Fury as axe looms
over six post offices
by David Skentelbery
ANGRY residents have reacted with horror to shock proposals to close six post offices across Warrington.
The list of threatened post offices included two ? in the Co-op Village store at Cherry Lane, Lymm and at the Grey Horse pub in Glazebury ? which have been open for less than two years.
Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative politicians were united in condemning the proposals.
The threatened post offices are at Cherry Lane, Lymm, Myddleton Lane, Winwick, the Grey Horse, Glazebury, Orford Lane, Warrington, Church Drive, Padgate and Lovely Lane, Warrington.
Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones said: ?These proposals are disgraceful. Once again the less prosperous areas and those with fewer alternatives have been targeted.
?In the case of both Church Drive, Padgate and Myddleton Lane, Winwick the nearest alternative is a considerable distance away and closure would cause considerable problems for the communities.
? I believe that the Post office has misled the public about the future of the post offices on Orford Road and in Glazebury. Their actions have been disgraceful. Part of the rationale they used to close the Norris Street post office was that people could use Orford Lane as an alternative ? to suggest closing this is, frankly, treating people with contempt.
?Similarly, people in Glazebury were given the impression that the new post office at The Grey Horse was a long term solution. Once again the Post Office has strung people along. Treating communities in this way is wrong and unacceptable. I will oppose these closures.?
Coun Sheila Woodyatt, Conservative, said: ?The post office in Cherry Lane, Lymm is right next to an old people?s home and convenient for elderly people?s bungalows. It is also a place where people can park.
?It has not been open very long so it is absolutely ridiculous to close it now. I shall be asking our MP to oppose this closure.?
Warrington South Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary candidate Jo Crotty said: ?This means that since 1999 Labour will have closed 20 post offices just in Warrington.
?Closing these post offices cuts people off from their communities. And it is certain to hurt the people who depend on these services most ? older people and people with The Lib Dems have already launched a protest petition and more than 400 signatures were obtained on the first day.
A spokesperson for Post Office Ltd stressed that the proposals were subject to a six week consultation period.
Under the proposals, more than 99 per cent of the area?s population would either see no change, or would remain within one mile of an alternative branch.
Special outreach services would use innovative ways to continue to provide services even where a branch was proposed for closure. These included mobile services, a hosted service within third party premises for restricted hours or partner services in premises such as pubs.
Jane Briginshaw, Post Office Ltd?s network development manager for the North West, said: ?Taking the decision to close any branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers. We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on, or has any concern with Post Office services is both fully aware of the proposed changes and able to give views on them.”
Villagers campaign
for popular footpath
by James Parr
WORRIED residents at Lymm are to press Warrington Borough Council to adopt a well-used local footpath.
As a popular access route to shops, the Bridgewater Canal and the Trans Pennine Trail, the path at Statham is popular with local residents who have put their names to a document asking the council to adopt the footpath.
Coun Pam Marks, of Lymm Parish Council, has been gathering evidence in support of the adoption of the path.
She said: “The footpath runs from Whitbarrow Road to Whitesands Road and is well used by local people going to the shops on Albany Road, to the Trans Pennine Trail or the canal. At present it is neither adopted nor recorded as a right of way, so the council doesn’t have to maintain it.
?I’m grateful to a number of local residents who have filled in forms to support the adoption.
?I’ve been campaigning for this for ages but it will take a while for the Council to complete the necessary procedures. Once the council agree to the adoption I will be pressing them to clear the growth at the edges and improve the surface.”
Continental market
coming to town
by Lesley Wilkinson
TREATS ranging from pungent cheeses and spicy sausages to Swedish cider will be on offer when Warrington hosts its first ever continental market.
From November 14 to 18 the town centre will have a foreign flavour as Bridge Street, Sankey Street, Horsemarket Street and Buttermarket Street are packed with stalls selling European delights.
Professional market traders from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Holland and Poland, all wearing traditional costumes, will be selling high quality products. Stalls will include goods such as Brittany biscuits, olives, Italian nougat, continental meats, cakes and croissants.
There will also be freshly cooked crepes and Muscadet wines from a family vineyard in Frontignan.
In addition to edible goods there will also be a range of handbags and leather goods, Marseille soaps, lavender and children toys.
Many goods will be produced by small organisations such as family businesses, farms or small factories using traditional methods and working to a high quality.
Stalls will be decorated to reflect the country they come from.
Coun Bob Barr, the borough council?s executive member for planning and regeneration, said: “There are so many fantastic goods to sample that anyone visiting will get a true flavour of the continent – there will be something for everyone.”
The market will be open every day from 9am to 6pm except Thursday, when it will be 9am to 8pm, and Sunday, when it will be 11am to 5pm.
Machete raiders
rob newsagents
by David Skentelbery
TWO men armed with a machete robbed a Warrington newsagents shortly before the shop was due to close.
The raid was at McColl’s in Admiral’s Road, Birchwood just before 10pm on Sunday.
A bottle of whiskey and other property was stolen after the raiders threatened staff. But no-one was hurt.
One of the offenders was a white man, aged 19-20 and about 5ft 4 inches tall. He was wearing a grey hooded jacket. The other was black, aged about 20 and about 5ft 8 inches tall. He was wearing black clothing and trainers.
Police are appealing for witnesses. Anyone who can help should call 0845 458 0000.
Park and ride service
will ease congestion
by James Parr
CHRISTMAS shopping in Warrington is being made easier over the festive season as two free park and ride bus schemes create nearly 1,000 additional car park spaces.
Services are operating every Saturday from Warrington Collegiate on Winwick Road and Wilderspool Park, opposite Morrison?s, until December 22.
Buses run every few minutes from 9.30am until 6pm, with car parking and use of the bus service carrying no charge.
Motorists can use the service, provided by Warrington Borough Transport, no matter how many passengers they have in their car.
Together, the sites cater for around 800 cars and are identifiable via yellow AA signs.
Chairman of Warrington Town Centre Partnership, and managing firector of Hancock and Wood, Michael Hancock said: “With the new Golden Square Shopping Centre now fully open, to add to the range of high quality independent retailers and well established market hall, Warrington has emerged as a major regional shopping centre. Visitor numbers this Christmas are set to reach record levels and these new park and ride services will ensure motorists will b
e very well catered for.”
Chris Armstrong, of Bruntwood Management Services, who own Wilderspool Park said: “We are delighted to be part of Warrington and support this project because it fits closely with our policy of encouraging schemes with positive benefits for the environment.”
Warrington Collegiate Principle, Paul Hafren added: “The needs of the community are at the heart of everything we do. The Collegiate car park has spare capacity on Saturdays and we are delighted to put it to such good use in such an innovative way.”
311 indecent images
of children found
by James Parr
POLICE found 311 indecent images of children when they searched a man’s home.
But there was no evidence he had ever viewed them, or downloaded them from the internet, Warrington Crown Court was told.
Robert Marsh, 42, of Manchester Road, Chorlton, Manchester, was give a four month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to supplying indecent images.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years and complete a sex offenders’ programme.
Owen Edwards, prosecuting, said Marsh loaned a CD to a fellow worker at a franking machine company based in Warrington, telling him it simply contained a language programme he was using to learn Portuguese.
When the man found it contained indecent images he informed the police who searched Marsh’s home.
They found the discs containing images of children aged as young as two and three, up to the ages of seven and eight, being abused.
Susan Klonin, defending, said there was nothing in the evidence to indicate her client had actually viewed the images or downloaded them himself.
He could only be sentenced for burning the CDs and supplying them to another.
Judge Stephen Clarke told Marsh: “You have brought huge shame on yourself and have played your part in the abuse of these children. This court’s concern is to try and protect the victims.”
Town’s poets urged
to get creative
by staff reporter
POETS of Warrington are being urged to get the ink flowing for the chance to win ?1,000 in a national competition.
To be in with a chance of winning the prize, all residents of the town have to do is compose a piece no more than 20 lines and 160 words about life in Warrington.
Free to enter, the “local poem competition” is open to all UK residents and individual poets can enter up to three times.
A spokesperson for competition organisers United Press said: “We find that poems written from personal observation and experience are the most heartfelt and expressive, so we’re expecting some great entries from Warrington. The contest is designed to encourage the person in the street to write poetry, to both express themselves and be more creative.
“Last year’s winner was a Yorkshire nurse and the previous year’s winner came from Merseyside. Maybe this year the ?1,000 will go to a poet from Warrington.”
All entries should be sent to United Press Ltd, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB and must be submitted before December 31.
[ 13.11.2007, 08:36: Message edited by: James P ]
