THE proposed Warrington Local Plan and the future of the Stockton Heath Recycling Centre were two hot topics when local MP Faisal Rashid met with the new leader of the borough council Russ Bowden.
The MP for Warrington South described his first meeting with the new leader of Warrington Borough Council as being “productive.”
During the meeting, the pair discussed a wide range of issues affecting Warrington South Constituency and looked at how they could work in close cooperation to ensure voices across Warrington South were heard both locally and in Westminster.
Faisal said: “We had a very productive first meeting, and from our discussions, I am confident that Russ and I will be able to work together for the betterment of Warrington South.
“There are a number of key issues currently affecting my constituency and during our meeting, I took the opportunity to take these forward, making the views of my constituents known.
“We talked about the future of the Stockton Heath Community Recycling Centre and I re-emphasised the need for the site to be kept open until an alternative facility in the south of the town was delivered. I stressed to Russ that it was essential that the Stockton Heath facility remained in operation for as long as possible to ensure that communities in Stockton Heath, Appleton, Grappenhall, Thelwall, Walton, Stretton, Hatton and Lymm did not experience any disruption to their recycling services.
“We also discussed the Local Plan at length and I brought forward residents’ concerns about proposals in the Preferred Development Option. I made it clear to Russ that the views of local people must play a key role in shaping the Local Plan, and I reiterated my firm belief that our Green Belt land should be protected from development wherever possible.
“I talked about future development in the town, which I believe needs to be carefully thought out to ensure that we have the infrastructure, schools and health services in place to support it. I also communicated the need to build more social housing and I have pledged to work with Russ on this issue and on homelessness. In Westminster I will be calling on Ministers to deliver the government funding that is necessary to build more social housing.
“Constituents have raised concerns with me about the loss of the supplementary questions from Warrington’s Full Council meetings. I raised this issue with Russ and I pressed him to reinstate these questions, along with clear guidelines on how they should be put forward in future.
“It was a positive meeting. Russ took away a number of actions, which he has agreed to work with me on and we will be meeting regularly so that I can continue to raise my constituents’ issues with him.”
