in Farrell Street122 apartment blocks in Church Street) and proposals for homes, shops and hotel on the APW factory site.
Students gear up
for trip to Kenya
STUDENTS from Priestley College, Warrington, who are hoping to visit Kenya, have lunched fundraising activities with a 10-mile walk along the Sandstone Trail in Cheshire.
In February the group will have the opportunity to study in the East African Rift Valley, a unique experience in itself.
Kenya will also provide the backdrop for fieldwork and research centered around the remote Marich Pass in the northern part of the country.
The conditions are basic and the 10-mile walk has helped the students prepare themselves for what lies ahead. Many of the students will use the opportunity to visit local schools and clinics contrasting markedly to their own upbringing in Warrington.
Students are seeking support for their venture and the sponsored walk is just the beginning.
Meanwhile the college’s staff have been delighted with the enterprise and commitment shown by the group in question.
Senior tutor Geoff Rudall, who will accompany the students, said: “It is really good to see young people doing something positive and it helps to counteract all the negative publicity that youth seems to have these days.” With the deadline now ticking, the students will have to show further acts of initiative in order to obtain the ?950 needed for the field study trip with outside organisations urged to get in touch with the college with offers of help.
Family of five
flee blaze house
by David Skentelbery
A FAMILY of five escaped from a smoke-filled house early today after a candle started a fire in the bedroom.
The blaze was in Watkin Street, Warrington where a woman had been reading in bed using a candle placed on top of a television set.
She fell asleep and the candle burned down and set fire to the television, filling the house with toxic fumes.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “Fortunately a smoke alarm alerted the husband who tackled the fire with damp towels while the rest of the family escaped. This could easily have ended in a tragedy and we must stress the importance of not using candles in unsuitable containers or placing them on combustible objects.
“The smoke alarm definitely saved lives in this case.”
In a separate incident, fire crews were called to a farm in Park Road, Great Sankey, Warrington where a large barn containing 2,500 tonnes of hay caught fire. Three fire appliances were at the scene throughout the night
and are likely to be there all day. The hay and the barn were destroyed, but firefighters managed to prevent flames spreading to the adjacent farmhouse and a nearby housing estate.
Smoke from the blaze covered a wide area, including the course at the Mersey Valley Golf Club.
Local firm pioneers
steel storage
by business staff
WARRINGTON-based removals and storage firm Roy Trevor Ltd has become one of the first UK companies to adopt steel containers for storage, with the construction of a state-of-the-art computerised warehouse in Wincham.
The adoption of steel containers is the most significant advance in the storage and removals industry since lorries took over from horse-drawn vans, according to the company.
Traditionally, plywood boxes have been used to store and move anything from furniture, to cars and company records.
While generally acceptable, they do have certain problems, especially when used for longer-term storage. Over time, wooden boxes stored in stacks can become deformed, posing potential risks to the property inside. They can allow moisture through and they are difficult to make completely secure against intruders.
Roy Trevor has purchased several hundred 20ft containers also robust, weather proof and able to accommodate greater volumes and much larger single items than wooden packing cases. They are of exactly the same type and specification as those used to ship goods by sea, which are routinely mounted on the decks of ships, exposed to weather and waves during long voyages.
Managing director Paul Trevor, a grandson of the founder of the company, said: “Whether we are storing furniture for an individual who is moving home, holding records for a company or keeping safe a treasured possession such as a classic car, our first concern is to ensure that we keep that property secure and safe from the elements.
“By using steel containers we are able to take our guarantee of safe-keeping to an even higher level. At the same time, thanks to the new technology we have put in place, we are able to continue to offer a highly cost efficient service to all our clients.”
Police honoured for
crime fighting efforts
by staff reporter
POLICE officers at Warrington have been honoured for their dedication to cutting crime and tracking down criminals.
The annual award ceremony was attended by senior officers and the Mayor and Mayoress, Coun and Mrs Ted Lafferty.
Divisonal commander Supt Julia Clayton,, presented commendations to several officers including PC Mark Naylor, PCs Joanne Baxendale and Peter McLaughlin and DS Deborah Dodd.
She outlined the circumstances which led to the awards being made.
A number of burglaries were committed in April in the Grappenhall area and PC Naylor was about to finish duty when he apprehended a man who fitted the description of the offender.
He searched him and discovered property from the burglaries. PC Naylor arrested the man and stayed on duty for many more hours to ensure that evidence was preserved and prepared. He was commended for his perseverance and diligence.
At 5.00am on the morning of Wednesday May 19, PCs Joanne Baxendale and Peter McLaughlin were on duty in the Cromwell Avenue area when they smelled smoke and traced it to a residence. Whie they waited for the fire service to attend they ensured the elderly occupant was evacuated as well as the occupants of neighbouring premises.
As the fire crew dealt with the blaze the officers saw to it that the resident was cared for before starting local enquiries. The two officers were commended for their efforts which undoubtedly prevented injury to the resident.
During the period March to August, DS Deborah Dodd was instrumental in the investigation of several serious sexual assaults. DS Dodd’s ability to obtain detailed accounts and to gather evidence at an early stage had a positive effect in the investigations. She was commended for her professional and dedicated approach to her work.
Supt Clayton said: “These awards are testament to the hard work and commitment shown by police officers and police staff on a daily basis. I am very proud of their achievements.”
