Council gets better
at collecting money!
by David Skentelbery
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are getting better at collecting Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates.
Figures to be studied by the borough council’s scrutiny bosses next week indicate that collection rates for box Council Tax and the business rate have been steadily improving this year.
By the end of the 2004/05 year, the council had collected 97.3 per cent of Council Tax and 98 per cent of the Non-Domestic Rate This exceeded the target of 97 per cent for Council Tax and met the target for business rates.
It was a better performance on Council Tax than the average for all unitary authorities, Greater Manchester authorities and for all England.
For Non-Domestic Rates, it was slightly below the average for unitary authorities and for all England but exceeded the average or neighbouring Greater Manchester authorities.
The target for this year has been set at 97.5 per cent for Council Tax, rising to 97.75 per cent in 2006/07 and 98.3 per cent for 2007/08.
This year, the target for Non-Domestic Rates is 98.5 per cent.
A council spokesman said the collection targets only represented the per centage collected in the year it which it was raised, and not the amount that would eventually be collected.
For tax setting purposes, the collection rate used for the amount of tax that would eventually be collected was 99.2 per cent.
This is higher than the neighbouring Greater Manchester authorities.
The spokesman added: “We are on course to achieve our target collection for 2005/06.
Choir picture sent
from “Down Under”
by Lesley Wilkinson
A PHOTOGRAPH taken almost 70 years ago but only recently sent from Australia has intrigued members of Warrington Male Voice Choir.
Recently an ex-Warringtonian, who had died in Australia, requested that the choir’s version of Nessun Dorma was played at his funeral.
Steve Grant, of the choir, said: “Shortly after, we received the above photograph from ‘Down Under’ which we believe was taken outside the British Legion in Warrington in 1936.
“Always interested in developing our archive material, we are now asking people to help us in putting names to faces,” he added.
Anyone who can identify the choristers should contact Ian Scholes, at 6, Ferguson Drive, Orford, Warrington, WA2 8EQ.
He would also be pleased to hear from people with choir pictures from between the years 1950 and 1978.
Poets urged to
enter contest
by Lesley Wilkinson
BUDDING poets are being urged to step up and take part in a competition offering cash prizes and the chance to win a publishing deal.
Warrington’s Hot Wire Poetry Slam will be held on Wednesday September 14 at The White Hart Pub in Sankey Street.
It is a heat of the Seconds Out/Stage to Page North West Poetry Slam and the winner will score a place in the Manchester final on October 5, with the chance to win a publishing deal with Crocus Books.
Slammers get 180 seconds to perform and are judged by audience reaction in the battle of the bards. Compares will be Hot Wire poets Jo Warburton and Helen Thomas, both seasoned slam poets and performers on the country’s poetry circuit.
There will also be a guest appearance from Manchester’s gay, socialist, transvestite poet The Gingham Diva Chloe Poems, whose act is described as not for the faint hearted.
Events start at 8pm and admission is ?3 / ?2 (concessions).
Green belt stable
block approved
by John Hendon
PLANNING chiefs have given the go-ahead for a stable block at Risley, near Warrington – against the wishes of the local parish council.
Warrington’s development control committee decided that the number of stables already existing at Risley was not a material consideration.
Croft Parish Council had objected to the proposal to the scheme at Hope Farm, Warrington Road, Risley because of the “already high number of stables in the village”.
The L-shaped stable block will be built on green belt land and will be of timber construction.
The committee was told they would be used only in connection with the residential use of Hope Farm.
Stables were considered appropriate development in the green belt.
Club seeks
new members
by staff reporter
CULCHETH Petanque Club is after new members – with a view to joining the North West League. Currently the club, based at Culcheth Sports Club, plays the game – also known as French boules – on a social basis. They recently played a friendly game against Stockport-based Bramhall Park, however, which ended in a draw. The club has 13 members, aged 12 to 85 but feel they need more to turn out a regular league team. Although a team has only six members, they need to make provision for reserves, holidays, illness, etc. Members play from March to December, on Sunday afternoons and, light permitting, Monday evenings. Anyone interested in joining should contact Ruth on 01925 767779 or captain Colin Smith on 07742 659950.
