By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
A councillor has called for a review of the funding formula which sees Cheshire East allocated just a third of the amount some other councils receive for children with special needs.
Cllr Laura Crane, chair of Cheshire East’s children and families committee, is urging all councillors to lobby their MPs to ensure the funding formula is revisited as soon as possible.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cash-strapped Cheshire East Council is forecasting a £3.1 million overspend this year – in addition to the planned use of £25.3 million exceptional financial support.
The figures are revealed in the first financial review of 2025/26 (FR1) and are based on the council’s income, expenditure and known commitments as at the end of June 2025.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council says its predicted overspend for this financial year has reduced by £6.5 million.
But it warned that “further urgent action is needed” to bring spending back in line with budget.
Ambitious plans to develop Leighton Hospital can continue as it will be exempt from Labour’s review of the New Hospital Programme.
The government has announced that Mid Cheshire Hospital NHS Trust’s scheme will be allowed to progress.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council proposals for bus services show it wants to improve public transport not just for existing users but make it a valid alternative to car use, a councillor said.
Cllr Laura Crane (Lab) was speaking as councillors discussed the recent bus service review and consultation.
It’s hard to find a market these days that isn’t saturated by a battalion of products and services, including a number of questionable, unreliable and simply overpriced offerings which can be hard to separate from the more trustworthy choices.
This problem has been even more exacerbated by the recent prevalence of false reviews and larger retailers doing little to combat them.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council is planning a register of multi-language speakers after a vulnerable non-English speaking man who hadn’t eaten for two weeks was found dead at his home.
The 64-year-old Slovakian man, referred to as Anton, had died of pneumonia.
Cheshire East Council is facing further financial pressures and look set for a potential shortfall of £18.7 million in 2023/24.
This is a massive increase on the forecast deficit of £12.8m published in the first financial review earlier in 2023.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council has not priced up the costs of introducing charges on its free car parks – including having to buy and install meters.
The council is currently consulting with the public on proposals to introduce charges on most of its free car parks and to hike up the fees on most of those which already have pay and display, including Nantwich.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East is still looking into how much privately-owned green land it has been maintaining at the council tax payers’ expense – but says a report is due next month.
The council’s environment and communities committee was told in October last year the authority had been maintaining 547 parcels of land not registered as being owned by the council.
Nantwich-based homecare provider Right at Home South Cheshire has been named in Top 20 in the North West by national independent review website, homecare.co.uk
The award was based on the homecare provider’s reviews from the people they care for, their friends and relatives.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council is facing a potential future shake-up of wards and councillors because the Local Government Boundary Commission plans to review its electoral arrangements.
The review will look at how many councillors the authority should have, how many council wards there should be, where boundaries should be, what the wards should be called, and how many councillors should represent each ward.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Lessons must be learned following the tragic death of a mother-of-four who was killed by her partner, Cheshire East councillors have said.
The 53-year-old woman, referred to as Pam, died in August 2019.
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