Health chiefs unveil
vision for caring town
by David Skentelbery
HEALTH chiefs at Warrington have launched a major public consultation on multi-million ? proposals to make the town a leader in primary care provision.
Family doctors, dentists and other health professionals will be involved in the initiative ? as well as members of the public.
Central to the proposals would be building five new state-of-the-art health centres or ?mini-hospitals? which would be open seven days a week from 6am to 10pm.
GPs, nurses, therapists dentists and other health professionals would work from the centres, which would also have a pharmacy, treatment rooms for minor surgery, diagnostic facilities and community mental health services.
There would be consulting rooms, meeting rooms, keep fit rooms and facilities for giving healthy living advice, as well as services for people with long-term conditions such as diabetes, lung and heart problems. Each centre would have a coffee lounge, free parking and be situated close to public transport links.
Warrington Primary Care Trust (PCT) hopes to have the first two centres open ? one in the town centre on the site of the existing Garven Place health centre and one at Orford Park ? within three years.
These would be treated as pilots ? but if, as expected, they proved successful, the scheme would be rolled-out across the borough.
PCT chairman John Gartside (pictured)said: ?We have sites available for the first two centres which are ideally situated close to two of the town?s areas of deprivation.
?Garven Place is particularly well situated in the town centre. The existing centre would be demolished and replaced with a new, modern facility. We might even be able to make use of the adjoining Warrington Baths site.?
The Garven Place centre would be open 24 hours a day for urgent cases.
Warrington currently spends 20 per cent more on health than the average for the country ? yet its inhabitants suffer worse health. The PCT hopes to rectify this by implementing its vision over the next 20 years.
They hope GPs will agree to form partnerships to practice from the new ?mini hospitals? ? but they will not force family doctors to abandon their existing group practices if they don?t want to.
Consultants from Warrington Hospital will hold sessions at the centres and NHS dentists will be able to set up practices in them.
PCT acting chief executive Jon Tomlinson said the hospital Trust was supportive of the proposals. The hospital currently dealt with too many people.
?There are times when the hospital is inundated with people who shouldn?t really be dealt with in a hospital at all ? these new centres would treat many of these people and relieve pressure on the hospital.
?Warrington will be leading the country with this initiative and a lot of other PCTs will be watching how we go on with interest.?
Crucial to the success of the scheme, however, will be the enthusiastic co-operation of the town?s GPs.
First snow of winter
– and then it was gone!
IT was forecast, it duly arrived and, briefly, it made parts of the Warrington look like a picture postcard.
But compared with the Met Office predictions, alarmist reports on radio, TV and in the newspapers and weather in other parts of the country, the town escaped vary lightly.
The snow lingered barely long enough for our photographer to get a few shots out Rixton way.
At Appleton and other parts of South Warrington, enough fell to allow local children to make snowmen.
Snow is not forecast for today (Friday) for the Warrington area, although light falls can be expected in other parts of the North West.
Tomorrow, the forecast is for light snow during the day and heavy rain at night.
Up-to-date forecasts from the Met Office can be obtained by clicking on the ?Regional Weather? button on every page of Warrington-Worldwide
Delay rocks town
centre traders
by staff reporter
TOWN centre traders have been left devastated by delays in the grand opening of Warrington’s multi-million pound Golden Square re-development.
Those who have been through “lean times” during the ongoing construction works, which will see a brand new Debenham’s open in the town, are now counting the cost of at least a two month delay.
One town centre trader said: “I had been counting on the centre being open by the end of March and have taken on extra staff to cope with the extra demand. I have budgeted on a three year plan to get me through to the end of March and I don’t know what to do now. I am absolutely devastated.”
Town centre optician Richard Shaw added: “Retail in the town centre has suffered for many months during the ongoing works and now we are going to have to suffer some more.
“A lot of people are being put off visiting the town centre because of the parking problems.”
Developers have blamed the setback on construction delays.
The multi-million pound centre has now been forced to push back the scheduled March 22 opening date until the end of May.
A spokesman for developers Lend Lease said: “The Golden Square extension was scheduled to be completed in early spring.
“But due to a number of construction delays Lend Lease can confirm that there has been a short delay in the anticipated opening of the extension.
“Lend Lease is currently consulting Debenhams, the anchor tenant, and other stakeholders to confirm a revised opening date at the earliest opportunity.”
Meanwhile Lend Lease has confirmed that renovation work on the existing 310,000sq ft shopping centre will be completed on time. The ?120 million scheme, which includes a 375,000sq ft extension, will make Warrington one of the top 40 shopping destinations in the country.
Alongside Debenhams, other high street giants such as Monsoon, Boots, H&M, Republic and WH Smith will be based in the new centre.
Neighbours object to
bungalow extension
by David Skentelbery
NEARBY residents have objected to extensions at a bungalow at Culcheth, near Warrington ? and planning chiefs are to visit the site before deciding if the scheme can go ahead.
Neighbours say the increased height of the property in Wellfield Road would be out-of-character with surrounding dwellings and would have an overbearing impact on a property in Marton Close.
Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council has not objected to the scheme, although members have expressed concern about the roof and the affect on Marton Close.
Planning officers have recommended the scheme be refused.
They say the proposed extensions would cause demonstrable harm to the character of the original property and the street scene, because of inappropriate design, scale and proportions resulting in an incongruous and insubordinate addition.
This would unbalance the appearance of the dwelling when viewed in the context of those surrounding and introduce an unwanted precedent in the area.
MP set to reduce
her “carbon footprint”
by Lesley Wilkinson
AN MP is taking steps to help tackle climate change ? by reducing her own ?carbon footprint? and that of her constituency.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones has pledged to offset personal travel, promote the Energy Savings Trust’s “10 things we all can do” initiative and contact schools, businesses and trade unions to encourage them to do their bit.
The MP is also asking the council why it does not appear on the list of those signed up to the Nottingham Declaration – signed by more than 160 local authorities who have pledged to actively tackle climate change to work with others to reduce emissions nationwide.
In fact, the council agreed to sign up to the declaration shortly before Christmas.
Ms Jones said said: “The government has been leading on this important issue but we all must do more if we want to tackle climate change.”
She plans a series of actions incl
uding getting pupils to encourage their parents to switch to energy efficient light bulbs, working with trade unions to promote greener workplaces and encouraging businesses to reduce their carbon emissions.
“I hope that constituents, businesses and indeed the borough council will join my green campaign. The debate about science is over. We all have to do our bit. Together we can work to tackle climate change and reduce our carbon emissions,” she said.
Love is not
always in the air
by staff reporter
LOVE may not be in the air for a lot of people this Valentine?s Day.
Warrington-based charity The Relationships Centre, believes that one in four women and one in seven men will experience some form of domestic abuse during their lifetime.
The Relationships Centre has launched an awareness campaign to help those affected by Domestic Abuse.
Pam Arnold, Director of Services said: “Too many people are killed by their current or former partners as a result of domestic abuse.
?Days such as Valentine’s Day can mask the underlying problems within a relationship and we are using this campaign to highlight that there is help and support available. At the start of a New Year, many women and men are making up their minds about whether to put themselves or their families through another year of abuse.
“We operate a 24 hour free phone help line and work with a number of different agencies to ensure that when a person makes a call, they can get the help and support they need at a time when they need. We know that it takes on average, 35 incidents before a person will seek help, but we don’t want people to wait that long – we want to encourage more people to seek help earlier.”
Museum’s family show
for the half term holiday
by Mark Hemmings
VISITORS to Warrington Museum will soon have a chance to put on a white coat and become a natural scientist, bird handler, deep-sea diver or an amateur explorer.
The museum has a programme of free events for all the family lined up for the February half term.
From educational talks to hands-on, interactive fun, there’s something for everyone. As well as the events there will be a blockbuster exhibition, Natural Curiosity featuring wonders of the natural world.
On Tuesday February 13 in the Education Room underwater exploration takes place using mini cameras to search for hidden creatures from 10.30am-3.30pm. Following this on Thursday February 15, visitors get the chance to meet Parrots from rescue charity Birdline-UK. Bird handler Jim Buttery introduces the birds from 10.30am-3.30pm.
Kathryn Riddington BSc, keeper of Natural History at the Grosvenor Museum will be giving an in-depth talk on the history of Warrington, going back 600 million years.
Coun Roy Smith, the borough council?s executive member for Community Services, said: “The museum is a great day for everyone – families, children and adults.?
[ 12.02.2007, 17:51: Message edited by: DS ]
