Builder in talks with
four angry householders
by David Skentelbery
DEVELOPERS have been given six weeks to reach agreement with four angry householders – or face the risk of having to demolish brand new houses they have just built behind their homes.
David Wilson Homes have warned there could be serious implications for the rest of their development at Steinbeck Grange, part of the Chapelford Urban Village, near Warrington if their application is not given the go-ahead.
Warrington’s development control committee has deferred the matter for six weeks for talks between the company and the occupiers of four houses in Farmleigh Gardens, Great Sankey.
The developer has raised ground levels by between 0.5 metres and 0.8 metres and installed land drains to provide a gravity fed drainage system.
But the occupants of the Farmleigh Gardens houses – built 15 years ago – say the raised ground levels mean the new, three-storey houses tower above their homes and rob them of privacy.
They also claim building work has increased existing flooding problems and that a pumping station should be built instead of raising ground levels.
Coun Judith Wheeler who is backing the residents, said: “The developer wants to build a retaining wall with a two metre high fence on top of it to help screen the new houses but the residents do not believe this will make things any better and I agree with them.
“I can understand the builder’s problems. This is a very flat area – formerly part of the Burtonwood air base – so it is difficult to provide a gravity fed drainage system. But we have to consider the impact on existing houses which were built before the urban village was even thought of.”
David Wilson Homes are building 150 homes houses at Steinbeck Grange, priced from ?218,000 to ?360,000.
Record breaking
poppy collector
by Gary Skentelbery
FORMER soldier Michael Mosley took to the streets of Warrington as a volunteer poppy collector and raised over ?5,000 making him the number one poppy collector in town.
Michael, aged 43, served for 15 years with the Kings Regiment before being medically discharged in 2005 after active service in Iraq and Northern Ireland.
He teamed up with the crew of the HMS Turbulent who made a visit to their adopted town, coinciding with the Remembrance weekend event.
Michael and the crew of the submarine were all special guests of the Mayor of Warrington and rallied behind the town’s football club during a special civic visit to Cantilever Park.
The crew of Turbulent later played host to the Mayor of Warrington Coun Celia Jordan during a special event at the Fir Grove Hotel, where they were presented with a signed Warrington Town shirt, which will take pride of place on the town’s adopted submarine.
Library to share in
?1.3 million hand-out
by James Parr
A WARRINGTON library has been chosen as one of a lucky few in the North West to receive a cash boost from the Big Lottery Fund.
Orford library is one of only 15 libraries across the region that will receive ?1.3million to bring together library, community, learning, leisure and other services on one site as part of the Orford Park Project.
Big Lottery Fund gives money to libraries to renovate, extend or build new premises, in order to offer a broader range of activities to their communities.
The borough council?s executive member for Community Services, Coun Roy Smith said: “This injection of funding into our libraries will have a major impact on library provision in the North West. It’s fantastic news that we have been able to attract this funding and it will allow us to include Orford Library as an integral part of the Orford Park Project.”
Mayor’s tree planting ceremony
MAYOR of Warrington Celia Jordan put her green fingers to good use by planting a tree at Walton Hall Gardens with the help of crew members from the town?s adopted warship, HMS Turbulent.
Sailors from the submarine were in town to celebrate Remembrance Sunday and Coun Jordan planted the tree to reinforce the links with HMS Turbulent, based at Plymouth.
It was also a symbol of the Warrington branching out to its twinned towns of Hilden, in Germany, and Nachod, in the Czech Republic, and of the theme of Coun Jordan?s year as Mayor, ?Our Children, Our Future?.
School canteen
hit by blaze
by David Skentelbery
FIREFIGHTERS wearing breathing apparatus tackled a serious blaze at Penketh High School, Warrington last night.
The fire involved a canteen area on the ground floor and is believed to have been caused by a radio, attached to a coiled extension lead, which was left on.
The canteen was badly damaged and there was serious smoke damage to two adjoining classrooms.
Fire crews used two hosereel jets to fight the flames.
A Fire Service spokesman said extension leads should never be used when coiled as the cable overheated.
Benefit cheat ordered
to pay back ?3,841
by court reporter
A WOMAN who falsely claimed ?3,841 from Warrington Borough Council has been sentenced to a 12 month Community Punishment Order and ordered to pay back the overpayment.
Anne Stringer, 57, of Longshaw Street, Bewsey, Warrington, pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at Warrington Magistrates’ Court.
The court was told the woman failed to declare she was in receipt of tax credits and that her earnings had increased.
As a result, between September 2004 and January this year, she defrauded the council of ?3,496 housing benefit and ?344 council tax benefit.
Stringer was ordered to complete 50 hours unpaid work within 12 months and ordered to pay back the overpayment and ?150 costs.
Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits manager, said: “Deliberately withholding information that affects your claim is stealing. That’s why we are targeting benefit thieves.
“Benefit thieves must realise that they cannot abuse the benefit system and steal from the rest of society. They are not just defrauding the Government, but their own tax paying neighbours and communities in Warrington.”
Watch out – rogue
traders about!
by James Parr
WATCH out, rogue traders about. That?s the message coming from Warrington Borough Council after a workman claiming to be from the council offered to sell tarmac to one of the town’s schools.
Trading Standards has been notified that a man called in at the school claiming he was from the council and offered to sell them 150 square metres of tarmac at a reduced price.
He also claimed he was carrying out work at some of the churches in the town, but the council can confirm the trader is nothing to do with them.
Residents and institutions in Warrington are now being warned to be on their guard and are being told not to buy anything of him.
Being vigilant with cold callers and salesmen is a message the council are keen to press home, offering advice such as, don’t give work to anyone who knocks on your door and tells you that you have a problem, get more than one quote and discuss work with family and friends.
Anyone with any information about the rogue trader or any other phoney workman, can contact Trading Standards on 08454 040 506.
