Council bosses to scrap
five-day refuse collection
by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON Borough Council is to scrap Monday refuse collections.
From February 26, collections will take place only Tuesday-Friday ? and residents will be asked to have their bins out before 6.30am.
The council says that preferably, bins will be put out the night before collection day.
Town Hall chiefs claim the changes will result in less disruption of collections over Bank Holiday periods The move is all part of the council’s ongoing plans to modernise the service and follows the flat bin lid policy introduced last year ? which the council claims was a success despite the anger it caused among many residents.
Driving forces behind the changes are the need to improve customer satisfaction and deliver a safe, effective and efficient service.
There will be no change of collection day for some residents. Collections normally made on a Friday will still be made on Good Friday.
A council spokesperson said: ?Whether your collection day changes or not, please make sure that you put your bin out before 6.30am on your collection day, preferably the night before, as under the new arrangements, collections will be starting earlier.
?In order to make sure that residents are aware of the changes you will be notified about your new collection day via a sticker on your bin and a leaflet through your door.
?These changes only affect refuse bin collections. Your green and blue bin collections are not affected. Residents will be informed about Christmas collections during this period.
Coun Brian Axcell, executive member for Environment Services, said: “We are taking steps to modernise our environment services with the aim of being able to provide a more efficient and effective service to the public.
“There are great benefits to the public as changing the collection days in this way means that there won’t be the usual disruption every time there is a bank holiday. This always causes problems for residents and is also an issue for the council in trying to maintain a consistent service.
“I hope that residents will soon get into their new routine but we do appreciate that the new collection days may take some getting used to. Every effort will be made to deliver a high quality service and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public in advance for their co-operation.”
School gripped
by election fever
by Gary Skentelbery
ELECTION fever has gripped pupils at Culcheth High School as voting has taken place throughout secondary schools in Warrington to select Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs ).
Warrington is represented at this national forum by two MYPs, one from Warrington North and one from Warrington South.
Culcheth High School has two candidates running in the election for the Warrington North MYP.
Sam Whittaker, 15, was involved with the Youth Parliament last year and, if re-elected, would continue his campaign for cheaper public transport for young people.
Greg Daintith, 14, will campaign for a skate park in Culcheth if he is elected. He would also like to create an opportunity for the young and old in the village to work together to break down some of the bad feeling that he believes exists between the two groups of residents.
Warrington Youth Service run the elections along the same lines as those that apply for National and Local elections.
The ballot boxes have been collected and the results will be announced shortly.
Students get it straight
from the Marines
STUDENTS from Warrington got an insight into one of the world’s toughest fighting forces when they spent a week at a Royal Marines Commando training camp.
Youngsters from Priestley College, on the Public Services pathway course, enjoyed a residential stay at the Lympstone base in Devon to take part in a “Look At Life” course.
During their stay they were treated like new recruits and took part in many activities that form the basis of a 32-week training programme that potential Marines have to pass.
College marketing officer Nat Ashurst said: “From the moment the group arrived at the isolated venue they were under no illusion of what was to follow as the gate was firmly locked behind them and their comfortable student life ended.”
Activities included a two and half mile cross country endurance run, an assault course, using a simulated firing range, gruelling gym tests and a 5K run. They also enjoyed a practical demonstration on rationing.
Nat, who accompanied students on the trip, said: “The experience pushed the students to near breaking point and offered them an ideal opportunity to decide whether life as a Marine was correct for them.
“From my perspective the visit to the Marines was amongst the most challenging things I have ever witnessed and both I and the students returned from Lympstone knowing we had tested ourselves to levels that none of us had previously experienced.”
He said the team was given a “unique insight” into current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which gave them a true sense of the harsh realities of war and conflict.
The Public Services team at the college recently had some good news when all students who sat their entrance tests for the Royal Navy passed with flying colours.
Terrorist attack to
be enacted in town
by Lesley Wilkinson
THE nightmare scenario of a terrorist attack on Warrington is to be enacted in the town in May.
Project Argus is a national Counter Terrorism Security Office initiative, exploring ways to help people in preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.
It will be staged at the Halliwell Jones Stadium by Cheshire Police, in conjunction with Warrington Borough Council?s Emergency Planning unit, to look at plans for dealing with any attack in the town centre.
It achieves this by taking businesses through a simulated terrorist attack and offers advice on dealing with each stage of attack and subsequent recovery.
The free event will take people through a realistic scenario using a multi-media simulation during a three-hour session.
People, individually and in groups, have to work through a series of challenges and questions. Those taking part will work in small syndicate groups with other local business representatives.
Workshops are being held on May 8 and 11 and businesses from the town centre community interested in attending should contact the borough council?s emergency planning officer, Theresa Whitfield, before February 15 on 01925 458056 or by email at [email protected] The event is part of a national programme of counter-terrorism activity. Security chiefs take the possibility of terrorist attacks on provincial towns very seriously – not least because of the IRA attacks on Warrington in 1993.
Florist to become
letting agency
by David Skentelbery
A PLAN to change the use of a florists? shop into a letting agency at Lymm, near Warrington has been given the go-ahead ? despite opposition from villagers.
Nearby residents opposed the change of use because of fears that the loss of a retail shop would damage the vitality of the village centre.
There was also concern that the proposal had not been brought to wider public attention ? and that the shop is in a conservation area.
Lymm Parish Council did not oppose the scheme ? but did express concern at the loss of a retail shop.
Coun Sheila Woodyatt said local shops were the ?heart of the village? and there was already a surfeit of restaurants, banks, estate agents and letting agencies. While there was a need for a mix of businesses, the balance was wrong with too much commercial and not enough retail outlets.
But planning officers said council policy was designed to resist change of use of convenience stores, post offices and pharmacies ? not florists. While the shop was in a conse
rvation area, no changes to the external appearance of the shop were proposed.
The current level of commercial use in Lymm village centre was 21 per cent which was considered to be acceptable.
Committee members were told the shop had been a florist for 30 years. Owners Ken and Stephanie Birks have retired and the premises is to be taken over by letting agency Ridgeway Residential, who have existing premises nearby.
School merger
plan dropped
by staff reporter
A PLAN to merge two schools near Lymm has been dropped by Cheshire County Council.
Instead, governors at Little Bollington and High Legh primary schools are to be asked to consider a federation ? which would mean sharing resources and teaching expertise and having one head teacher in charge of both schools.
Both schools had opposed the merger proposal ? put forward by the county as a cost-cutting measure.
Preparing youngsters
for the business world
by Lesley Wilkinson
A QUALIFICATION aimed at preparing youngsters for the world of business may soon be promoted in Warrington.
Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance has commissioned a study among employers to look at current and future demand for access to the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the children of their workers.
The qualification is aimed at 16-19 year olds and is seen as an alternative or a complementary qualification to traditional A levels.
David Horstead, director of strategy and intelligence at the Alliance, said the lack of the qualification being offered had a detrimental effect not only on potential inward investment but also on the ability of Cheshire and Warrington firms to recruit the skills needed for their businesses.
“It’s so important, too, that we train our children to meet future employers’ demands and improve their employment prospects. With an IB Diploma they can work in over 100 countries worldwide and will not be disadvantaged when competing with overseas candidates who have the qualification.”
[ 12.02.2007, 17:51: Message edited by: DS ]
