Road closure campaigners
“selfish” says councillor
by David Skentelbery
CAMPAIGNERS who persuaded highways chiefs to permanently close a country lane where two teenagers died in a tragic accident have been accused of having selfish, personal motives.
Most of the people who campaigned for Stockton Lane, Grappenhall to be closed permanently did so for “personal reasons” and not for reasons of road safety, a councillor has claimed.
Coun Mike Stansfield told Appleton Parish Council he knew he spoke for the vast majority of people when he said the road should have been made safe and kept open rather than closed.
The canal side road was closed temporarily after two teenagers died when their car went off the road at a sharp bend and plunged into the water in November 2004.
This April, the borough council decided the closure should become permanent.
Coun Stansfield said the road had existed for 100 years and was well-used. It was ridiculous that it should be closed permanently. He had every sympathy for the parents of the two young people who died in what was a terrible tragedy.
But he added: “Most of the people who opposed re-opening the road did so for their own, selfish, personal reasons and not for reasons of road safety. The police wanted it closed because it would be one less thing for them to worry about.
“But the vast majority of people didn’t want it closed. They wanted the bend made safe.”
Coun Brian Axcell said the cost of straightening out the bend would have been prohibitive – more than ?100,000.
But Coun Stansfield said when the Warrington New Town was designated the people of South Warrington were promised a road system to meet all their needs.
“Not one yard of road has been built that serves any useful purpose,” he said.
He said English Partnerships – successors to the New Towns Commission – owned the land in question in Stockton Lane and should pay for the road to be made safe.
“They are making a lot of money out of Warrington and are doing nothing in return.”
Housing group
receives top award
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON?S Golden Gates Housing ? the organisation which manages 10,000 homes on behalf of the borough council ? was among eight organisations nationally to receive a top housing excellence award from the Audit Commission. All eight received a three star housing excellence award ? the highest rating possible. The awards were presented at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference in Harrogate by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly. In their reports, the housing inspectors highlighted a number of key strengths which earned the eight groups their three star rating. They praised Golden Gates Housing for their high standards of customer care and effective joint working to tackle anti-social behaviour. Audit Commission chairman Michael O’Higgins, said: ?This is the fifth year of the Housing Excellence Awards which aim to encourage and celebrate excellence and promote improvement across the housing sector. All these organisations have demonstrated a high-quality, customer-focused service. ?They are not only performing strongly but are also delivering continuous improvement by being innovative and developing services for the future. They show the value of housing inspections driving improvement. Ruth Kelly, said: ?I am delighted to present these awards and I’m particularly pleased that the winning organisations are being recognised for their strong customer focus. We want to put residents first and I congratulate the winners for doing just this.? Representatives of the winning organisations attended a lunch hosted by the Audit Commission’s Housing Inspectorate prior to the awards ceremony.
Hunt for man who tried
to rob wheelchair woman
by John Hendon
POLICE at Warrington are hunting a man who tried to snatch a purse from a wheelchair-bound woman in her 70s.
The offender fled empty handed after the woman?s elderly husband intervened.
He was of Eastern European appearance, with very dark hair and large brown eyes.
The incident was in Church Drive, Padgate at about 3.30pm on June 13 when the woman was seated in her wheelchair outside the post office.
She was approached by the offender who asked if she could give him 15p for a stamp. While she was looking in her purse, he tried to snatch it.
Fortunately the woman?s elderly husband intervened, grabbing the purse and preventing the man from getting it. He made off along Station Road.
The man was about 5ft 9 inches tall, slim and aged about 19-25. He was wearing a light grey or blue tracksuit.
Anyone who can help is asked to call PC Richard Kennedy on 0845 458 6390.
Volunteer litter pickers
find their first “sharps”
by Lesley Wilkinson
IT was a “sad” day for Warrington Clean Team when they came across their first ever hypodermic needles during a litter pick in Great Sankey.
Volunteers were out in force for the pick around Cromwell Avenue, the Peace Centre and St Gregory’s High School.
Coun Trudi Wood said: “There was, as ever at schools, an incredible amount of litter and contrary to Clean Team guidelines we spent a lot of time deep in the bushes retrieving countless crisp packets, sweet wrappers and drinks bottles.
“Sadly we even came across our first ever hypodermic needles near the bus stop. The good news that comes from that though, is the offer of sharps training for members from Warrington Borough Council and also the kind donation of sharps bins – we were using coffee jars.”
She said the team have requested litter bins be installed along the area.
“I believe that children will use bins if they are there but rare is the child who will put rubbish ‘in their pockets ’till they get home’ as I was taught,” she said.
The next pick is on Sunday, meeting at 2pm at Broomfields Leisure Centre, Broomfields Road, Appleton.
Mistreatment of elderly
“will not be tolerated”
by Lesley Wilkinson
A ZER0-tolerance campaign to tackle the growing problems of abuse of older people in Warrington has been launched.
And Warrington Borough Council is warning that it will protect the vulnerable and refuse to tolerate “mistreatment” of the elderly.
The campaign follows release of research, funded by Comic Relief, which revealed that high numbers of older people are experiencing mistreatment in their own homes throughout the UK. This included all types of abuse and neglect.
The council is responding by making sure that people are aware of its procedures to protect vulnerable people. It works closely with other organisations, such as the police and providers of care, to ensure that mistreatment of older people is not tolerated in the borough.
Officers advise anyone who suspects a vulnerable adult is being abused, to discuss the situation with them and see what can be done to help.
If the vulnerable person is unable to make a decision for themselves and is likely to remain at risk of abuse, people are advised to contact police or social services. Anyone who is being abused is also advised to call.
Social Services reception team are on 01925 444239 (out of hours 01925 444400) and police on 01244 614826 (out of hours 01925 652222 or for advice only 01925 613855).
Coun Roy Smith, executive board member for community services, said: “The message is simple – mistreatment of elderly and vulnerable people in our communities will not be tolerated.
“Don’t be afraid – anyone in this situation needs to speak to someone straight away, perhaps to a family member, close friend, or someone from the council, so that it can be stopped straight away.”
Man arrested after
“bomb” found in garden
by John Hendon
A MAN has been arrested following the discovery of what is believed to be a home-made bomb in the garden of a house at Penketh, near Warringt
on.
The 55-year-old local man is helping police with their enquiries.
It was shortly after 9.30am yesterday (Wednesday) when police received a call about the suspect device in the garden of a house in Kirkwall Drive, Penketh.
Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes and a 100-metre exclusion set up while an Army bomb disposal squad made the device safe.
It is understood the device consisted of a number of fireworks.
Drunks are not just
“a bit of a laugh”
by Lesley Wilkinson
DRUNKEN behaviour should not just be seen as “a bit of a laugh” according to police.
Cheshire?s Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said officers regularly deal with people with alcohol-related injuries on weekend nights in accident and emergency departments, who cannot recall what happened to them.
A new Government National Alcohol Strategy, has been welcomed by Cheshire Police, who say it follows the approach the force adopted. Police and their partners made the link between alcohol consumption and crime and disorder some time ago, and have been working on a multi-agency approach to tackle the problems in Cheshire, Warrington and Halton under the banner of ArcAngel.
ACC Shewan said the force had piloted different ways of dealing with underage drinking from seizing alcohol and swapping it for ArcAngel water, to working with off licenses to prevent under-age sales.
He said: “We want to challenge those who think it is acceptable to behave in a loutish anti-social way and use alcohol as an excuse for their behaviour. Those who drink to excess make a conscious decision to drink vast quantities without realising the dangers they put themselves in and the problems they cause for other people.
“We regularly deal with men and woman who are unable to recall what has happened to them when they have been assaulted, admissions to accident and emergency on Friday and Saturday nights are swamped by people with alcohol related injuries and we respond to an increasing number of calls where people have been drinking and violence has erupted in the home between family members partners or husbands and wives.”
He said that for a long time drunken behaviour has been treated as “a bit of laugh” but it was time for society to understand the “tragic and sad” consequences that alcohol abuse could cause to families children and communities.
Woman, 89, conned
out of her savings
by staff reporter
A WARNING was issued to householders at Warrington after two men conned an 89-year-old woman out of an unspecified amount of money.
The pair called at a house in Hastings Avenue, Orford and told the woman they were from the water board and that there was a fault in her supply.
They gained admission to the house and, while one kept the woman talking, the other stole the money.
Both men were wearing light blue shirts and dark trousers. One was tall and the other short and stocky.
A police spokesman said: “Householders should be aware that distraction burglars are operating in the Warrington area. They should not admit anyone to their home unless they are satisfied they are genuine. If necessary, they should call the utilities company the callers claim to be from.”
