House prices rise
by 21.7 per cent
by David Skentelbery
DESPITE reports of a slowdown in the housing market, house prices in Warrington continue to rise according to latest available figures from the Land Registry.
Figures for the period April to June indicate that prices rose by 21.7 per cent in the borough, compared to the same period last year. The national average increase was 17 per cent.
The average cost of a detached house in Warrington is ?243,009 while the average semi-detached cost ?134,462, a terraced house ?99,859 and a flat or maisonette ?103,478.
Only Cheshire has higher average house prices in the North West.
However, Warrington Borough Council, which publishes the figures in its latest Labour Market Review, warns that the figures should be treated with extreme caution as they can be based on differing of small sample sizes.
The figures also take no account of sales in recent months.
Warrington’s population is put at 193,200 compared with the mid 2002 figure of 191.800 – and increase of 0.7 per cent.
Fifty one per cent of the population are female and 49 per cent male.
Jeweller expands
in the city
by business staff
JEWELLER Laurence Levey, managing director of Warrington-based AB&S Group which has outlets in the town centre and Stockton Heath, has acquired Liverpool city centre jewellery store Pryors of London Road.
Guests from throughout the country attended a lavish opening party at the shop to introduce them to some of the exclusive designs that will be available from what is already one of the city’s most stylish jewellers.
The champagne flowed as guests admired some of the exquisite designs on offer and discussed their jewellery needs with shop manager Brent Renton.
Mr Levey’s aim is to expand his current group of three established jewellery outlets across the North West to offer customers a high quality service that the existing High Street jewellery chains cannot match.
He said: “Our products are of the highest quality and our staff are both experienced and knowledgeable and able to give clients the very best advice.
“Once a customer has experienced our exclusive service I am confidant they will come back again and again.”
All three AB&S outlets, including the A.Baker and Sons shops in Warrington and Stockton Heath, offer a full range of jewellery services including repair and custom design of pieces of jewellery for both the domestic and corporate client.
Mr Levey felt there was a gap in the market following the demise of the quality independent high street jewellers and the arrival of the national chains of jewellery retailers aiming at the mass market.
“The performance of both my shops in Warrington and Stockton Heath has shown there is significant demand for this level of service and I expect Pryor’s of London Road to be equally successful,” he said.
Further information on the AB&S group can be found on the company website: www.abakerandsons.co.uk
Musical youngsters can
bid for ?5,000 award
by Lesley Wilkinson
MUSICAL youngsters are being given the opportunity to improve their talents with a ?5,000 training prize if they win a Warrington competition, Want Me 2004.
The initiative is run by voluntary group GLR Productions and La Kat in collaboration with a number of educational and youth organisations. It offers youngsters the opportunity to enhance their musical abilities.
The prize is an Ultimate Expression package including 15 sessions of vocal training, guidance in stage presence and microphone technique and the chance to appear in a pop video.
Its also includes the chance to work in a recording studio cutting a demo CD at Darkline Studios and there is ?500 prize for the overall winner’s organisation.
Finals for the contest, which has attracted entrants from 13 organisations throughout the town, will be held on November 27 at Cinnamon Brow Farm community centre.
Artists linked with La Kat will perform during the evening. These include Jademic (Jade Spurrell, Emma Wainwright and Mica Phillips) who recently cut a CD True Love for the Abbie Tinkley Fund. Also performing will be rock guitarist Sam Barnet, 14, who has made a CD of his own work called Alpha, and Becky Dawson, 17, who’s songwriter father Paul has written a song which she is due to record.
Police probe
car blaze
by staff reporter
POLICE are investigating a fire which wrecked the interior of a car parked outside a house in West Avenue, Orford, Warrington during the night.
Fire Service experts say the blaze was almost certainly started deliberately.
There was no apparent accidental or electrical cause and a cigarette lighter was found nearby.
The Ford Orion had been parked outside the owner’s house.
School needs room
for more pupils
by staff reporter
INCREASING numbers of pupils at Stockton Heath Primary School, near Warrington mean it plans to provide a mobile classroom on the Egerton Street site.
Coun Maurice Leslie told Stockton Heath Parish Council that the school would eventually seek planning permission for the facility.
“They will remove part of the wall in Egerton Street to gain access, and then rebuild it. Unfortunately one of the trees will have to go.”
Woman in the Community
award marks anniversary
by Lesley Wilkinson
TO mark its 60th anniversary next year, Soroptimist International of Warrington, is launching a Woman in the Community Award.
Local people are being urged to nominate women, who have worked for the betterment of others, for the award.
The prize will be dinner for the proposer and the winner with the Warrington group at their Annual Installation Dinner in April at Statham Lodge, Lymm. The winner will also receive a prize of ?100, funded by Phil Williams and Co Insurance Management of Stockton Heath.
The closing date for applications is March 31 2005 and anyone wishing to nominate a candidate should write to Mrs Eileen Griffiths, 23 Churchfields, Croft, Warrington, WA3 7JR, describing why their candidate is worthy of the award.
Soroptimist of Warrington, is part of the largest businesswomen’s organisation in the world, and started at Warrington Town Hall just after World War II in 1945. There were 15 members and three members were appointed with the titles Welfare Officer, Tax Inspector and Director of Osram Prams, to start local groups.
Members say they have served the local community in a “quiet and sedate manner” and that they try to meet the dictionary definition of Soroptimist, “best of sisters.” During its 60 years the group has served the local, national and international communities of the world.
Trader asks for
yellow lines
by staff reporter
A REQUEST is being made for temporary double yellow lines along a section of Chapel Lane, Stockton Heath, Warrington, to allow lorries to gain access to a delivery area at the rear of a furniture shop.
Coun Patrick Mullee told Stockton Heath Parish Council that cars parking outside Smarts Carpets, prevented lorries for turning into the premises to reach the loading area.
He said the owner had requested double yellow lines, of a car’s width, on either side of the access road.
Coun Peter Walker suggested members ask Warrington Borough Council to provide temporary lines, for a trial period, to see if it made a difference.
