Bus company on the
road to success!
by Gary Skentelbery
WARRINGTON’S council owned bus company is bucking the national trend with over one million new passengers last year – an increase of more than 13 per cent – compared to a national decline of minus one per cent.
Now Warrington is benefiting from less traffic congestion and a cleaner environment thanks to the success of its state of the art bus service.
Following an ?8 million investment in its fleet Warrington Borough Transport has also achieved 98 per cent customer satisfaction in a recent survey.
Delighted MD Nigel Featham said that with more than 275 employees the bus company was one of the largest employers in the town and is now only one of 14 bus operators to remain in local authority ownership since deregulation.
He said one of the key successes was working in partnership with key organisations across the borough.
“This is a shared vision to build on Warrington’s position as one of the North West’s fastest growing economies and establish its reputation as a vibrant and attractive premier league town.
“We strongly believe the hallmark of a successful town is a modern, efficient and accessible public transport system. Working together we can help Warrington go from strength to strength,” he said.
Over the past six years the bus company has invested in 77 new passenger friendly buses which are equipped with wheelchair and buggy facilities, ultra clean low emission engines, electronic destination displays, extra leg room and on-board CCTV systems.
Mr Featham added: “Such is our passion for customer service we offer a no quibble money back guarantee to any disatisfied customer.
Other successes including helping reduce peak time traffic congestion in the town centre by 15 per cent in the last 12 months.
Meanwhile in a pilot project everyone living on the new Chapelford urban village on the site of the former Burtonwood air base has received two free bus season tickets for six months to help create sustainable bus routes.
Company chairman Coun Les Hoyle said: “We can be very proud of the achievements of our town’s bus service and all the credit must] go to the hard working team who run it.
“The people of Warrington can have every faith in their bus company.”
Distillery move will
secure 83 jobs
by David Skentelbery
DISTILLERS G and J Greenall have been given the go-ahead to move their town centre plant at Warrington to Risley.
The move – which will secure 83 jobs currently at the Loushers Lane site devastated by a huge warehouse fire last year – has been approved by the borough council’s development control committee.
But three other planning applications involving housing on the Loushers Lane site and on land adjoining the Ship Inn in Chester Road, Walton have been deferred.
Councillors want more information about the traffic and access implications before they reach a decision.
They are also concerned about an additional 300 homes being built when Warrington already has an oversupply of housing land.
The Risley development involves the change of use of a distribution depot at Melford Court in Clayton Road.
Birchwood Town Council had express concern about the scheme.
They claimed local roads were already stretched at peak times and the situation would be worsened by tankers carrying volatile substances and workers travelling to the site by car.
Concern was also expressed about a fire hazard which could affect nearby housing, schools and local amenities.
But planning officers said there had been no objections from highways chiefs and the site was well away from the nearest homes and also separated by other large buildings.
The proposals include two 12 metre high distillery building, 24 external bulk storage tanks, additional car parking and a loading area.
The development involves existing built-up land within an industrial area.
14 years on, peace
campaign continues
by John Hendon
FOURTEEN years on from the IRA bombing atrocity in Bridge Street, Warrington, Colin Parry, father of one of the two young boys killed, has spoken of his determination to carry on campaigning for peace.
Mr Parry, co-founder and chairman of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, said: ?The last 14 years has seen us continue to expand our remit.
?Our name, work and profile are extending not just nationally but internationally. This is only the beginning of the outreach work we intend to undertake and our growth and development is absolutely necessary if we are to continue our work for peace.? Three-year-old Johnathan was fatally wounded in the blast and 12-year-old Tim was so seriously injured that five days later his parents had to approve the decision to turn off his life support system.
More than 50 other people were injured ? many seriously.
The deaths of Tim and Johnathan brought universal condemnation. Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin in protest. British Prime Minister John Major, just weeks after hearing from the IRA?s political representative that `the war is over`, was forced to reconsider the future for peace in our islands.
At his son?s funeral service, Mr Parry expressed his hope that Tim would become a symbol of peace and that his sacrifice would contribute to world peace.
Later that year the BBC screened a programme which followed Mr Parry and his wife, Wendy to Ireland and the USA, as they tried to understand the causes of Tim?s death. The programme attracted record viewing figures.
In 1995, The couple founded a charitable Trust to organise youth exchanges between Warrington, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These were so successful that in 1998 they began fundraising to build a peace centre in the name of Tim and Johnathan. In 2000, the seventh anniversary of the bombing, the centre opened. Now a further seven years on, the work of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace is taking on international significance.
It is an educational peace charity inspiring and enabling people to lead more peaceful lives by helping them understand the nature and causes of conflict and challenging perceptions and prejudice to encourage tolerance and the acceptance of diversity.
The programmes not only work with young people, communities and survivors in the Anglo-Irish context but internationally in areas such as the Balkans, Israel, Palestine, Madrid and in communities experiencing conflict nearer to home such as Oldham and Leeds.
The Foundation has established an International Peace Commission and is increasingly helping formulate policy and undertaking research and development into many areas of conflict and peace studies.
Leisure centres should
be top priority – poll
by David Skentelbery
TOP priorities for Warrington residents when it comes to council spending are leisure centres and highway improvements.
This was the somewhat surprising result of a reader poll run by Warrington-Worldwide which ended this week.
A total of 1,027 votes were cast by 609 participants who were able to vote for as few or as many as they wanted from a list of nine council services.
Voting was as follows: Leisure centres 244; Highway improvements 225; Recycling 162, Education 136; Town Centre 73; Parking facilities 67; New theatre 55; Community centres 33; Waterfront project 32.
It came as no surprise that a large percentage of respondents put highway improvements at or near the top of their list of priorities. A relatively low vote for parking facilities was perhaps surprising and could suggest a recognition among motorists that the council are not in the business of encouraging car use in the town centre.
But the high vote for leisure centres did come as a surprise. It possibly reflected continuing anger over the closure of Warrington Baths rather than dissatisfaction with existing leisure centres.
There wa
s an encouraging interest in recycling but a comparatively low number of votes for education.
A new poll on voting intentions in the council elections on May 3 is now running on our front page.
Education leaders unveil
shake-up for school exams
by staff reporter
EDUCATION leaders will unveil a major shake up to Warrington’s school exam system at a two-day conference next week.
The Way Ahead conferences on Monday and Tuesday (March 19 and 20) will reveal how the current GCSE system of qualifications will be replaced by new Specialised Diplomas.
Organisers say it’s vital that parents know about the changes to help their children plan for the future.
They hope as many parents and students as possible will drop in at the free conferences at the Halliwell Jones Stadium between 4pm and 9pm each day.
Education leaders will also unveil a new Internet on-line prospectus called Wayahead designed to guide learners into jobs, training or further education.
Some of the changes will see students being able to move between different schools and colleges across Warrington to study subjects.
Maureen Kelly, Warrington’s 14-19 Pathfinder manager said: “There are many changes taking place within education for 14-19 year old learners, including the introduction of the new Specialised Diplomas from 2008.
“There will also be a real focus on personalised learning and of course, the Learner Entitlement. Warrington is working towards all learners having access to one of 14 specialised lines of learning within their local area. Over the next few years, more and more young people between the ages of 14-19 will be provided with opportunities to study subjects of their choice on one or two days a week in another school or at one of the local colleges.
“This will ensure that young people are more motivated to achieve better results and to progress into relevant employment and training or onto further and higher education,” she added.
The on-line prospectus is supported by Warrington Learning Partnership, Warrington Borough Council, Connexions and the Learning and Skills Council. Also called Wayahead it will be a web-based tool that learners and their parents or carers will use to help guide them in their decisions about their future course of study. Way Ahead will also inform them of the many choices that are available to them at other schools, colleges and work-based learning providers.
Parents and teenagers are asked to call 01925 443181 to register for free tickets. Guests will also be able to meet Holloaks actress Carley Stenson and watch the short film that Carley has made to explain Way Ahead in more detail.
Schools, training providers and Connexions will also be on hand to give advice.
“This is the first event of its kind in Warrington and will provide opportunities to ask questions, pick up information, win prizes, meet a celebrity and hopefully leave teenagers and parents feeling more prepared for the decisions to be made about students’ futures over the next few months and years,” added Maureen.
[ 19.03.2007, 17:28: Message edited by: DS ]
