Council tenants face
4.5 per cent rent rise
by David Skentelbery
COUNCIL house rents at Warrington look set to rise by an average of 4.5 per cent from April.
The proposed increase, affecting some 9,500 tenants across the borough, is being recommended to the borough council’s executive board.
If approved, it will mean the average rent for Warrington for 2005-6 would be ?50.34 a week, based on a 52-week year.
The proposed rise is based on the government’s standard increase of 1.5 per cent above inflation, which is estimated at 2.53 per cent.
Service charges for furnished property are being recommended for a 3.6 per cent increase and it is also proposed that garage rents are increased in line with the government’s inflation forecast for 2005-6 of 3.6 per cent.
A report to be considered by the executive board next week indicates a worsening financial position during the current year. But the position is expected to improve in 2005-6 when a surplus of ?886,000 is forecast largely due to changes in subsidy through management and maintenance allowances – but also assuming the 4.5 per cent rent increase.
Warrington’s council homes are managed by arms length management company Golden Gates Leisure and their management fee for the coming year is ?5.2 million.
Ex-college man tells of
life as medical student
by John Hendon
FIRST hand experiences of life as a medical student were given to youngsters at Priestley College, Warrington, when a former pupil returned to talk about his studies.
Matt Devine, former student union president, left Priesley in summer last year with grades A in Chemistry and German and grades B in Biology and Maths A-Levels.
During his time at the college, he represented the student voice, and so staff felt he was a good candidate to return and speak to current prospective medical students about life as an undergraduate.
He is currently studying for a degree in medicine at Liverpool and was able to offer tips on undergraduate life.
The college has recently launched a pre-medical enrichment programme offering students the opportunity to learn more about the medical profession and the university options connected with a career in the field.
Matt said: “It was nice to come back to Priestley and I felt right at home straight away. I felt as though I had never been away. It was a little strange to go from being a student to then talking to my fellow peers in an official capacity.”
Dr Louise Norbury, head of biology at the college, said: “The students found Matt’s input invaluable as they consider what options may be open to them in the medical profession.”
Louise gets a present
for a Golden birthday
by staff reporter
AN ORFORD mum was surprised when she opened her front door to find Warrington Wolves mascot, Wolfie, bringing her a surprise gift.
For Louise Falvey, of Bruce Avenue, was the winner of Golden Gates Housing’s first birthday prize draw. She was presented with a signed Wolves shirt by GGH director Peter Mercer.
She said: “It was a nice surprise. It’s a bit big for me but maybe it’ll fit my son Charlie in a few years.”
To mark the first anniversary of GGH staff were celebrating a number of successes including achieving a high rating for its services from the Audit Commission and letting five major partnering contracts worth ?65 million.
Other successes include rolling out CHOOSEaHOME across the town, setting up a new service centre, reorganising the business, introducing a fleet of new vehicles and maintaining a high-level of service delivery.
MP blasts “drinks
at 16″ proposal
by Lesley Wilkinson
LIBERAL Democrat plans to reduce the drinking age to 16 have been dubbed a “yobs charter” by Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
The MP is calling for extra resources to tackle underage drinking and has urged Home Office Minister Caroline Flint to ensure Government measures to tackle the problem are carefully monitored.
Ms Jones welcomed recent increases in fixed penalty fines for selling drink to under 18s, and the increase to ?5,000 for the maximum fine for buying alcohol for an underage drinker or selling it to a minor.
“Most people want to discourage teenage drinking which is why I was stunned when leading Lib Dem MP Don Foster announced in the House of Commons that he favoured cutting the drinking age to sixteen.
“It is a barmy proposal and would undermine all the hard work going on in Warrington to cut underage drinking and the anti-social behaviour associated with it. How he thinks lowering the age at which teenagers can get served in pubs and off-licences would lower binge drinking and would not increase teenage yobbery, is beyond belief.” Ms Jones said it would send out the wrong message to communities blighted by the problem. She called on local Lib Dems to condemn the proposals championed by their MPs that include abolishing laws on anti-social behaviour, abolishing fixed penalty fines and opposing police powers to disperse gangs.
“In parts of my constituency real problems of crime and disorder have been caused by people purchasing alcohol for youngsters, usually in return for a share of the proceeds,” she said.
She urged that police and trading standards are given enough resources to tackle the problem and that fines given by courts be monitored to ensure they are sufficient to deter those who are caught from offending again.
Ms Jones said she was pleased the minister had agreed to consider not only off licences, but also pubs, supermarkets and shops.
“It was particularly good to hear that the level of fines will be reviewed with a view to increasing the penalties if they are not robust enough,” she added.
800 young people
run away every year
by Lesley Wilkinson
EACH year more than 800 young people under the age of 18 run away from home in Warrington – and police and a local charity are working on a campaign to prevent this.
The majority of children choose to go missing, and police say that child abduction by strangers is “very rare” across the county.
But research shows that one in 14 runaways survive through stealing, begging or getting involved in prostitution and drugs, and the campaign aims to highlight the problems.
ARC, a charity that supports people affected by domestic violence and abusive relationships, has introduced a “Talk, Don’t Walk” project in Warrington, which is supported by the police and aims to reduce the numbers of children missing from home.
To publicise this a campaign, One Step at a Time, was launched with the help of Warrington Wolves and local celebrities.
Local people are being encouraged to design and decorate a pair of footprints for a record attempt on the May 15 to form the longest line of footprints. More than 10,932 have to be collated to break a record set in November last year.
The event will take place at the at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and the aim is to reach two miles – the average distance a young runaway travels before they think about turning back.
DC Alison McCausland, project manager, said: “Turning a blind eye to problems or running away from problems is a natural reaction but for some young people, running is the only answer and by doing so they put themselves in danger.
“By launching the One Step at a Time campaign as part of Talk Don’t Walk, we want to encourage children and young people to share their concerns and problems before they run and to make them aware of the dangers they are putting themselves in,” she added.
Anyone interested in joining the campaign should contact ARC on 01925 246910.
Businessmen urged to
trade with Israel
by staff reporter
BUSINESSES in Warrington are being encouraged to develop trade links with Israel.
Business Link Cheshire and Warrington is organising a trade mission to Tel Aviv from February 28 to March 4.
T
he trip will give companies the chance to establish export opportunities with Israeli businesses.
Mark Holt, of Business Link, said: “Israel is a remarkable success story for British exporter and UK exports to this lively market have grown steadily. It is a highly developed western orientated market, company law is based on English law and there are no language barriers.”
Companies will be charged ?599 for each delegate they send on the trade mission although there are grants of up to ?350 available for eligible companies. To find out more call 0845 345 4025.
Business Link Cheshire and Warrington provides a comprehensive range of business services and have business advisors who help support small to medium sized enterprises to achieve successful business development.
Inquiry into plans
for roadstone plant
by David Skentelbery
A PUBLIC inquiry into controversial plans for a major industrial plant less than 200 yards from a housing estate opens at Warrington today (Tuesday).
An appeal by Tarmac against Warrington Borough Council’s refusal to grant planning consent for a coated roadstone plant on land off Antrim Road, Longford, will be heard at Walton Hall and is expected to last for two days.
Nearby residents and local councillors are fiercely opposed to the scheme. They claim it will flood the already congested Hawleys Lane with an extra 100 heavy lorries a day.
Three years ago, 3,200 vehicles were using the junction of Hawleys Lane with the A49 Winwick Road and the number is believed to have increased considerably.
Children from the Bewsey and Dallam areas have to walk passed the site to get to school and already face severe traffic hazards.
Residents fear the plant will be working from early morning until late at night, damaging the quality of of their lives.
Because Town Hall officers originally recommended the scheme be approved they will not be presenting the council’s case. Consultants have been brought at a cost of up to ?15,000 to represent the authority.
