Council plans three
pronged attack
on recycling target
by David Skentelbery
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are planning a three pronged attack on waste recycling to enable the town to meet targets set by the Government by the end of next year.
Three recycling initiatives are planned – including kerbside collection of garden waste from 56,000 homes starting in April.
In addition, a major campaign will be launched to boost the existing house-to-house collection of waste paper and a scheme will also be explored to recycle litter from street sweepings and litter bins.
Borough council leaders are to be asked to approve all three proposals in the light of the town failing to meet its targets for recycling and composting of household waste for the last three years.
Warrington has managed to recycling only 16.92 per cent of waste over the last three years against a target of 18 per cent.
The target set for 2006/07 is currently set at 30 per cent ? but the projected actual performance is put at 18.44 per cent.
Officers calculate that Warrington has 56,000 detached or semi-detached houses producing 11,500 tonnes of garden waste a year ? much of which goes to landfill sites.
If garden waste from 70 per cent of them can be diverted away from landfill, it will add another seven per cent to the town?s recycling performance. This would still mean the total recycling figure would only be 25.6 per cent by 2006/07. But with savings on the other two initiatives ? street sweepings and litter bins could save another five per cent ? and the target could be met.
The council hopes to set up a partnership with a private contracted to do this work which would recycle paper, cans and plastics.
Once fully operational, the council believes recycling could save ?444,000 a year on landfill tax.
Students were tickled pink!
STUDENTS at Priestley College, Warrington, wore pink and rattled charity collection tins in their best-ever fund raising for Breast Cancer Research.
The students faced an ?ultimatum? – wear something pink or be fined!
It worked, with ?570 raised for the charity through their shocking dress sense and cooking flair.
The recently-launched Pink Ladies taxi business offered a free ride home in one of their pink cabs to the winner of a prize draw, while students sold their own cakes, candy floss and toffee apples.
College spokeswoman, Bev Whittaker, said: “The students worked long and hard with their fund-raising. It was a great success”.
Kath and Brenda
won’t be bowled over
by Terry Johnson
BOWLING fans Kath Gibson and Brenda Lyons are determined not to let flu bowl them over!
Kath,73 and 84-year-old Brenda, from Latchford, Warrington, are betting their free flu jab will keep them up and running should the nasty virus strike this winter.
Crown green bowler Kath said: “I developed mild asthma six years ago and was advised by my doctor that I risked serious complications, like pneumonia, if I caught flu. I don’t want to be out of action for weeks”.
When she is not bowling, Kath plays darts and bingo and surfs the world-wide web. A keen traveller, she has holidayed in Australia, America and Dubai.
Friend Brenda said: “I would recommend the flu jab to anyone”.
Kerry Broadhead, of Warrington Primary Care Trust, stated: “Vaccination is important. Everyone over 65 or with a serious medical condition should get a jab”.
For the first time this year, carers of elderly or disabled people can discuss with their GP their eligibility for the free jab.
Details from the nurse-led NHS Direct helpline: 0845-4647, or its website, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Ancient meadow to be
new nature reserve
by Terry Johnson
AN area of ancient meadowland at Warrington, the sanctuary of ground-nesting birds and wildflower species not far away from the thunderous roar of traffic on Thelwall Viaduct, is to become new Local Nature Reserve.
Surrounded on three sides by a large loop of the River Mersey, Paddington Meadows offers rare habitat to resident and migrant birds, with a wetland area and wildflower meadow.
Ecologists say the site is “unique”, being the only Council-owned and managed farmland.
The meadows were bequeathed to Warrington by English Partnerships in 1993 – with the proviso that the Town Hall has a clear vision of setting up a nature reserve.
Borough council ecologist Dr David Bell, said: “The Meadows provide a unique countryside experience for visitors. Yet they are located just five minutes by car from the town centre.
“For the last 10 years the site has been in Countryside Stewardship. We have been successful in securing extra funds from WREN, the Environment Agency and others to advance an extensive programme of capital works to improve access, interpretation and education value”.
A new footpath has been laid through the centre of the site, several kilometres of stock fencing erected and hedgerows planted. Wetland and wildflower areas have been created.
Groundwork Mersey Valley helped secure grants and supervised projects.
The Meadows is a top Cheshire training site for field skills. Most of the fencing and hedging work has been done by Conservation Trust volunteers.
Dr Bell added: “Thousands of visits are made to this site, which offers a unique farmland experience.”
It is expected the completed Meadows project will be opened next spring, with further help sought from English Nature.
Mothers’ fury over
dumping of cars
by Terry Johnson
MOTHERS are calling for tough police and town hall action to curb the dumping and torching of stolen cars alongside a children’s playground.
Burnt-out wrecks have been left by joy-riders on a recreation field behind Glover Road, Birchwood, Warrington on two week-ends.
The vehicles, which leaked toxic materials and battery acid, became an ?adventure? play area for young children, tempted away from nearby swings.
Mums are angry nobody took immediate responsibility for removing the dumped cars and allowed the danger to continue for some days.
Said one mother: “Yobs drove these cars along a footpath and dumped them on the recreation field in the early hours. They then set them ablaze, causing an awful mess as rubber and plastic parts melted down and windows exploded.
“Toddlers should not have been exposed to such risk – but nobody showed any urgency in dealing with these incidents”.
A borough council spokesman said: “When a vehicle is abandoned after a criminal act, then it is the responsibility of the police investigating the incident to remove it”.
Residents, however, are incensed that authorities seemingly ‘pass the buck’ and are putting their children at risk.
They are calling the council to block access to the footway system from Glover Road, to prevent further dumpings.
How to avoid
doorstep crime
by John Hendon
THE good, the bad, and the ugly – for most householders it’s difficult to separate the genuine from the bogus when faced by doorstep-salesmen.
Trading standards watchdogs in Cheshire say there is only one way of avoiding doorstep crime….?say no every time?.
Officers will be visiting supermarkets during National Consumer Week this week to drive home their anti-crime initiative.
Devious and plausible traders need to have the door shut inn their faces, say watchdogs.
People who buy or sell goods costing more than ?35 who did not invite the seller have seven days to cancel the contract. By law, sellers must give written details of your right to cancel.
