“Save our school” campaign
launched by pupils and staff
by David Skentelbery
A BATTLE has started to save the 49-year-old Woolston High School from closure.
Staff, governors and pupils are involved in an enthusiastic campaign to keep the school ? and its sixth form ? open.
Education chiefs in Warrington are facing a problem. Pupil numbers in secondary schools are falling across the borough, and particularly in the Woolston and Padgate areas.
A review of secondary education has started to decide what to do about the situation.
Experts predict pupil numbers will continue to fall and a number of options are being considered.
One is to close either Woolston or Padgate high schools ? and another is to keep both open but close one of their sixth forms.
Consultation is going on, but Woolston has launched a robust campaign to keep its local high school open.
Mrs Jill Robinson, head teacher for the last three and-a-half years, is leading the fight.
She said: ?The school is a vital part of the local community, providing a first class education to local children. We have an excellent relationship with all the primary schools in the area and it would be disastrous if this link was broken.
?Woolston needs its own high school.?
Squirrel “kittens”
delight zoo visitors
by Lesley Wilkinson
TINY baby red squirrels born in a Warrington park have been seen “peeping” out of their boxes to the delight of visitors.
The youngsters, known as kittens, were born early in May at Walton Gardens? Children’s Zoo. They are a result of a breeding programme at the zoo, which houses five adult red squirrels.
According to staff, visitors are delighted by the kittens’ antics as they scurry about “looking very cute.”
The red squirrel population has dramatically reduced in Britain over the past century, after North American grey squirrels were introduced. Red squirrels can be found in Scotland, the Lake District and on The Fylde coast, but the population is still under threat in the wild and they are mostly found in protected nature reserves.
When the kittens are old enough to leave their parents, usually at three months, they will be sent to another breeding programme or be released at red squirrel sanctuaries in Anglesey, North Wales or Formby.
Coun Brian Axcell, the borough council?s executive member for environment services, said, “It’s great to see Walton Gardens? Children’s Zoo taking a leading role in a national campaign to preserve red squirrels.
“Maintaining local wildlife and environment is an important part of making Warrington an attractive town to live in and we will continue to work on pioneering projects like this one.”
Schoolboy gets a
taste of college life
by Lesley Wilkinson
A WARRINGTON schoolboy had a busy week working “behind the scenes” at Priestley College as part of a work experience project.
Tom Roberts, 15, a Year 10 pupil at Sir Thomas Boteler CE High School worked on business support tasks. He staffed the busy phones in reception, worked in reprographics and marketing, computer services and the finance department.
Tom, a keen footballer, is considering a future career in computing.
He said: “I’ve really enjoyed spending time at Priestley, especially at reception and working on the switchboard as there was always something happening.”
College marketing officer Nat Ashurst said: “It was very pleasing to spend an afternoon working with Tom on creative projects as he was prepared to get stuck in.”
Picture shows Tom Roberts working in the finance department at Priestley College.
MEP hits out over
European “farce”
by staff reporter
UPROOTING the European Parliament from Brussels to Strasbourg once a month has been dubbed an expensive “farce” by Warrington-based Euro MP Brian Simpson.
He said: “It’s a nonsense that we have to travel once a month to Strasbourg. Everything in the Brussels offices gets transported to Strasbourg in large trunks. They then get transported back to Brussels for the next three weeks of the month. What a farce, not to mention the cost!”
He is backing a campaign to have one permanent seat for the European Parliament and for it to be in Brussels. In a survey 89 per cent of Euro MPs wanted there to be one seat, and 81 per cent backed Brussels as the venue.
Mr Simpson cites evidence that shows Strasbourg costs ?200 million a year and leaves a massive carbon footprint.
His evidence shows that moving to Strasbourg each month is producing 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the greenhouse gases produced by 13,000 round-trip flights from London to New York.
Migrant workers “could
increase tensions”
by Lesley Wilkinson
NEW migrant workers from Eastern Europe coming to Warrington swell the ethnic minority community and increase the risk of “tensions and mistrust” according to Cheshire’s police chief.
Cheshire’s Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “The communities in Cheshire, Halton and Warrington are changing. Our existing small but important ethnic minority community is being added to by new migrant workers from Eastern Europe.
“There is considerable potential for tensions and mistrust as shown by the difficulties we already face on the gypsy traveller issue. The Muslim community locally has been affected by the debate over their position in British society and their desire to show how committed they are to the values of this country.”
Mr Fahy said there should be open debate on these issues and that local people should be able to talk about immigration and integration “without being labelled racists.”
The force recently marked “Celebr8 Don’t Discrimin8” – a day dedicated to showing the positive side of diversity at its headquarters. The Chief Constable said diversity is not just about “political correctness”, but affects everyone in our society and if approached correctly can improve the quality of life.
He said: “Diversity is now seen as being about political correctness and the requirement to comply with equality legislation. It should be about how we ensure that everyone in society can play an active part and have their individuality and their human rights respected. It should not be just about ethnic minorities – if we get this right it benefits everyone.
“It is important that all groups in society get along with one another as when there is tension and misunderstanding it is individuals, and often vulnerable individuals, that suffer. Just as it is important that there is understanding between the local Muslim community and others it is important that there is understanding between young people and older sections of society who are often complaining about their activities.”
He said relatively few problems had been caused by immigration from Eastern Europe, but that public services in Warrington and Cheshire should not be complacent. Businesses welcomed cheap well qualified labour.
“But all agencies have had to be aware of the challenges this can create for the public services particularly education and the resentment which can be harboured by certain sections of the community,” he added.
Car dealership to
move out of town
by David Skentelbery
PLANS for a major new car dealership, with showrooms, workshops and offices at Woolston have been given the go-ahead by planning chiefs at Warrington.
The development will take place on land at the AXXIS business park, adjacent to Juniper Lane and Manchester Road, Woolston, close to Junction 21 of the M6 motorway.
A feature of the scheme is a car storage deck, concealed behind a parapet at first floor level.
Access to the site will include provision for transporter lorries and there will be fencing, external lighting and CCTV.
Almost 100 parking spaces are proposed.
The scheme will replace existing premises in Farrell Street, which wil
l close.
Members of Warrington?s development control committee were told the developer was prepared to contribute ?115,000 towards the cost of highway improvements in the area.
