Village speed limit
delayed by objector
by David Skentelbery
A PLAN to introduce a 30 mph speed limit on village roads at Walton, near Warrington is being held up because of an objection from one man.
Robert Hardie – formerly chairman of Walton Parish Council – is objecting as a private individual.
But borough council officers say he was still chairman of the parish council when it resolved to support the speed restriction.
The issue will come before Warrington’s Traffic Committee on July 22.
Stockton Heath Parish Council discussed the matter earlier this week – and called for a speed limit to be introduced as a matter of urgency.
Coun Patrick Mullee said: “It is ridiculous that people can do 60 miles per hour legally in this area where there aren’t any footpaths.”
Warrington Cycle Campaign is strongly supporting the restriction.
Its chairman, Maurice Leslie, who is also chairman of Stockton Heath Parish Council, said: “One of our members uses most of the roads on a daily basis and confirms that a reduction of traffic speed would be most welcome.”
He said the group would also welcome an extension of the speed limit to include Daresbury Lane from its junction with Warrington Road in Hatton Village as far as Daresbury village.
“From a cyclist’s point of view, this road attracts higher speed traffic than most of the other roads.”
Mr Hardie said the road in Walton are generally “self limiting” in terms of speed.
“There are not many places where a speed much in excess of 30 mph can be sustain. From my observations over the past 30 years is that not many motorists appear to be travelling noticeably fast or such as to create a hazard.”
Mr Hardie says a speed limit would serve little purpose, would be unlikely to be enforced and might require the borough council to erect, maintain and power streetlights which would not otherwise be necessary.
He suggests that a better course of action would be to erect “stop” signs on both sides of Warrington Road at the junction with Park Lane and Rowswood Lane.
Darya is top
of the class
by staff reporter
MULTI-lingual Darya Pukinskaya is literally top of her class in business management and IT – despite English being her third language.
The 25-year-old, currently living at Lymm, and a student at University College Chester’s Warrington Campus, received a first class degree when she graduated from the University of Manchester.
College tutors are delighted with her success which, they say, is richly deserved.
As well as acknowledging her academic prowess, they say she is an ambassor for the college and “a delight to teach.”
She is known for supporting her fellow students and volunteering to deliver training sessions.
A model student, she was so committed that she never missed a lecture unless she had a genuine reason for doing so and broadened her reading to include contemporary issues relating to her subject, not just text books.
Darya is a Belorussian. Her mother tongue is Russian but she also speaks Belorussian.
She initially came to England on a work experience placement in 2000.
A year later, she returned a year later and was sponsored by Warrington firm Howley Engineering Limited on a three year degree course, excelling in every module, including management, marketing, computing and accounting.
Darya said: “I found Warrington a brilliant place to study and had a lot of help and encouragement from my tutors and friends. The lecturers there are absolutely fantastic and so helpful.
“The course has also been so good because it has taught me so many skills and given me an all-round understanding of business, which will be a great asset in my working life.”
Housing firm’s first
year in business
by John Hendon
GOLDEN Gates Housing Ltd, the company managing Warrington Borough Council’s housing stock, is holding its first Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, July 20.
The is to be held at 5pm in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall.
GGH’s accounts and annual report will be presented to the council – which is the company’s shareholder.
Highlight of GGH’s first year is having achieved two-stars in a government inspection so that ?30m of extra investment can be made in tenants’ homes.
Chairman John Kerr-Brown said: “GGH’s achievements in achieving two stars and improving services to customers reflects the hard work of the company’s staff and my fellow directors on the Board.
“The AGM is a milestone in GGH’s development and the company starts its second year in a good position to meet the challenges of delivering ‘decent homes’ and continuously improving the quality of life of customers.”
Tenats and other members of the public are invited to attend the meeting.
Three arrested on
drugs offences
by court reporter
CLASS A drugs with an estimated street value of ?1,500 have been recovered by police following a raid in the Howley area of Warrington.
Officers executed a warrant at an address in Harbord Street under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Three men were arrested and charged and have appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court.
They were men aged 33 and 38 from Howley and a 40-year-old man from Liverpool. All were charged with supplying Class A drugs or possessing drugs with intent to supply them.
Officers recovered five bags of what is believed to be crack cocaine and heroin. Each bag contained several individual deals. The estimated street value of the drugs is approximately ?1,500. Drugs paraphernalia was also discovered at the property.
All three men were remanded in custody, two to re-appear before Warrington Magistrates on Monday (July 18) and one is to appear at Warrington Crown Court on Friday August 5.
Netball final went
into extra time
WARRINGTON’S new ?1m Ball Hall, at Sir Thomas Boteler High School, played host to the Primary School High Five Netball Finals.
Four schools were involved in the games – Culcheth Primary, Park Road Primary, Great Sankey, St Peter’s Roman Catholic, Woolston and Stretton St Matthew’s CE Primary.
A very close final game was played for winner and runner-up, which went into extra time and ended with Culcheth beating Park Road 6-5.
The schools were shortlisted for the games after winning preliminary tournaments.
Borough council interim strategic director of children’s services, Norma Cadwallader was on hand to present the prizes.
Write yourself
onto the council!
by Lesley Wilkinson
PEOPLE interested in joining Stockton Heath Parish Council, near Warrington, are being invited to write a short piece about themselves.
Members heard that following the resignation of former chairman Dorothy Robb, they could now co-opt a new member for the Whitefield Ward.
Chairman Coun Maurice Leslie suggested potential candidates should write a half-page A4 sheet introducing themselves, and submit it to the parish council by September.
News in brief
Charity car
boot sale
WARRINGTON Disability Partnership and Shopmobility are holding a charity car boot sale at Victoria Park this Sunday (July 17). Admission for cars costs ?7 and is free to the public. The event starts at 9am.
Hospital lottery
WINNING numbers in the weekly lottery organised by the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital were 5, 10, 11 and 13. The ?289 jackpot went unclaimed which means next week’s top prize will be ?500. The ?25 consolation prize went to B A Brown.
Extension refused
PLANS for a two-storey extension at the rear of Comberton House, in Cann Lane North, Appleton, have been rejected by Warrington’s development control committee.
Road closure
WARRINGTON Borough Council proposed to make an order for the temporary closure of Green Lane, Burtonwood, from its junction with Phipps Lane to its junction
with Lumber Lane from Monday, August 1 for a period of about three weeks. This is required while work is carried out on road and footpath improvements in connection with a “safer route to school” initiative.
