Hospital care for aged
set to soar by ?6 million
by Terry Johnson
HOSPITAL care for Warrington’s ageing residents is projected to surge by a massive ?6.1m in four years’ time.
The extra millions will be needed in 2009-10 for unwell older people and those paying the penalty for their ?lifestyles?.
Health bosses have revealed their strategy to make Warrington a healthier town – a blueprint focused on helping people stay well.
Allison Cooke, Primary Care Trust chief executive, said: “By taking action now it is predicted that thousands of Warrington people could be helped to avoid unnecessary hospital treatment”.
The Trust’s plans envisage making better use of resources because there will be no growth in national funding of local health services after 2007-08. This follows increased funding to bring the NHS into line with Europe.
“An ageing population means there will be more people with the chronic and limiting conditions that come with getting older”, said Allison.
“There is a great deal we can do to help people live longer, healthier lives. There are many initiatives that we run to do just that – our stop-smoking service has a 59 per cent success rate. There is also a lot that people can do themselves to avoid ill health”.
Allison added: “We have some difficult decisions to make about how we best support people to stay well and about how we best use the limited health service budget to do this”.
The Trust’s strategy, ?Healthy Futures in Warrington?, is to be outlined to other organisations in the town who will help take the proposals to reality.
Warrington’s challenges include people’s lifestyles: around five per cent of townspeople (9,660) are at risk of heart disease; obesity is set to rise 29 per cent by 2008 and diabetes could rise 4.5 per cent in three years.
The ageing population: by 2028 there will be an 83 per cent increase in the over-75’s. This change will have a huge impact on health, with 13,500 more people who could develop a limiting long-term illness.
The Trust says 21.3 per cent of people in Warrington smoke; 48.3 per cent are overweight; 46.3per cent don’t exercise; 88 per cent don’t eat enough fruit and veg and 14.2 per cent drink too much.
Anonymous ?1,000
gift for charity group
by staff reporter
CHRISTIAN Aid workers in Warrington were ?overwhelmed? after receiving an anonymous ?1,000 cash donation.
The money was in an envelope handed in to the charity’s North-West office in Warrington.
Head of administration, Kerry Starkey, (pictured) said: “I was overwhelmed by this generosity”.
She added: “It can go towards transforming a community. With such an amount dry soil can be turned into productive land, keeping people and animals safe from disease”.
The charity fights poverty in more than 50 countries.
Man killed in
slip-road crash
by staff reporter
A DRIVER was killed when his car plunged off a motorway slip-road near Warrington and collided with a lamp post.
The crash occurred on the slip-road between the M6 southbound carriageway and the M62 eastbound carriageway at Croft.
Police say the driver was a 22-year-old man from St Helens.
No other vehicle was involved in the early-hours-of-the-morning crash.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call police on 0845 4580000.
Planners hold fire on
three-storey flats scheme
by David Skentelbery
PLANNING chiefs at Warrington are to visit the site of a proposed development of three storey apartment blocks before deciding whether to give approval.
Balfour Homes want to build the 16 apartments on land at the rear of Church Street, in Howley.
Existing industrial buildings would be demolished to make way for the properties.
An earlier plan for 12 apartments was approved in 2004.
Residents of the Trinity Green housing development have complained that the proposed new properties will rob them of privacy and damage residential amenity.
Other objections relate to inappropriate design, loss of sunlight in the garden and disturbance caused by security lighting.
Planning officers are recommending the scheme be approved. They argue that the development would not cause an damage, visual intrusion or other adverse effect on existing properties, including Listed buildings in the area.
The application will be considered at the next meeting of the borough council?s development control committee.
Police warning of
doorstep burglars
by Mark Hemmings
POLICE are warning Warrington residents to be on their guard against distraction burglars and to stay alert on the doorstep following a spate offences in the borough.
The number of incidents has been increasing over the past few weeks and officers believe a team of offenders is working together to con their way into local homes.
There were a total of 12 offences in January 2006 with the most recent occurring in the Grappenhall area, although the thieves have targeted all parts of the borough.
While one member of the team calls at an address and distracts the occupier, other offenders enter the property via the open front door and search rooms for cash and valuables.
The bogus caller often directs the resident to a particular part of the house, usually towards the back garden claiming they need to check the boundaries, or to the rear kitchen or bathroom claiming they are working on the drains in the street and need to check if blue dye is coming through the taps.
Det Cons Gary Massey said: “The thieves are employing all kinds of tactics to gain entry into properties including asking residents for a kettle full of water for their car up the road which they claim has overheated. This tactic actually gets the resident out of the house, while others search the property for valuables.
“It’s important for people to come forward to police if they have been a victim of such a crime. They could hold vital clues to help us trace those responsible who are described as having Irish accents and who we believe are travelling criminals coming into the borough from other areas to commit crime.”
Residents celebrate
planning victory
by Terry Johnson
BATTLING Woolston residents have succeeded in their struggle to overturn plans for a new restaurant, fronting Manchester Road.
Eighty people signed a petition opposing the new eatery and 15 neighbours put in letters of objection.
Local planners recommended ‘conditional approval’ for a restaurant in the storage area of a car showroom and workshop at the junction with New Cut Lane.
But Development Control councillors were unconvinced. They had heard that the re-submitted scheme would result in a loss of privacy for residents and have a polluting ernvironmental impact.
Parking of vehicles in a residential area was also an issue.
Applicant Mr A. Clarkson had proposed that 13 parking spaces should serve the restaurant.
Police station
closed for month
by staff reporter
THE front desk at Risley Police Station has been closed to the public for building alterations until Wednesday 1st March 2006.
Police front desk services are available at the Help Desk at Warrington Police Station, Arpley Street seven days a week between the hours of 8am and 10pm.
Alternatively members of the public who require assistance can ring the Cheshire Police switchboard number for non-emergencies on: 0845 458 0000.
Factory blaze
FIRE crews fought a three-hour battle to extinguish a blaze at a Warrington aluminium factory.
The fire started on a conveyor belt at Novelis, Latchford Locks, in Thelwall Lane, Latchford.
Workers helped firefighters to tackle the fire and no-one was hurt.
News in brief
Sign refused
PLANS for new signs at the London Bridge public house in London Road, Appleton,
Warrington have been thrown out by planning chiefs.
Chimney plan
A PROPOSAL to erect chimney flues for paint fume extraction at industrial premises in Bank Hall Park, Wharf Street, Warrington have been given the go-ahead by planners.
Executive meeting
A MEETING of the executive board of Warrington Borough Council takes place at the Town Hall, in Sankey Street, tonight (Monday). Members of the public are entitled to attend the meeting which starts at 6.30pm.
Family Ceilidh
THE Daten Scottish Country Dance Society is holding a family Ceilidh at Culcheth Sports Club on Saturday, March 18, starting at 7pm. Accordianist John Browne will play for dancing.
