Anger over council’s
walking day decision
by David Skentelbery
ORGANISERS of Stretton Walking Day are disappointed and angry after learning that borough council chiefs have rejected their application for financial support for necessary road closures this year.
The Stretton walk is the only festival involving a procession on the road that will not receive borough council support.
Members of the Walking Day committee are particularly annoyed because a statement issued by the borough council stated that a review of walks and festivals in Warrington had “ended favourably for all involved”.
Stretton vicar, the Rev Elaine Chegwin Hall (pictured)said: “Obviously this is not the case as the review has not ended favourably as far as Stretton is concerned.”
The council statement also said the borough’s executive board had voted to support a list of community events put before it.
The vicar added: “This obviously is untrue as our application had been sent in within the stated time.”
Last year, Stretton Walking Day was only able to go ahead on a drastically amended route. Organisers were concerned that part of the Walk of Witness was confined to a park and that the traditional route had to be drastically cut.
This year, the council has agreed to support all the walks and festivals in South Warrington, including Stockton Heath Walking Day, Grappenhall Walking Day and the Bawming of the Thorn ceremony at Appleton Thorn – but not Stretton.
A letter to the vicar said the council was unable to provide the necessary full road closures to ensure the safety of the event “for safety and budgetary reasons.”
Coun Graham Welborn, the borough executive member for Safer and Greener Communities said: “I will be seeing the vicar early in the New Year to see if we can do something to help.
“There are problems with the Stretton walk because it involves the A49 – a very busy road. There was a compromise route agreed last year but I am aware that the organisers were not entirely happy with it. I want to find a way of reaching a further compromise that is more acceptable to them.
“We desperately want to help because we value all the walking days and festivals – they are part of our heritage. But I don’t think people realise how much it costs to close roads. But hopefully we can reach some kind of agreement.”
Queen Victoria not amused
by school demolition plan
by Gary Skentelbery
QUEEN Victoria was “not amused” by the proposals to demolish Stockton Heath Primary School.
Royal lookalike June Lornie joined protestors representing the Victorian Society who are adding their support to the campaign to save the school.
June, who has been making appearances as Queen Victoria for more than 20 years, said:”Victorian buildings have much more character than modern ones – and once they are gone they are gone forever.
“Far too many Victorian buildings have been demolished. They form an important part of local history and everything should be done to try and preserve them.
Stockton Heath Parish Council has voted 9-3 to support a new demolition and re-build plan.
The proposals – which replace earlier ones rejected by the borough council earlier this year, will come before the development control committee early in the New Year.
But an action group set up to save the existing school buildings and SHARCS – the Stockton Heath Alternative Residents Council – have vowed to fight on.
They believe insufficient thought was given to proposals to refurbish the existing buildings which, they claim, could in fact prove to be less costly than demolition and rebuild.
Mother must serve six
months for benefit fraud
by court reporter
A SINGLE mother of three who falsely obtained ?14,721 in benefits has had an eight month jail sentence reduced to six months after an appeal at Warrington Crown Court.
Sharon Louise Edgar, 34, of Blenheim Close, Padgate, was originally jailed for eight months by Warrington Magistrates in November after admitting four offences of housing and council tax benefit fraud.
But Judge Hughes, after hearing her appeal in the Crown Court, reduced the sentence to six months.
The court heard offences related to claiming benefits as a single person when she was in fact living with a partner and claiming benefits while working.
From September 2000 to August 2001 and July 2002 to August 2004, Edgar defrauded the borough council of ?12,556.5 Housing Benefit and ?2,165.36 Council Tax Benefit.
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.
“We have introduced new methods of data matching – and the obvious message to benefit cheats is they will be caught. This case is yet another clear demonstration of our determination to tackle benefit fraud.”
Housing chiefs clinch
deal to save energy costs
by staff reporter
HOUSING chiefs at Warrington have clinched a deal which will enable tenants to make big savings on their electricity and gas bills this winter.
Golden Gates Housing ? the council-owned company which manages the borough?s 10,000 local authority homes ? has negotiated competitive rates on behalf of their tenants.
Power supply companies save their best deals for customers who pay by Direct Debit or via the Internet ? but the GGH deal with power supplier EBICo means their tenants will pay the same, lower cost.
This will particularly benefit people on pre-payment arrangements, such as meters or pre-payment cards, who normally get charged a much higher rate for their gas and electricity.
EBICo do not have standing charges and the company will not charge for gas and electricity connections between tenancies when properties become void which will make further savings.
GGH chairman Royston Willard said, “I am absolutely delighted with this new arrangement, particularly as our customers can achieve significant savings by switching to EBICo”.
Rev Hugh Lee, chairman of EBICo said: “We’re very pleased to be working with Golden Gates Housing to offer lower electricity and gas prices to their tenants. We offer savings that most companies reserve for their wealthier customers”.
Benefit cheat
obtained ?5,041
by court reporter
A BENEFIT cheat who falsely claimed ?5,041 in benefits from Warrington Borough Council and the Department for Work and Pensions has been sentenced to a two-year community supervision order and ordered to pay back the money.
Adrian Starkey, 31, of Peninsula House, Warrington, pleaded guilty to benefit fraud at Warrington Magistrates’ Court.
Starkey claimed benefits when he was in fact in employment.
The court heard that between November 2004 and July 2005, Starkey falsely claimed ?4,712.78 Income Support from the DWP and ?293.43 Housing Benefit and ?35.65 Council Tax Benefit from the council.
Starkey was sentenced to a two-year community supervision order under the Addressing Substance Related Offending (ASRO) programme and ordered to pay ?75 costs.
Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits manager, said: “There are no ifs, no buts when it comes to benefit fraud. 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.”
Fraud operations manager for the DWP Roy Paul added: “The public is fed up with cheats who steal money from the taxpayer when it should go to those in genuine need of help.”
Singers were
in harmony
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON-based harmony group, Just Midnight presented an afternoon of music and festive entertainmen
t at Liverpool’s Sefton Park Palm House.
Just Midnight rehearse at St Oswald’s Church Hall in Winwick on a Thursday evening, and are a group of 14 men and women from across the North West who sing unaccompanied harmony.
With a repertoire which ranges from jazz to fifties revival, from romantic ballads to present day pop, all of the group’s members are experienced singers from a wide range of musical genres.
Invited to perform at the Palm House by The Phoenix Concert Orchestra, Just Midnight gave, as one member of the audience described, “variety to the afternoon’s proceedings.”
Allotment
building
by staff reporter
STOCKTON Heath Parish Council has agreed to pay ?3,000 towards the cost of a portable building at the Red Lane allotment site.
The cabin, which costs ?4,170, will be used as a meeting room by Stockton Heath Allotment Association, who will pay the remainder of the cost.
The organisation will be responsible for the insurance, maintenance and repairs.
News in brief
Apartments plan
DETAILED plans for 122 apartments on land adjoining the Manchester Ship Canal at Thelwall Lane, Latchford, Warrington have been approved by borough planning chiefs.
Hospital lottery
THERE was no winner in the weekly lottery run by the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital and the ?385 jackpot went unclaimed. The numbers were 3, 13, 14 and 15. The jackpot will be rolled over to next week. Two ?25 consolation prizes were awarded.
Smokers’ shelter?
PLANNING chiefs have approved the construction of a timber framed structure to cover an outdoor drinking area at the Trigger Pond public house at Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington.
Driving ban
WARRINGTON Borough Council has made an order introducing a temporary prohibition of driving in Enfield Park Road, Fearnhead from January 15 to allow carriageway resurfacing and installation of anti-skid surface treatments. The work is expected to last about two weeks.
