Town Hall to seek views
on 5% council tax rise
by David Skentelbery
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are to seek opinions on a five per cent rise in council tax next year.
The increase would mean a rise of 93p a week – ?48.55 for a full year – for an average band D property for services provided by the borough council.
It would not include increases in precepts from the fire and police authorities nor from parish councils, which have yet to be announced.
No decisions have yet been made but the figures are included in a draft consultation paper on the council’s spending proposals for 2007-8 to be considered by the borough council’s executive board on Monday (January 8) The paper stresses that the people and organisations to be consulted are important to the council and that no decisions have been taken yet.
But it also points out that the policy of recent years of keeping Council Tax rises as low as possible has resulted in a Band D taxpayer in Warrington pay ?97-a-year less than those in other similar boroughs.
The council currently faces a budget shortfall but plans to save ?4.6 million through increases business efficiency, ?2.7 million through increased income and ?1.2 through a review of lower priority services.
In a statement on the proposed spending plans for 2007-8, council leader Ian Marks (left) and his deputy, Keith Bland, (right) say the Lib Dem-Tory alliance which took over the council last May has taken a long, hard look at the current performance and cost of every council service.
They have identified many good quality, well run services which show the council delivers good value for money and has a stable financial position. But there are gathering financial pressures on the horizon and it is vital to take decisive action to avoid future problems and ensure spending plans remain affordable.
Councillors Marks and Bland say they intend to accelerate the pace of change within the council to tackle some long-standing and unresolved issues. But they will keep consulting the public.
Although they face escalating costs they have identified limited new priority investments responding to public concerns. These include recruiting 22 Police Community Support Officers and measures to improve the environment and recycling.
The two councillors warn that tough decisions will be necessary and express disappointment that Warrington will receive only small increases in central government funding. They point out that the council needs an extra ?10.9 million just to maintain existing services.
So even with savings of ?8.6 million it will be necessary to increase Council Tax.
Consultation on a five per cent increase will be carried out this month and more detail spending plans will be published next month. The council is due to agree its budget on February 26.
Chef Mark’s dream
trip to London
by Mark Hemmings
CULINARY wizard Mark Burke, from Cinnamon Brow, Warrington will soon be going for a two-week stint, all expenses paid, at London’s famous restaurant The Ivy.
Mark, aged 25, won the title ?Most Up and Coming Cheshire Chef? last year ? beating off challenges from chefs from hotels and restaurants across the county.
His prize is the trip to London ? a wonderful opportunity for any young chef.
Winning awards is nothing new to Mark, who is chef at a hotel in Chester, won the Nestle Young Chef of the Year award in 2000. and was awarded a cash prize of ?800.
He said: “Winning the Most Up and Coming Cheshire Chef prize was tough. In 40-minutes I was able to cook any dish I wanted to, and by choice I decided to use local produce, from a nearby farm or fishery.
“The contest was narrowed down to a Grand Final held at Tatton Park in the Grand Marquee. This time TV chef, Gordon Ramsay was one of the judges. On that occasion there was no preparation time given so I had to bring my sauce already made.
“I am really looking forward to spending time at The Ivy. It will be a tremendous experience for me. I hope I make a good enough impression on them, as I wouldn’t mind working there one day. It will be an experience of a lifetime.”
Police seize eight
pit bull terriers
by staff reporter
EIGHT dogs ? all believed to be pit bull terriers ? have been seized by police in a series of raid in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Six of the dogs were taken from an address at St Helens, just five miles from the house where Warrington girl Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by her uncle?s pit bull.
Two other dogs were found at an address in Widnes.
One dog is understood to have had its ears trimmed ? a practice usually associated with dogs specially bred for fighting. High protein dog foods were also found.
The raids followed a tip-off from a member of the public.
It is understood the dogs are now being held by police while their owners are questioned.
Ellie Lawrenson’s uncle, 23-year-old Kiel Simpson, the owner of the dog which killed the girl, has been questioned by officers after attending a police station of his own accord.
He left without being arrested.
Police said three of the dogs seized at St Helens were found in cages and three others in an enclosed yard.
A police spokesman said the seizures underlined the joint commitment of the police and the local authorities to tackle the problems caused by dangerous dogs.
Campaigners battle
to save small schools
by John Hendon
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save two of the smallest schools in the Warrington area will find out soon whether they have been successful.
Cheshire County Council has put forward proposals to merge Little Bollington CE Primary and High Legh Primary School ? on the High Legh site.
Parents, governors and staff at both schools would like both to carry on as separate schools.
Neither school is within Warrington, but both offer places to youngsters who live in the borough.
If the scheme goes ahead, it would mean the Little Bollington school would be completely closed and, presumably, sold off ? despite the fact that two new classrooms were added in recent years.
The school also has a memorial garden dedicated to Hannah Scales, a pupil who died of meningitis after her system had been weakened by a rare genetic condition known as Kabuki.
Pupils have helped raise thousands of ?s for research in Kabuki.
A spokeswoman for the Bollington school governors said: ?We don?t need to say how big the impact of this would be, not only for our school, its staff and pupils, but also the wider community.?
Both schools have been asking local residents to write to or email decision makers objecting to the plan and also attend a public meeting at Knutsford Civic Hall on January 15.
The county council will reach a decision on whether to go out to consultation on the merger in February.
Charity night in aid
of air ambulance
by staff reporter
THE Inner Wheel Club of Lymm, near Warrington, is to hold a charity valuation night at the Village Hall on March 14.
Experts from Marshall?s Auctioneers, Knutsford, including Adam Partridge from the BBC 2 television programme ?Flog it? will be valuing items for local people.
The evening, which starts at 7pm, is in aid of the North West Air Ambulance.
Admission costs ?5 and includes two valuations, although people attending can pay ?1 extra to have additional items valued.
Tickets are available from Rushgreen Service Station and further details can be obtained from Jean Parkinson on 01925 752066.
Residents’ group to
hold Burns Night
SHARC ? the Stockton Heath Alternative Residents? Council ? is to hold a fund-raising Burns Night and Ceilidh on Saturday, January 27.
The event will take place at St Thomas? Church Hall, Stockton Heath.
SHARC plan to field candidates in this year?s council election in a bid to unseat representatives of
political parties.
Further details of the Burns Night are available from 01925 602761.
Bedroom blaze
FIRE crews from Stockton Heath were called to a bedroom blaze in Bucklow Gardens, Lymm.
Two fire engines were involved in the operation but the fire was out before they reached the scene.
An electric blanket had triggered the fire but smoke detectors fitted in the property raised the alarm. No-one was hurt.
