By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
Bus passengers could soon face lower fares and simpler ticketing rules thanks to a project being developed across the north.
Cllr Don Stockton, cabinet member for environment, told members at Cheshire East Council cabinet meeting that “smart ticketing” is due to be rolled out on local buses over the next two years.
Householders in Nantwich and Crewe face a further 2.99% rise on the Council Tax bills from April, it has been agreed.
Cheshire East Council says the rise is needed to help fund more frontline services.
By Stephen Topping
Crewe and Nantwich MP Laura Smith, a former teacher, has spoken up on the “urgent need” for extra education funding.
Ms Smith, who used to teach at a school in Winsford, was elected in 2017’s General Election after playing a leading role in the fairer schools funding for Cheshire East campaign.
By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
Officers in charge of buying healthcare across the borough have spoken out against the ‘scale of savings proposed’ in Cheshire East Council’s next budget.
The local authority ran its pre-budget consultation for 2019-20 last autumn, and revised proposals will be put before councillors later this month to be signed off.
By Stephen Topping
Cheshire East Council chiefs are aiming to cut social workers’ caseloads in an effort to provide better support for vulnerable youngsters.
Figures presented to Cheshire East Council’s children and families overview and scrutiny committee on Monday show that the average caseload for social workers in the local authority’s ‘children in need’ and ‘child protection’ teams has remained static over the past year.
By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
Health chiefs are spending almost twice as much on mental health services for youngsters in some parts of Cheshire than others, according to new figures.
Data presented to the Cheshire East health and wellbeing board shows for 2018-19, the NHS Eastern Cheshire clinical commissioning group (CCG) has spent £2.9 million on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
Councillors have warned that “county lines” drug dealing is beginning to have a serious effect on communities across Cheshire East.
County lines is the practice of urban drug dealers using children to sell drugs in rural areas, villages and smaller towns.
By Stephen Topping
A senior councillor has moved to reassure Cheshire East Council’s opposition leader that a costly workplace culture scheme is tackling bullying at the local authority.
Cheshire East Council paid consultancy firm Sticky Change £152,460 to help it work on a ‘brighter future together’ programme during 2018-19 – a scheme designed to improve the local authority’s workplace culture.
By Stephen Topping
Twenty-six ‘lessons learned’ – including issues surrounding whistle-blowing – have been considered by Cheshire East Council following recent employment tribunals.
The local authority has dealt with six employment tribunal claims in the past 12 months at a cost of £75,400 – and that figure is due to rise, with two of those claims still ongoing.
By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
Potholes need to be deeper in Cheshire East than in most other British boroughs before the council intervenes, a new study has found.
The RAC Foundation submitted Freedom of Information requests to each local authority in September 2018, and 190 responded with enough data for the charity’s research.
Nantwich is welcoming visitors from Dzierżoniów to sign a new Friendship agreement.
The development of twinning links between towns in the UK and European towns began in the 1950s with educational exchange visits a key element of agreements.
By Stephen Topping, local democracy reporter
More than one in 10 Cheshire East pubs, restaurants, takeaways or grocery stores requiring inspection at least every two years is not being checked on time.
Cheshire East Council says staff vacancies are to blame for missing the target on food hygiene ratings in the first half of 2018-19.
Angry Nantwich residents have rubbished Cheshire East Council for delays to the delivery of new wheelie bins they’ve had to fork out for.
The new £30 wheelie bin charge was brought in late last year, which families moving in to new developments like Stapeley Gardens and Kingsbourne are paying.
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