Council re-think on
?600,000 leisure centre
by David Skentelbery
COUNCIL chiefs have had a re-think on a ?600,000 plan for a leisure and community centre at Culcheth, near Warrington.
Members of the borough council?s executive board are being recommended to drop plans for the centre on the Shaw Street Recreation Ground and instead move it across the road to be included as part of the future re-development of Culcheth High School.
But existing changing facilities at Shaw Street will be upgraded.
Funding for both projects will come from the sale of the site of the former Culcheth Youth Club in Church Lane.
Earlier this year the council decided to build a new leisure and community facility at Shaw Street, following a long campaign by residents fed up with noise and disturbance cause by the youth club in Church Lane.
Plans for the new facility, which was to have comprised of a main activity room, kitchen, toilet facilities and small meeting room complementing existing sports facilities were put on show at Culcheth Library Residents backed the scheme but expressed concern that it may amount to over-development.
Now, following the decision to re-build the high school, officers believe the new centre would be better within the school complex, in line with council policy that future leisure provision should be in or adjacent to secondary schools.
It is not expected that sufficient money will be available to provide leisure facilities at the school, but by using the proceeds of the sale of the Church Lane site, this problem can be overcome.
Costs have yet to be worked out ? but the executive board is being urged to make the Church Lane money towards the overall cost of providing the leisure element of the new school.
Father and daughter’s
abseil raises ?1,400
by Lesley Wilkinson
A LYMM man and his teenage daughter joined 400 other daredevils for a 120-feet charity abseil from the North Stand at Old Trafford football ground.
Richard Ball, 40, and his 14-year-old daughter Sophie, who has Cystic Fibrosis, together raised more than ?1,400 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
It was the first event of its kind at the stadium and those taking part were joined by the Manchester United mascot Fred the Red. The day is expected to raise more than ?75,000 for the charity.
Richard, of Whitefield Close, is a director of a computer networking company based in Lymm. He said he and his daughter completed the event as part of Team Sophie, a group of nine family and friends.
“It was spectacular to take part,” he said, “as unlike other abseil events there was no wall you just came off the top of the stand and were hanging in mid-air.” “Sophie did it superbly, she just came down in one drop, with no stops, waving at the crowds.”
Richard, who enjoys cycling, particularly on the Pennine trail, said they did no special training for the day.
“We enjoyed the excitement of the event and are now looking at the possibility of doing a skydive,” he added.
Cystic Fibrosis is the UK’s most common, life-threatening, inherited disease and affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive systems. Funds raised will go towards gene therapy research.
Police warning to
elderly women
by David Skentelbery
POLICE at Warrington have issued a warning to elderly women in the town following three street robberies in the same area.
Two of the incidents have already been reported in Warrington-Worldwide – an attack on a 75-year-old woman in Willis Street and an attack on an 82-year-old in Norris Street.
Now police have issued details of a third robbery in the same area, including a 73-year-old woman.
She had her purse snatched by a man as she walked along the road with her four-month ?old grandson.
Her attacker was about 5ft 10 inches tall with broad shoulders and ash blonde hair. Fortunately the woman was not hurt.
But in the two earlier incidents, one woman suffered a broken arm and the other fell, suffering head injuries. Both had their bags stolen.
Police said while offences of this type were not common in the Warrington area, they had to consider the possibility that the three were linked.
Anyone who can help with information about any of the offences is asked to call DS CarolineTipping, DC Ged Bibby or PC Ian Ellis on 01925 652222.
Road to be closed
for eight weeks
by Lesley Wilkinson
LOUSHERS Lane, Warrington, will be closed for eight weeks from Monday November 6 for extensive repairs.
The closure will allow for carriageway reconstruction from the bridge at Black Bear Park to the entrance to Warrington Town Football Club at Wash Lane.
Junctions with side roads will also be reconstructed/resurfaced and the section of road from the football club to Station Road will be resurfaced.
All the kerbs from the bridge to the football club are being replaced and the existing pedestrian crossing points are to be improved to provide new tactile paving.
Other footway improvements will be made at crossing points adjacent to the bus stops and a pedestrian island will be provided near the bridge at Black Bear Park. Existing road markings will be replaced and improved.
Diverted traffic will be via Wilderspool Causeway and Knutsford Road, and vice versa. All businesses will be open as usual during the works.
?80 fines for firework
yobs please councillor
by Lesley Wilkinson
LAWS that allow an ?80 fine for “yobs” who misuse fireworks have been backed by a Warrington councillor.
Coun Paul Kenny praised the new rules that allow police to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to tackle firework mayhem and is calling for a crackdown on offenders.
“Many parents in the town know that in the wrong hands fireworks can be very dangerous. I’ve heard of cases where families have been disturbed late at night, children have been threatened by fireworks or elderly relatives felt trapped inside their homes,” he said.
“That’s why we need to make sure that fireworks are enjoyed safely not endured in silence.
” The penalties can tackle the nuisance of people setting of fireworks late at night, youngsters caught with certain fireworks and adults found with high-powered display fireworks.
Offenders who refuse to pay the fine face increased fines and court action with penalties up to a ?5,000 fine and/or six months in prison.
Coun Kenny said: “I know that fireworks concern many people in Warrington, especially in the run up to Guy Fawkes Night. I agree with them that controlling fireworks matters.
“Now I want to see action on this issue before Guy Fawkes Night. That’s why I’m calling on the police in Warrington to crack down on those people who use fireworks to terrorise others.”
World’s largest music
festival comes to town
by John Hendon
MUSIC for Youth ? which claims to be the world?s largest music festival ? is coming to Warrington.
Great Sankey High School will host one of more than 60 regional festivals featuring every kind of musical group from orchestras to duos, from jazz and folk groups to samba and steel bands, brass and wind bands, choirs and chamber groups.
Musical groups can take part in the festival which is the first step on the way to performing at the Schools Prom in the Royal Albert Hall.
There are no entry qualifications or fees, with classes for all styles of music at all levels of accomplishment and the emphasis is on access, inclusion and opportunity. The Great Sankey festival will be on Saturday, March 3.
More than 40,000 young instrumentalists and singers, aged three to 21 are given the chance to perform before music education experts who give encouraging verbal and written reports on the day.
Entry forms are now available from the charity Music for Youth or online at www.mfy.org.uk with
a closing date Monday December 4. 2006. But recorded entries, especially those for rock and pop groups, can be accepted up to March 1 next year.
At the end of April, invitations to perform at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham are issued to approximately 300 groups from across the country from July 9-14.
The final stage of Music for Youth is the Schools Prom in November next year when 30 groups will be invited to play.
Vandals in arson
attack in park
by staff reporter
VANDALS made a determined attempt to wreck a roundabout in a children’s play area in Peel Hall Park, Warrington.
They collected blue waste paper bins from nearby houses, piled them on the roundabout and set them alight.
Fire crews rushed to the scene and tackled the blaze but could not prevent serious damage being caused to the roundabout.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “This was more than just a nuisance fire – it was a serious attempt to cause serious damage. Some of the bins had been wheeled some distance to the park.
“We can only describe these hooligans as knuckleheads.”
Police are investigating the incident.
News in brief
Bonfire blaze
FIREFIGHTERS were called out to deal with a bonfire in Collin Street, Warrington after youths set it alight. There was no damage to nearby property however.
Litter pick
THE Warrington Clean Team will be carrying out a litter-pick at Stockton Heath on Sunday, November 5. The team meet on The Forge Car Park at 2pm.
Playground vandals
VANDALS set fire to one of the roundabouts on a children’s playground in Victoria Park, Warrington. Fire crews managed to extinguish it before serious damage was caused.
Drains cleared
RESIDENTS and local councillors have won a lengthy battle to get blocks drains cleared in Rectory Lane, Lymm.
