Council backs “super
health centres” plan
by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON Borough Council has told health bosses that, in principle, it supports the controversial proposals for five new ?super health centres? across the borough.
In a letter to Warrington Primary Care Trust, council leader Ian Marks, Liberal Democrat and his deputy, Keith Bland, Conservative, say they would welcome any proposal that kept people out of large hospitals and treated them in smaller settings.
They would, in particular, support the new health centre proposed for Orford Park and the town centre scheme proposed for the site of the existing Garven Place clinic.
The letter does raise concerns about the impact of the new health centres on existing GP surgeries across the borough, transport issues and the opposition of many GPs to the scheme.
But its wording is in sharp contrast to a Liberal Democrat campaign just before the borough elections when party workers (pictured above) organised a protest petition in the town centre and vowed to fight the proposals until they were dropped.
Jo Crotty, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Warrington South blamed the Labour Government for the proposals and said: ?We will continue to fight these plans until they are thrown out.?
In its letter to the PCT, the council says it agrees with the view that services provided in the community to prevent lengthy stays in hospital are to be welcomed.
?In principle, we would support the development of five new ?state of the art? health centres which would enable people to access services, treatments and diagnostic facilities that they are unable to do at present unless they attend the hospital.
?Modern facilities with many services under the same roof, including social care and preventative health and well-being services are also to be welcomed as the prospect of faster treatment, shorter waiting times and longer opening hours.?
But the council does express concern that the proposals might be a substitute for existing general practices rather than complementing them.
?The council feels strongly that people need to be able to access their GP quickly and that they should be locally based. There is particular concern that the outlying areas and communities, as well as the inner wards, would not be well served if GP services were not available locally.?
The council is also concerned that large practices might compromise the relationship between patients and GPs, that transport may be a big issue for older people, the disabled and mothers with pushchairs and that people have not been adequately consulted.
?A number of GPs appear to be against the proposals and it would be helpful to further understand why this should be so,? the letter adds.
The letter adds that the council is committed to working alongside the PCT to provide integrated services wherever it makes sense for the population.
Cyclist will tackle
the Alps for charity
by Lesley Wilkinson
AN Appleton man is planning an 800-mile charity cycle ride over the Swiss and French mountains.
Daniel Emmett, 33, of Bernard Avenue, starts his nine-day trek on June 21 and aims to complete the Route De Grandes Alpes by June 29, arriving in Monte Carlo on the French Riviera.
He and a friend hope to raise ?1,000 between then to share between two charities – the NSPCC and Diabetes UK.
Daniel, who is married to Hannah and has two children Megan, nine and Brandon, eight, has worked as a quality manager in the food industry for 13 years.
He has been a cycling fan for 10 years and is currently riding about 200 miles a week throughout Cheshire, to train.
“I am really looking forward to the trip. I cannot wait to see the mountains and the scenery, and just get the sense of space,” he said.
“It will also be good to raise funds for two important charities.”
The two men set of from Geneva and travel over the mountains before heading for the coast. They will stay in small guest houses or camp out during their trip.
He said: “The route will be 800 to 900 miles with 70,000ft of climbing.
This will be done on a touring bike.”
The two men will make the trip alone and carry all their own equipment.
“I am really looking forward to one night sleeping under the stars,” said Daniel.
He said it was a lifelong ambition to complete the route, and the fundraising aspect was suggested later.
Anyone interested in helping him raise funds should email on [email protected]
Police in hunt for
“serial flasher”
by John Hendon
A ?SERIAL flasher? who plagued women in the Warrington area last year has re-appeared.
The man exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl in Brock Road, Birchwood as he jogged passed her.
Police are convinced he is the same man who committed a number of similar offences in the Padgate, Fearnhead, Birchwood and Woolston areas between July and November last year.
They are anxious to track him down and have issued an e-fit picture and appealed for help from anyone who may have seen him.
A spokesman said: ?We believe there are probably a number of other victims who have not come forward.? The man is described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, six feet tall and of skinny build. He has a pale complexion and short brown hair.
He was wearing a long sleeved white sweatshirt with black stripes on the arms and white shorts with black and yellow stripes on them. He also wore white trainers with black trimming.
Last year he committed offences in Crab Lane, Fearnhead, Station Road, Padgate, Admirals Road, Birchwood, Harpers Road, Padgate and Longbarn Lane, Woolston.
Anyone who can help police is asked to call PC Stacey Wallwork on 01244 612644.
Youths locked up
after pub attacks
by Lesley Wilkinson
YOUTHS gathering in Stockton Heath late at night had to be “forcibly” moved on after two pub landlords were attacked.
Police Community Support Officer Alex Stacy told the parish council that about 10.30pm on a recent Friday evening a group of youths were abusing and attacking the landlord of the Mulbery Tree and another pub nearby.
“As a result about 20 youths were moved on forcibly. Four males and a female were arrested,” he said.
He said the males were taken to Runcorn custody centre where they were kept in cells overnight and the female was referred to the youth offending team in Runcorn.
“There has been an increase in youth activity in the village – I am not sure why,” he said, “but we have cleared the problem of youths gathering in Alexandra Park.”
PCSO Stacy said there are now 13 PCSOs in the area and they, together with police officers, were increasing patrols in the village to prevent further disturbance with youths.
Parry applauds
devolved government
by John Hendon
PEACE campaigner Colin Parry, who lost his son, Tim, in the IRA bombing atrocity at Warrington in 1993, has applauded the return of devolved government in North Ireland.
Mr Parry,(pictured) founder of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, said: ?On behalf of myself, my wife, my two children and my lost son I applaud the news from Northern Ireland which sees the DUP Leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness engaged in the return of devolved Government in Northern Ireland.
?This is a historic day and a historic moment – one which I, my family and the charity we founded entirely support and approve of.
?Needless to say we mourn the loss of our son and we do, like so many others, wish this historic event had happened many, many years ago thereby preventing the loss of the lives of so many innocent people.?
Tim, aged 12 and Johnathan, aged three, died when the IRA set off two bombs in Bridge Street, Warrington on Saturday, March 20, 1993 ? the day before Mother?s Day.
No-one has ever been prosecuted for their deaths.
Mr
Parry, his wife Wendy and the late Wilf Ball, Johnathan?s father, founded the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace which built the innovative Peace Centre at Great Sankey.
The Foundation is dedicated to providing conflict resolution programmes and activities that benefit children, young people, adults, schools and communities everywhere.
It works with children and young people, victims of political violence and former military and paramilitary combatants, including former adversaries.
Martin McGuinness, now deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly but formerly a leading member of the IRA, visited the Warrington Peace Centre some years ago, met Colin and Wendy Parry and expressed regret for the deaths of the two boys.
Award for couple who
help set up businesses
by staff reporter
A WARRINGTON couple who have helped local people set up a home-based business have been presented with an award in Sweden.
Mary Bingham and Derek Brown received the award in Stockholm from Rex Maughan, owner and founder of Forever Living Products. They received a cheque for 3,600 euros for their work for the company, at a reception attended by 10,000 delegates.
Mary started her business almost four years ago when looking for a new challenge.
She said: “I left school with teachers telling me that I would never achieve anything worthwhile. And now I am building a great team, a fabulous business and enjoying every minute of it.”
It is a network marketing business and the company reports that Mary and Derek’s success at finding people won them the award.
MP backs bill to
help homeowners
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON South MP Helen Southworth is backing a Private Members Bill currently before the House of Commons which seeks to simplify planning laws and close a legal loophole affecting thousands of homeowners living on unadopted roads.
Under current law, councils can refuse to undertake maintenance on roads which have not been completed to a high enough standard by developers, leaving local residents liable for the cost of any repairs which a local authority decides is necessary.
Under new measures proposed in the Town and Country Planning Act (Amendments) Bill, householders living on private roads will be given more protection from unscrupulous property developers by the introduction of a statutory duty on councils to ensure that plans for new roads meet the correct standards.
Mrs Southworth said: ” Presently, an unscrupulous property developer can get away with building sub-standard roads on new developments, safe in the knowledge that they can’t be held responsible for any future maintenance costs, leaving property owners with all financial responsibilities – including for drains and other underground services.
?Whilst the vast majority of property developers work to the highest standards, it is vital that we offer homeowners in Warrington comprehensive protection against those that don’t”.
