Cheshire East breaks new ground with innovative dementia service

 

Cheshire East Council has launched a new service to help people living with dementia as soon as they are diagnosed.

The Dementia Reablement Service (DRS) offers a planned, bespoke service with a strong emphasis on enabling people with early dementia to remain independent and live safely and securely in their homes.

The DRS will meet the individual and their families or carers to develop a personalised plan based on their needs and aspirations.

People with dementia and their carers are offered:

•     Information, guidance and specialist interventions and techniques to maintain good brain function;

•     Advice on IT and assistive technology to aid self-reliance and slow down the progression of the condition;

•     Access to new and innovative technologies that can be used, including apps designed to assist people with dementia; and

•     Support for carers to access peer support networks, reducing the risk of social isolation and family crisis.

People who can benefit from the service will be referred by the local memory clinics.  There will no charge for this service.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “Cheshire East Council is leading the way in providing support as early as possible to people diagnosed with dementia and engaging with those close to them.

“The number of people aged 65 or over living with dementia in Cheshire East is expected to rise by more than 40 per cent by 2030.

“The Dementia Reablement Service is taking an innovative approach to ensure that people with dementia and their carers get help and support to enable them to learn to live with their condition.”

“This is another example of the Council engaging with people, listening to their needs and drawing on their expertise.

“We have taken a fresh look at the way services are commissioned and developed a new way of doing things that puts the needs of residents first.”

Brenda Smith, Cheshire East Council’s Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living, said: “Every person who has a diagnosis of dementia is different. Every one of them is an individual and that is why we are developing a bespoke service.

“This service has been designed to deliver a range of tailored support for people to learn how to adapt to their condition and will give them the confidence to lead as active a life as possible and give carers reassurance in supporting their loved ones to remain as independent as possible.” 

The DRS is delivered in partnership with local clinical commissioning groups and will link to existing dementia support organisations and campaigns.

For more information visit: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/dementiareablement

The service is a 12-month pilot project funded by the Council and will be officially launched at Sandbach Town Hall on May 18, the start of Dementia Awareness Week.

The DRS will be underpinned by the work of the Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia coordinator to assist businesses, organisations and other professional agencies to make sure that Cheshire East is dementia friendly.

The Faculty of Education, Health and Community at Liverpool John Moores University, which is part of the Europe-wide Innovate Dementia project, has been appointed by the Council to evaluate the benefits and outcomes from the new service.

Cheshire East set for massive jobs and homes boost

 

Cheshire East is set for a massive increase in jobs and homes over the next 15 years, according to a series of reports released today.

New evidence gathered during the suspension of the examination of the Cheshire East Local Plan shows that the Borough’s economy is likely to grow much more quickly than previously expected.

But the increase in new homes – needed to provide for rising numbers of aspirational working families – will be achieved without any major impact on the green belt.

A leading firm of economic development consultants has projected an average growth rate of 0.7 per cent per year between now and 2030.  This compares with a growth rate of 0.4 per cent envisaged in 2009, when work began on the Local Plan.

As a result, Cheshire East Council has to make plans to accommodate an estimated 31,410 net new jobs, which are likely to be created in Cheshire East by 2030. The initial version of the Local Plan envisaged net jobs growth of 13,900.

This strong jobs growth would create a need for 36,000 new homes by 2030 – 7,000 more than were identified in the submitted version of the Local Plan.

The Council is making rapid progress towards this increased housing provision. The latest estimate suggests that when recent planning permissions are combined with the new housing proposed in the submitted Local Plan, the locations of approximately 33,000 homes have already been identified.

Additional new homes are needed to prevent a housing shortage that would leave us unable to provide for the needs of young families.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “When we began work on the Local Plan in 2009, we were in the midst of a deep recession, during which the UK’s GDP fell by 7.2 per cent.

“In 2012, the sun started shining again and Cheshire East is now in the midst of a jobs boom.

“Cheshire East now has more businesses per head than any other North West district. Seventeen of the region’s top 200 companies are headquartered in the Borough and 14 of our small and medium-sized businesses were named in 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain, a special report published by the London Stock Exchange.

“Because a good proportion of our existing workforce will reach retirement age in the next few years, this means that we need to attract more people into the Borough to maintain our strong economy.

“Cheshire East is a victim of its own success. Unless we want to see our roads clogged by a huge increase in commuter journeys into the area, we need to provide more housing locally to accommodate the likely increase in the number of people working in the Borough.

“We do not envisage major change to the green belt. We are committed to protecting our beautiful countryside and we will accommodate as much as possible of the additional new homes on brownfield sites.

“For example, work is already under way to create two new neighbourhoods close to Macclesfield town centre, which will provide up to 300 new homes on previously developed land. We are assessing all of our green belt land to ensure that we can protect the most important locations where development is least appropriate.

“Most towns and villages have played their part in providing allocated sites for a proportion of the overall housing number and will continue to do so.

“The Council will continue to support its residents, who tell us repeatedly that they do not want inappropriate and unsustainable development.

“We will maintain our rigorous approach in resisting proposals which clearly have an adverse impact on the sustainable development of the Borough.

“Our priority now is to put a strong plan in place that ensures we have the homes we need to match our growing economic success. We maintain that a plan-led approach to development provides the best approach for meeting the needs of future generations, whilst still maintaining the special character of this Borough.”

The extent of the work undertaken to gather the new evidence – covering economic strategy, housing need, green belt and spatial distribution – demonstrates that the Council is doing everything possible to support the Local Plan process and secure an early resumption of the examination.

The evidence released by the Council today will inform further work – and this will be submitted to the Inspector by the end of July in line with the agreed timetable. It is anticipated that initial examination hearings will then resume in the early autumn.

Go Behind The Scenes at free Emergency Services Open Day

 

Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service will be hosting an action-packed day at Cheshire Police Headquarters.

The fun filled event, which is free for all the community takes place between 11am and 4pm on Sunday 17 May.

There will be interactive displays and exhibitions that will give you the chance to see the complex nature of the work we do and how the two emergency services work together to protect the community.

Staff from both emergency services will also be on hand to answer questions and give advice on staying safe and preventing crime.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said:

This will be my first open day here in Cheshire and it will give me the opportunity to show you what we do, from local community policing through to tackling organised crime and dealing with riots. You will be able to see how officers and staff from the police and fire service work together to protect the community and reinforce the message that we’re here for our communities.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Hancock added,

This is the seventh Joint emergency Service Open Day and it’s been very well attended in the past. This year we hope it will once again give the public an insight into the work we do, but more importantly help to educate people around the dangers of fire and about driving safely on our roads.

Vintage and modern fire and police vehicles will be showcased and there will be displays in the main arena throughout the day. Fire and police search and rescue dogs will also be in attendance.

For children there will be free activities including face painting, a climbing wall, craft area and circus workshop as well as a treasure hunt to keep them occupied. Refreshments, including hot and cold food, will also be available to buy. The address for the Joint emergency Open Day is:

Cheshire Police HQ,
Clemonds Hey,
Oakmere Road,
Winsford,
CW7 2UA

Parking is available around the site from 11am to 4pm.

Thank You Letter

I would like to thank all those who voted for me and helped with my campaign in the Council elections on the 7th May.I am delighted that I have been elected as the first ever UKIP Councillor on the Rope Parish Council.

I am sad that I did not win the Willaston and Rope,Cheshire East seat.

I have achieved a lot for the residents of Willaston and Rope in the last 16 years and successfully fought many battles for them as their Borough Councillor.I am sorry that I will not be able to carry on with that work.

I always realised that it would be very difficult to win a safe Conservative seat, that has always been won easily by the Tories and where a UKIP Candidate had never even stood before.

As it happened I managed to get a much higher share of the vote that what UKIP were polling nationally and I think that was due to a personal vote for me.I am pleased that I managed to reduce the share of the vote of the Conservatives (down 13%) and Labour (down 17%). Despite the voter turnout (77%) being one of the highest in the country the Labour vote actually went down.

I was not helped by the fact that someone put out an anonymous illegal ,nasty personal attack leaflet against me in my Ward.I have reported the matter to the Police.

I look forward to continuing my service to local people as a Rope Parish Councillor.

Yours faithfully,

Cllr. Brian Silvester

11 Rimsdale Close, Rope.

Putting residents first – another 20 roads to get revamp under latest improvements by Cheshire East

 

More than 20 roads are to be given a major revamp by Cheshire East Council in the next month as part of its commitment to ‘putting residents first’.

Resurfacing work will be carried out to improve the roads and make them more weather proof, improve skid resistance and boost safety.

The work extends the life of the network and minimises disruption associated with repeat maintenance visits.

Works are planned for roads across Cheshire East from mid-May, ending in mid-June.

Flexibility is built into the programme as warm and dry weather is needed to ensure the material beds into the road effectively. If poor weather conditions, such as heavy rain, interfere or are forecast, work will be rescheduled for later in May or June.

Paul Traynor, Cheshire East’s strategic commissioning manager for highways, said: “This is really good news for all road users and our local communities and is the latest phase of delivering significant highways improvements for all our residents across the Borough.

“I would like to thank people in advance for their patience for any temporary inconvenience caused while these important improvement works are undertaken.”

Surface dressing teams will work throughout the Borough, with Knutsford, Macclesfield and the surrounding areas benefitting from the improvements early in the programme, followed by areas around Congleton, Alsager, Crewe and Nantwich.  

Residents and local businesses that are affected by these works will be notified and on-street signage used to advise the dates of work. A works supervisor, responsible for each scheme, will be available on site to provide help and advice throughout the duration of the scheme.

Surface dressing is usually completed at each site within a day. It is normal for loose chippings to be found on the road following the application of the treatment.

Due to this, an advisory speed limit of 20mph will be in place until the surface has settled. To assist with the bedding-in of these chippings, the road will be swept regularly and then road markings replaced.

As well as preventative measures, such as surface dressing, the Council’s highways team will continue to carry out reactive work to repair potholes and other safety defects.

These works mark the start of a series of improvements to benefit Cheshire East’s roads over the summer.

The full surface dressing programme will be displayed on the Cheshire East Highways website before the end of May.

If you have any concerns regarding these works, please contact the highways team’s customer contact centre on 0300 123 5020.

Thank YOU Letter

May we, through your website, thank the Wistaston Ward residents who put their faith in us, voted for us and got us re-elected to continue to represent  them on Cheshire East Council.  Their support is very much appreciated.

May we also thank everyone who has been in touch with us with  messages of congratulations and good wishes.  We will endeavour to carry on serving our Wistaston Ward residents to the very best of our abilities.

Margaret Simon and Jaquie Weatherill

Cheshire East Councillors for Wistaston Ward

Marbury Merry Days’ 2015.

Reporter  Jonathan White, Wistaston

The 36th annual ‘Marbury Merry Days’ - http://www.marburymerrydays.co.uk - two-day traditional country fair took place on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May 2015.

The fair is organised by St. Michael & All Angels Parochial Church Council and takes places every May in the field adjacent to St. Michael & All Angels Parish Church and Marbury Big Mere, located 3 miles from Wrenbury (near Nantwich) in Cheshire.

The main attraction was Terry Large, a falconer, who demonstrated his skills and those of his falcons in the main ring. Spectators were able to see how Terry works with the birds and saw them swooping and diving through the air. There was also the opportunity to see his birds including falcons, peregrine, buzzard, hawk and owls at close quarters in a display area.

Other attractions and events included a craft & gift fair, trade stands, vintage motor cycles, classic cars, vintage tractors, stalls and tombola, grand draw, cake stall, refreshments, ice cream, children’s activity area, Pinxton Puppets show, model aircraft flying display, canoeing on the Mere, dog & terrier racing, classic car & motorcycle parade, GLOs Dance & Cheer Troupe (Saturday), and Fun Dog Show (Sunday). Attractions inside St. Michael's & All Angels Parish Church included a spinning demonstration, organ music and floral decorations.

The weather stayed dry and hundreds of people attended the event over the weekend.

All proceeds go towards the upkeep of the St. Michael & All Angels Parish Church in Marbury.

Next years ‘Marbury Merry Days’ will take place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May 2016.

Anti-crime community initiative scoops top award

 

A community scheme to tackle town centre crime in Crewe and Nantwich has scooped a top award.

‘Stamp crime out of town’ (Scoot), a business crime partnership successfully operating across Crewe and Nantwich for the past 13 years, has been given a Safer Business Award ‘with distinction’ for the second year running. 

The award followed assessment by the Association of Business Crime Partnerships (ABCP).

The partnership, which consists of Cheshire East Council’s partnerships and communities team, Cheshire police and local traders, uses a radio network to alert members about crime, suspicious people and anti-social behaviour.

Steph Cordon, Cheshire East Council’s head of communities said: “It is fantastic news that Scoot has again received this award. 

“This shows how crime can be tackled effectively when businesses team up with statutory agencies to tackle the very local issues that affect not only the business community but also the users and indeed the passers-by of those businesses too. Well done to all those involved.” 

The close working relationship of members of the radio link, Cheshire East CCTV and Cheshire police officers who carry Scoot radios in the town centres, benefits all who work in and use the town centres. 

Last year, a stabbing incident in Crewe town centre resulted in the swift arrest of the suspected attacker and the scheme has also contributed to an eight per cent reduction in retail crime over the past 12 months.  

Sgt Dave Levins, of Cheshire police, said: “Shoplifting has a significant impact on policing resources – particularly in relation to both officers’ time and the costs involved in processing offenders through the criminal justice system.

“Retail crime is not victimless and has a profound effect on the economy of Crewe. Scoot is one of the ways in which the police are involved in a multi-agency approach in tackling retail crime with a view to deterring and disrupting would-be thieves.  

“Scoot enables representatives from Cheshire police, Cheshire East and CCTV to work together with retailers in the town to enable information to be shared, offenders to be identified quickly and thus reduce instances of theft and other associated crime, such as purse-dipping.

“We have dedicated town centre officers and PCSOs who provide a highly-visible policing presence in Crewe and I welcome retailers to speak to our officers, while they are out on patrol, to discuss security issues that are relevant to them.”

Scoot was recognised to be operating on a par with partnerships in other areas, such as Chester, Trafford Centre and Manchester, and praised for its liaison with the local Polish-speaking community to alert them to crime issues. 

Andrew Carter, of Carters Jewellers, in Queensway, Crewe, said: “An effective working partnership is of paramount importance to the town centres. We are all very proud of the achievements and will continue to grow.”

Scoot chairman Ralph Lewis said: “This award is down to the hard work and dedicated commitment of all members of the partnership.  We will continue the work and have plans to develop the partnership further across Cheshire East in the near future.”

Cheshire East children’s services shortlisted for top national award

 

Cheshire East Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for its work protecting children and giving children and young people a new start in life.

Two of the Council’s key services involving child protection and adoption are nominated in the ‘children’s services’ category for the prestigious Municipal Journal Awards to be held in London in July.

The Council’s safeguarding teams have been shortlisted for their work across several major areas around child protection and for the way they have engaged with and involved young people in developing ideas and campaigns to raise the profile of the issue of child protection and safeguarding.

One example, Operation Encompass, is a pilot project to address the problem of children exposed to domestic abuse.  It is an early-warning and educational strategy involving schools and police.

After securing a record number of adoptions in 2014, the Council has been nominated along with its strategic partners – Stockport, Tameside and Trafford, who make up the Four4Adoption.co.uk collaboration.

If successful, it will be their second award since the partnership was established in 2013.

The four authorities have worked together to raise the number of adopters and successful placements in Cheshire East and the three Greater Manchester boroughs.

A concerted campaign using press and social media brought about a 65 per cent increase in approved adopters and a 74 per cent rise in the number of children who found adoptive parents.

Cheshire East Council’s head of early help and protection Nigel Moorhouse said: “It is rewarding to see all the hard work our teams are putting in around child protection and , adoption recognised in this way.

“To have not just one nomination but two for what is a very prestigious award in local government, is a tremendous achievement for a local authority and reflects on the determination and dedication of our staff in the work that they do.”

“To then have both nominations included in the final shortlist is very special.”

Cheshire East chief executive Mike Suarez said: “I congratulate our teams on being nominated for these awards.

“Adoption and child protection are two extremely important areas of work for local authorities and Cheshire East has worked extremely hard with partners and agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people and families and to engage with young people in raising awareness.

“There are 101 nominations across 16 categories and to have two nominations from Cheshire East shortlisted in one category is a great achievement.”

Campaign to have school warning signs erected is successful

 

I am pleased that my campaign to have two school signs installed, on lighting columns, either side of Derwent Close along Murrayfield Drive in Willaston, has been successful. Derwent Close is the main access to the Willaston Primary School. The school is at the end of the Close so it is not visible from Murrayfield Drive. Consequently motorists who are not local do not know the school is there. Some motorists speed and this is a danger to the school pupils and their parents as they are walked to and from school. I hope the school signs will encourage motorists to slow down. I am grateful to the Borough Council for agreeing to erect the signs.

I am calling on the Police to take action  on HGVs who are using Willaston as a rat run. Twelve years ago I successfully campaigned to get a HGV ban in Willaston. Under a Freedom of Information request I asked how many HGV drivers had been fined for breaking the ban since the ban was introduced. The answer came back ‘NONE.’ 

Residents tell me that HGVs are using the village as a through route on a regular basis and that is a breach of the ban. I am asking residents to take the registrations of those breaking the ban and to report the evidence to the Police. I am also calling on the Police to take this problem seriously and to do their own checks in the village, at the same time as they are doing speed checks to stop speeding vehicles through the village. Many of the roads through the village are narrow and in places do not have footpaths. Lorries should not be using Willaston as a through route, there is no need to do so and it should be stopped.

Cllr Brian Silvester BA (Hons)

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

11 Rimsdale Close

Rope

CW2 6RS

Tel/fax 01270 567757

Text     07760147609

CREWE NPU BEAT MEETINGS- MAY 2015.

 

Our local officers and PCSO’s hold regular beat meetings as a way of local residents to raise issues with their local officers.
The following beat meetings are for May:
PCSO Hewer will be at:
Lincoln house Samuel Street, On Thursday 21^st May at 14:30 hrs.
PCSO Fearnley will be at:
The premier shop, Edleston road on Saturday 30^th May between 11-1pm.
South Cheshire College, Dane Bank Avenue on Saturday 9th May between 10-4pm
PCSO Gjerstad will be at:
Sainsbury’s on Edleston road, on Tuesday 19^th May between 5-6.
PCSO’s Burndred and Jordan will be at:
Tesco’s on Vernon way on Saturday 9^th May between 3-4pm
Tesco’s on Vernon way on Saturday 30^th May between 3-4 pm
PCSO Price will be at:
The Cheshire Academy of Integrated Sports and Arts, Broad Street Crewe, CW1 3UD, on Friday 22^nd May between 1130-1300hrs
Mablins Lane Primary School, Mablins Lane, Crewe, on Thursday 21^st of May between 0915am-1030hrs
Leighton Academy, Minshull New Road, on Wednesday 20th May 2015 between 1230-2pm
PCSO Molton will be at :
Shavington  Parish Council meeting at Shavington Village Hall on Wednesday 6th May at 7pm
PC Moore will be at:
Haslington Parish meeting at Ypxhall Village Hall, Crewe road on the 19^th May at 7.30 pm
Weston Parish Council Meeting, Weston Village Hall Cemetery Road, on Thursday 21st May – 7.30p
Crewe Green :- at Crewe Hall Hotel -Monday 25th May 2015 at 7pm
Barthomley Parish Meeting-  Barthomley Village Hall-Tuesday 12th May 2015 from 7.30pm.
PCSO Smith will be at:
West Lodge, Queen’s Park, CW2 7SE on:
Wednesday 6^th May between 4-5pm
Sunday 10^th May between 4-5pm
Wednesday 27^th may between 4-5pm
PCSO Dean will be at:
Thouroughgoods, Manor Way, Crewe, on the Saturday 16^th May between 3-4pm
Belong Village, Brookhouse Drive, Crewe on the 30^th May between 1-3 pm.

Cheshire East children’s services shortlisted for top national award

 

Cheshire East Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for its work protecting children and giving children and young people a new start in life.

Two of the Council’s key services involving child protection and adoption are nominated in the ‘children’s services’ category for the prestigious Municipal Journal Awards to be held in London in July.

The Council’s safeguarding teams have been shortlisted for their work across several major areas around child protection and for the way they have engaged with and involved young people in developing ideas and campaigns to raise the profile of the issue of child protection and safeguarding.

One example, Operation Encompass, is a pilot project to address the problem of children exposed to domestic abuse.  It is an early-warning and educational strategy involving schools and police.

After securing a record number of adoptions in 2014, the Council has been nominated along with its strategic partners – Stockport, Tameside and Trafford, who make up the Four4Adoption.co.uk collaboration.

If successful, it will be their second award since the partnership was established in 2013.

The four authorities have worked together to raise the number of adopters and successful placements in Cheshire East and the three Greater Manchester boroughs.

A concerted campaign using press and social media brought about a 65 per cent increase in approved adopters and a 74 per cent rise in the number of children who

Cheshire East Council’s head of early help and protection Nigel Moorhouse said: “It is rewarding to see all the hard work our teams are putting in around child protection and , adoption recognised in this way.

“To have not just one nomination but two for what is a very prestigious award in local government, is a tremendous achievement for a local authority and reflects on the determination and dedication of our staff in the work that they do.”

“To then have both nominations included in the final shortlist is very special.”

Cheshire East chief executive Mike Suarez said: “I congratulate our teams on being nominated for these awards.

“Adoption and child protection are two extremely important areas of work for local authorities and Cheshire East has worked extremely hard with partners and agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people and families and to engage with young people in raising awareness.

“There are 101 nominations across 16 categories and to have two nominations from Cheshire East shortlisted in one category is a great achievement.”

Cheshire East acts to ensure new developments are ‘future-proof’ with superfast broadband

 

Cheshire East Council is set to act to ensure new developments are ‘future-proofed’ with high-speed broadband access.

A report to Cabinet will recommend that all new residential and business premises should be required to be ‘broadband ready’ and built with capability for ‘state of the art’ high-speed internet connectivity – rather than wait to have the work done later.

The aim is to ensure new properties can access a wide range of services and benefits from day one – including assistive living technology for the elderly, disabled or vulnerable, to support people to live independently.

Currently, new EU rules on superfast broadband access will not apply to new premises until January 2017.

However, the Council aims to make it a requirement for planning consent during 2015.

The move will anticipate the future needs of residents and businesses and prevent the need to retrofit properties at greater cost, impact on the environment and lost efficiency.

Caroline Simpson, the Council’s director of economic growth and prosperity, said: “The Council has acted to ensure all new developments should deliver future-proofed infrastructure and communications systems.

“We will encourage developers to work with broadband providers to ensure that future occupants have access to the best possible connectivity – and by insisting this is installed at the building stage, when it is more logical and cost-effective, rather than having to retro-fit a property at some later date.

“This is another good example of the Council putting residents first and planning sensibly and innovatively for the future.”

As part of the Council’s strategy to increase the sustainability of new developments and raise their quality and local distinctiveness, the authority is currently working on producing a Cheshire East Design Guide. This guidance for developers will now include clear reference to a requirement to provide superfast broadband facilities. 

High-speed broadband to a home or business will future-proof properties for the growing demand for the internet, which is seeing data consumption doubling every year.

The next phase of innovation is widely predicted to be the ‘internet of things’, in which internet connectivity will be commonplace in a whole range of devices in the home and office – from washing machines and lighting to smart energy meters.

The Council is leading the way with its partners to boost superfast broadband provision across the whole of Cheshire.

The Connecting Cheshire project was launched in April 2013, and is a partnership of four councils –Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington – and BT. It is funded by £13.6m from the European Regional Development Fund, £9m from BT, £4m from BDUK with £1.85m provided jointly from the councils.

The first phase £28.5m project is providing fibre broadband to more than 80,000 homes and businesses. This builds on BT’s commercial investment so that 96 percent of Cheshire – around 400,000 premises – will have access to speeds of up to 80mbps by the end of 2015.

In January it was announced that another 10,000 Cheshire homes and businesses will have access to fibre broadband by summer 2017 as a result of a £6.5m project signed between four Cheshire councils and BT for a second phase ‘superfast extension programme’.

The project will reach those areas outside of any commercial broadband roll-out using a partnership approach to ensure all communities have access to the fastest possible broadband speeds. For more information visit www.connectingcheshire.org.uk

Boost for Cheshire East as Jodrell Bank chosen as HQ for world’s largest telescope

 

Jodrell Bank has been chosen as the headquarters of the world’s largest radio telescope, creating a huge economic boost for Cheshire East.

The famous observatory will remain at the forefront of global scientific research for another 50 years after members of the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project expressed their preference for the site, near Goostrey.

The SKA telescope, said to be capable of looking all the way back to the aftermath of the Big Bang, will spread across two continents and comprise 2,500 dishes and one million antennae.

It is estimated to be worth £1billion in private sector investment and will help to secure an additional 200 jobs on the site.

The news comes days after Cheshire East Council agreed to invest £1m in Jodrell Bank as part of a support package that will focus on connectivity and asset enhancement.

Caroline Simpson, the Council’s executive director for economic growth and prosperity, said: “This is a real statement of confidence in scientific research in Britain and also in Cheshire East.

“The Council believes this will lead to further opportunities in the Cheshire and Manchester region and the Council has set out a clear action plan to develop the technology and science corridor in the area. Jodrell Bank plays a key part in this plan.

“We will continue to work closely with partners across the Manchester city region to develop the site’s record in hosting world-class science and visitor activities.”

Professor Stephen Watts, Head of the School of Physics & Astronomy at The University of Manchester, added: “This is great news for Jodrell Bank. Not only will it mean cutting-edge science will continue to be carried out at the site for the foreseeable future but it will also help inspire the thousands of children who visit here every year from schools across the country.

“It is a great honour to be chosen as the headquarters of the largest telescope ever built.”

Members of the SKA partnership were invited to bid to host the headquarters in 2014. Two bids were received, from Italy and the United Kingdom, both of which were judged to be excellent and suitable for the project’s needs. After consideration, the members expressed their preference for the Jodrell Bank site.

The plan, backed by Cheshire East Council, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the University of Manchester and Oxford and Cambridge Universities, envisages designing and constructing a unique campus for one of the most inspirational science projects of the 21st Century.

The headquarters will be constructed to meet the needs of the SKA project and there is space to grow if the project requires it in the future.

 

Established in 1945 by Sir Bernard Lovell, the Jodrell Bank Observatory is a long-established world leader of academic research, hosting high profile research in the field of astrophysics.

The 76 metre-tall Lovell Telescope is the third largest in the world, and is joined by three other smaller telescopes at the Observatory. The telescopes have made Jodrell Bank and the University of Manchester key players in the research of meteors, quasars, and gravitational lenses. During the space race, the Observatory played a leading role in tracking space probes, and is credited with being the first in the world to locate Sputnik’s booster rocket, following the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite in 1957.           

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, led by the SKA Organisation from Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK. The SKA will conduct transformational science to improve our understanding of the Universe and the laws of fundamental physics, monitoring the sky in unprecedented detail and mapping it hundreds of times faster than any current facility.

The SKA is not a single telescope, but a collection of telescopes or instruments, called an array, to be spread over long distances. The SKA is to be constructed in two phases: Phase 1 (called SKA1) in South Africa and Australia; Phase 2 (called SKA2) expanding into other African countries, with the Australian component also being expanded.

Already supported by 11 member countries – Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom – the organisation has brought together some of world’s finest scientists, engineers and policy makers and more than 100 companies and research institutions in 20 countries in the design and development of the telescope. Construction of the SKA is set to start in 2018, with early science observations in 2020.

The BBC Stargazing Live series has been broadcast live from Jodrell Bank annually since 2011. It typically attracts around 2-3 million viewers per episode although the 2015 eclipse special attracted a peak of 4.7 million viewers, the highest morning TV audience since the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service will be hosting an action-packed day at Cheshire Police Headquarters.

The fun filled event, which is free for all the community takes place between 11am and 4pm on Sunday 17 May.

There will be interactive displays and exhibitions that will give you the chance to see the complex nature of the work we do and how the two emergency services work together to protect the community.

Staff from both emergency services will also be on hand to answer questions and give advice on staying safe and preventing crime.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said:

This will be my first open day here in Cheshire and it will give me the opportunity to show you what we do, from local community policing through to tackling organised crime and dealing with riots. You will be able to see how officers and staff from the police and fire service work together to protect the community and reinforce the message that we’re here for our communities.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Hancock added,

This is the seventh Joint emergency Service Open Day and it’s been very well attended in the past. This year we hope it will once again give the public an insight into the work we do, but more importantly help to educate people around the dangers of fire and about driving safely on our roads.

Vintage and modern fire and police vehicles will be showcased and there will be displays in the main arena throughout the day. Fire and police search and rescue dogs will also be in attendance.

For children there will be free activities including face painting, a climbing wall, craft area and circus workshop as well as a treasure hunt to keep them occupied. Refreshments, including hot and cold food, will also be available to buy. The address for the Joint emergency Open Day is:

Cheshire Police HQ,
Clemonds Hey,
Oakmere Road,
Winsford,
CW7 2UA

Parking is available around the site from 11am to 4pm.

Crewe station’s new entrance up for four awards

 

The project which gave birth to Crewe’s new railway station entrance has been shortlisted for a clutch of major awards.

The Crewe Rail Exchange scheme was completed in 2014, thanks to a partnership between Cheshire East Council, Network Rail, Virgin Trains, Balfour Beatty and Jacobs.

It has been shortlisted for the ‘effective partnerships award’ by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) – a national prize.

It is also in the running for the ‘integration and collaborative working award’ and Cheshire, Wirral and Warrington ‘project of the year’ in the North West Regional Construction Awards.

Cheshire East Council has also been shortlisted for ‘client of the year’ in the same awards after being nominated by Balfour Beatty.

The new entrance, which includes 254 parking spaces, sits on Weston Road and offers improved access to the station (including disabled access), a new lift and enhanced taxi and cycle facilities.

Caroline Simpson, executive director of growth and prosperity at Cheshire East, said: “I am delighted that we have been recognised for the Crewe Rail Exchange project, both nationally and regionally.

“The new entrance is great for Crewe and has helped to improve access into and around the railway station.

“It opens up a new public subway to the platforms, meaning there is now an additional way of getting into the station.”

Andrew Ross, Cheshire East Council’s strategic highways and transport manager, added: “This is all down to some fantastic work from the team involved and they deserve to be recognised and win awards.”

The entrance sits on the site of the former Royal Mail office and cost £6.5m, funded by the Department for Transport, Cheshire East Council and Defra’s ‘Access for All’ programme.

The North West Regional Construction Awards take place in Manchester on Thursday, June 4. To find out more and to see the shortlists for the awards, visit www.constructionawardsnw.co.uk/shortlist.html

The CIHT Awards 2015 follow on Tuesday, June 9, in London. More information is available at www.ciht.org.uk/en/events/ciht-awards

Cheshire East residents urged to support VE Day events

 

 

Tea dances, street parties and other themed events are set to take place across Cheshire East when the country celebrates the 70th anniversary of VE Day.

And residents with memories of the historic day are being urged to share their stories.

The Victory in Europe anniversary falls on Friday, May 8, and will be commemorated and celebrated in Cheshire East in a number of ways.

Commemorative events, including wreath-laying, will take place at three locations around the Borough, in Crewe, Knutsford and Macclesfield.

Similar ceremonies will be held around the country, including a special service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in London, which will be followed by a huge concert the following day.

In Cheshire East, communities are being encouraged to play their part to mark the occasion, in whatever way they wish.

A jubilee-style street party is planned for Crewe where the Market Hall will be decorated with bunting.

Community choirs, bands and local radio will be playing some wartime favourites and residents who remember the historic occasion will be encouraged to share their memories.

Residents in care homes and sheltered living accommodation will be able to turn back the clock with special events planned and residents in the town can enjoy tea dances at St Barnabas Church Hall.

Bunting-making workshops are already in full swing.

Primary school children from St Mary’s ‘Peace Choir’ together with Crewe Community Gospel Choir, will entertain party-goers in the town centre.

The celebrations will kick off at noon and finish at 4pm. 

Cheshire East Council head of communities Steph Cordon said: “It’s open house.  Anyone can come along and it’s free.

“We hope people will join in the spirit of the occasion and dress up in wartime dress.

“But it is important to remember that this was a special occasion tinged with enormous sadness for thousands of families who lost loved ones at home and abroad.”

And in Macclesfield, volunteers have organised a family fun afternoon from 1pm at Banbury Park, Hurdsfield, while on Sunday, May 10, Cheshire Streetwise, a community interest company, are holding a VE Day-themed afternoon tea party between 1.30pm and 3.30pm at the Elim Centre.

Mike Suarez, Chief Executive of Cheshire East Council said: “It is important that this anniversary is marked in the appropriate way and we hope that as many people as possible will join in events taking place in their community.

“Our older generation who experienced the war, will have bittersweet memories, with so many people losing loved ones.

“But we hope they will be able to join in and share their recollections and help to make this a memorable occasion.”

“In 1945 VE Day injected an immediate feeling of euphoria across the country, owing to the huge sense of relief that the war was now over. People partied and celebrated and we have planned events to celebrate as well as commemorate.”

The brief civic ceremonies will be staggered with the first event being held outside Macclesfield Town Hall, followed by a second ceremony at Tatton Park and a third in Memorial Square, Crewe.

The first will take place at 10.45am, the second at noon and the event in Crewe at 1.15pm and will involve civic leaders and the Royal British Legion.

Addresses will be given which will include acknowledgement of the huge loss of life in the Second World War and its impact on the nation as a whole.

A member of the Cheshire Youth Theatre read the moving speech made by Winston Churchill at the VE Day celebrations in London.

While Churchill praised the courage and resolve of the British people, he also reminded the country that Britain was still at war with Japan and that fighting continued in the Far East in a conflict which continued until August.

The surrender of Admiral Donitz, following Hitler’s suicide, ended years of misery and fear for the UK, where half a million homes had been destroyed by bombing raids.

Ninety-two thousand civilians were killed, while the battlefields, air and sea hostilities claimed the lives of 357,116 service men and women.

Spontaneous dancing and singing in the streets across the country demonstrated the enormous relief felt by the people, relief tinged with sorrow at the loss of so many young lives.