Town’s recycling centres
to receive ?29,000 boost
by staff reporter
MAJOR improvements are to be carried out at Warrington’s three main recycling and household waste centres.
The work will be carried out as a result of the borough council’s waste minimisation and recycling team securing ?29,286 funding from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Improvement work will be carried out at the centre at Gatewarth, Woolston and Sandy Lane, Stockton Heath.
The news coincides with the BIG Recycle 2005, a national campaign taking place this week to encourage more people to think more about what they recycle.
Council chiefs say the improvements to the centres are designed to encourage more people to use the sites with a specific target of increasing the weight of green waste delivered by residents.
The introduction of a new bulky green waste bay at Gatewarth will cater for large items of green waste such as conifers, tree roots and large branches, items that are generally difficult for the compactors to cope with in the normal green waste bays.
In addition, there will also be new signage, to include large entrance signs welcoming visitors and the provision of 90 litre green waste sacks, to be given to site users free of charge. These should help with the clean transportation of site users’ garden waste from home to their site of choice.
The council will also provide every household with its own recycling guide, packed full of useful information that will help Warrington residents reduce and recycle their waste.
Coun Jeff Richards, executive member for Sustainable Environment, said: “This funding will enable the council to improve its recycling services to make it easier for people to transport their waste to the sites and recycle more.
“It is very important that we recycle as we all have a responsibility to reduce the amount of waste we produce and therefore reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.
“Warrington residents’ support for recycling initiatives has been fantastic and I hope this continues and increases in the future.”
It is hoped that an additional 860 tonnes of green waste can be collected across all three sites per year as a result of this funding.
Residents in a flap
about noisy cockerel
by staff reporter
COUNCIL officers at Warrington got the ultimate wake-up call when a stray cockerel gave them the run around.
Residents from Whitchurch Close, in Padgate, were all in a flap about their noisy neighbour.
They complained to environmental health officers about the cockerel’s spontaneous wake-up calls, at 4am every morning, after it had taken up residence in the grounds of an old factory.
Attempts by residents to catch the noisy bird, nicknamed Wolfie 2, were unsuccessful and a small team of Officers was sent in to help.
The cockerel’s fun came to an abrupt end when environmental health officer Nichola Gannon captured him.
Environmental health manager Phil Woods said: “Noise can disturb sleep, be a great nuisance and affect your health, so we were happy to take action. Wolfie 2 got his name because he seems to wolf down any food you put in front of him.”
Nichola Gannon said: “He seemed friendly enough, so I was able to get close enough to take a firm hold and put him into a temporary cage.
“I know of a farmer who is prepared to adopt Wolfie 2, hopefully he will be happier on a farm where he belongs.”
Choir raises ?500 with
end-of-season concert
by Lesley Wilkinson
THE end of a summer season of community concerts was marked by Warrington Male Voice Choir with a performance at Christ Church, Padgate.
Sixty choir members performed a wide-ranging repertoire and the event raised more than ?500 for church funds.
The programme included solo performances by tenors, Alan Monks and Gareth Roberts and bass John Jefferson. A highlight of the evening was an organ recital by Richard Robinson, of Sir William Walton’s Crown Imperial, dedicated to the memory of long time parishioner, the late Len Jones.
Choir members are preparing for a busy July with their annual pilgrimage to Llangollen to compete in the International Eisteddfod, and its charity tour of the Isle of Man, to include Songs of Praise with Terry Waite.
It will return to the Parr Hall, Warrington, on September 24 for a Last Night of the Proms.
Chairman Barrie Johnson said: “If the response and reaction is as great as last year, we will look seriously at making the Autumn Concert a two night event in the future, with “Yet Another Last Night” as a possible title for night two.
“While some organisations are deserting the Parr Hall, we still have the capability to fill the venue for two nights for our Christmas concerts, and therefore it is logical, that with the continuing upsurge in interest and support for the Choir, that we can achieve the same, at other times during the year,” he added.
Ticket Booking will be available for the proms from late August.
Youth theatre creates
memories for the stage
by John Hendon
YOUNGSTERS from Warrington’s Pyramid Arts Centre Youth Theatre have been working together with older people from Mosslands Independent Living to create memories for the stage.
The project, entitled “The Reminiscence Project”, has seen members of the Youth Theatre visiting with residents at Mosslands to record moments in their lives to inspire a special live performance in March next year.
The joint arts project was developed after the Healthy ‘Arts conference last year.
The groups met for the first time at Mosslands to explore the ways in which the script, for the play, could develop.
Reminiscence expert Roger Sim has been taking part in weekly sessions with the residents at Mosslands. He said: “It’s a wonderful challenge and a great opportunity to make sure these valuable memories stand the test of time.
“I have a strong feeling that this will become a very important piece of work within Warrington.”
David Walker, principal officer for older people and physical disability, said: “This is a fantastic project. It not only bridges the gap between two generations, which often misunderstand each other, but also brings together two departments within the new Community Services department which is a good example of partnership working between Community Services and Cultural Development Service.”
For further information about the project contact David Walker on 01925 44 811306. For information about Pyramid’s Youth Theatre contact Owen Hutchings on 01925 442871.
Advice for town’s
tourism businesses
by Lesley Wilkinson
TOURISM business in Warrington can now benefit from on-the-spot advice following the introduction of a new service.
Cheshire and Warrington Tourism Board has launched a scheme to offer members direct access to professional business advice.
Following an agreement with Business Link Cheshire and Warrington the link’s tourism and hospitality business specialist Sab Losy will be on hand at the board’s Chester offices three days a week to give advice on issues such as grants, human resources, finance, and recruitment, to the board’s 220 members.
Board chief executive Chris Brown said that since the organisation was formed last year it had developed a range of services to assist tourism-related businesses. He also aims to make services more accessible.
“We’ve had a tremendous take-up of the various training and quality improvement initiatives that have already been introduced and I hope that members will take advantage of this new initiative,” he said.
The board is also offering qualifying hospitality providers in Cheshire free places on a ?1,000 Hospitality Leadership programme designed to give the skills needed to succeed in hospitality. Further details are available by email from [email protected]
