Politics

Planning approved for new Crewe bus station and car park

Planning approved for new Crewe bus station and car park

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Building work will begin in January on Crewe’s new bus station and multi-storey car park and the scheme should be completed by August 2023 now planning permission has been granted.

That was the claim of the agent representing the developer at Wednesday’s meeting of Cheshire East’s strategic planning board.

September 16, 2021
Car parking charges to be widened to current CEC “free” towns

Car parking charges to be widened to current CEC “free” towns

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Car parking charges look set to be introduced in Middlewich, Sandbach, Alsager and other Cheshire East towns which are free at the moment.

Sunday charging is also on the cards, with Cheshire East planning to introduce a flat £1 rate for stays longer than an hour across all council-owned paying car parks in the borough on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

September 14, 2021
Cheshire East Council cemetery plans branded “inhumane”

Cheshire East Council cemetery plans branded “inhumane”

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East is to reconsider its borough-wide cemetery strategy after claims the plans are “at best thoughtless and at worst inhumane”.

The council reviewed the strategy in 2018 and a long term proposal was that families would have to bury loved ones in Crewe or Macclesfield as other local cemeteries became full.

September 12, 2021
More people will need CEC emergency assistance scheme, councillors fear

More people will need CEC emergency assistance scheme, councillors fear

By Belinda Ryan
More people will need Cheshire East’s emergency assistance scheme to support their families once the £20 universal credit uplift ends, a councillor has said.

The scheme provides rent deposits, furniture, white goods and emergency food to vulnerable people facing immediate hardship following a crisis or disaster or to prevent homelessness and to keep families together.

September 10, 2021
Nantwich town councillors reject new CEC policy on asset transfers

Nantwich town councillors reject new CEC policy on asset transfers

Nantwich Town councillors have rejected a new Cheshire East Council draft policy on how it will transfer its assets in future.

In the past, the town council has taken over CEC assets such as the Civic Hall, indoor market and public toilets.

September 10, 2021
Bin collections in Cheshire East disrupted as Covid hits drivers

Bin collections in Cheshire East disrupted as Covid hits drivers

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Bin collections have been disrupted in some areas of Cheshire East because of the impact of Covid and the availability of HGV drivers.

Cheshire East has managed to deliver local essential services throughout the pandemic and, unlike some local authorities, has maintained bin collections.

September 9, 2021
Healthcare worker at home visit

Healthcare staff in Cheshire East quitting for pub and supermarket jobs

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Learning disability nurses, clinical support workers and care staff are quitting their jobs in Cheshire East because they can earn more working in supermarkets or in pubs.

And Cheshire East is now experiencing “real workforce pressures” in the healthcare sector, bosses told members of Cheshire East Council’s scrutiny committee.

September 8, 2021
Cheshire East Council owed massive £23 million in unpaid council tax

Cheshire East Council owed massive £23 million in unpaid council tax

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cash-strapped Cheshire East Council is owed a staggering £23.25 million in council tax, new figures have shown.

The figure, obtained under FOI by Local Democracy Reporting Service, accounts for the years since the local authority was founded in 2009 to the end of the last financial year in April 2021.

September 7, 2021
Car parking income for CEC drops by £3 million in lockdown

Car parking income for CEC drops by £3 million in lockdown

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Car parking income in Cheshire East was down by more than £3 million last year compared to the previous year because of the pandemic.

Cheshire East suspended parking charges between March 27 and June 15 last year because of Covid-19.

September 5, 2021
CEC saves £920,000 on staff mileage claims due to Covid pandemic

CEC saves £920,000 on staff mileage claims due to Covid pandemic

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council saved more than £920,000 on staff mileage claims in 2020/21 because of the Covid pandemic.

Figures released by the council in a report to the corporate policy committee reveal mileage claimed by staff in the 2020 calendar year was down by 41% compared to 2019, with over 1.2 million fewer miles being claimed.

September 1, 2021
Hundreds of Cheshire East families use emergency assistance scheme

Hundreds of Cheshire East families use emergency assistance scheme

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Nearly 700 vulnerable households were helped by Cheshire East Council’s emergency assistance scheme as they struggled to keep their families fed and a roof over their heads.

Figures released by the council show 1,284 claims were made for assistance under the scheme in the financial year 2020/21.

September 1, 2021
More than 2,000 children enjoy free holiday activities in Cheshire East

More than 2,000 children enjoy free holiday activities in Cheshire East

More than 2,000 children and young people across Cheshire East have participated in hundreds of free summer holiday activities.

Activities were funded by the government’s Holiday Activity Programme, coordinated by Cheshire East Council.

August 28, 2021
Business owners hit out over A51 16-week closure near Nantwich

Business owners hit out over A51 16-week closure near Nantwich

By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Businesses affected by the 16-week closure of a stretch of the busy A51 at Wardle near Nantwich want to know why the work wasn’t done during lockdown.

A section of the main A51 route from Nantwich to Chester is to be closed between the junction of Bougheys Distribution and the Texaco Petrol Station from Tuesday August 31 for essential work to stabilise the road.

August 27, 2021