With the increased popularity of horse riding in and around Haslington and Winterly there have been some problems with horse droppings on pavements and walkways and the Parish Council request that riders take care and appropriate action to ensure that all pavements remain clean for the use of pedestrians.

We thank you for your cooperation.

Cheshire East

We have seen the transition of power from Cheshire County to Cheshire East Council during this year; although at times this seems to be followed by teething problems. One such matter being the sale of the land at the rear of Shelburne Drive which resulted in the Parish having to buy this at auction. We have nearly completed the transition of this land into Parish control along with the other sections adjoining and further towards Primrose Ave. Thanks must be given to Councillors John Hammond and Richard Hovey in their tireless work on this project. The other areas of land not registered in Haslington will be reviewed. Cheshire East will not maintain land that is not in its ownership & all maintenance on these areas will cease after April.

 Police Matters

Pc Moore has again done a sterling job monitoring crime, anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the village and we appreciate his dedication in helping us to keep this to a minimum.

 Crewe Green Project

Prince’s Foundation Housing Project is still in the design stage. Consultation continues between their design team and Cheshire East Planning Dept.

Village Fun Day

This coming Saturday is the Village Fun Day and I am sure it will prove as popular as ever and at this point would like to thank Lee for once again organising this event for us.

Carol Service

In December we had our Annual Carol service and despite freezing temperatures it was well attended. Thanks to Councillor Hammond for admirably hosting this enjoyable evening.

 Roads and Pavements

Unfortunately due to the severe weather this winter the condition of the pot holes and general road and paving surfaces have greatly deteriorated.  Funding is short and repairs are taking longer than normal.

 Walking for Health

Walking for Health has turned out to be an outstanding success and again we thank Councillors Chris Betts and Alan Casey for their organisation of these walks.

The village website (www.haslington.org) has also turned into a very valuable communication tool for the community with links to social events around the village. Thanks again to Alan Casey for managing this amenity.

Britain in Bloom

We entered the N.W. Britain in Bloom competition again this year but unfortunately received no awards. However the Parish Best Kept Garden Awards in September had a very high attendance and was as ever very successful. Thanks must be given to Councillor Doris Farrall for all the work involved with the judging and awards.

 Youth Bus

The Youth Bus services commenced again during the year we await to see how successful this will be.

Allotments

Allotments came along as an issue this year. Councillor Hammond tried for funding from Cheshire East Council to buy land in Bradley Hall Road however this was not forthcoming due to restrictions on finance.

Councillor Richard Hovey

My thanks go especially to Councillor Hovey who during the year has dealt with a great number of planning applications on our behalf as Chairman of Planning and also as Chairman of Finance kept control of our finances. Your commitment and hard work is greatly appreciated by both myself and members of the Council.

Councillor W Herriman – Chairman

May 2010

Anyone having concerns about law and order should ring the voicemail on 0845 458 6370 where PC Nick Moore will get back to you BUT

for any major incident requiring immediate attention you should ring 0845 458 0000 or 999 in an emergency

Potholes were still a great concern and Councillor John Hammond stressed the need for people to ring Cheshire East and keep ringing to report the potholes in their area.  The number to ring is 0845 002 0666

A streetlight in Mount Pleasant was reported to be not working and the Clerk was to contact the contractor to attend to the faulty light.

It was reported that there were still no seats in some of the bus shelters and the timetables had been removed.

The road signs in Waterloo Road/Fields Road had been installed the wrong way round and this was to be reported to Highways division. The positioning of these signs is becoming farcical!

The mobile youth bus was now in Haslington on Saturdays from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.  Anyone wishing to learn more about this can ring Sarah Marks on 07985 897898.  Posters advertising the work done by the youth workers have been put up around the village.

The installation of changing facilities on Clay Lane playing field is still under review with funding still being sought.

Councillor Tony Peake reported on the work done by the Red Cross and stated that anyone requiring equipment for medical care to contact him.

The potholes in the roads are still a major problem but it was realised that with the recent salting of the roads and the subsequent deterioration in them it was a problem all over Cheshire East.  Councillor Hammond urged residents to keep ringing to report potholes they considered dangerous.  The number to ring is 0300 123 5500.

The parking on the yellow lines after 6pm was a matter for concern and PC Moore said he would look into this.  If a car is illegally parked near to a road junction the police can issue a summons.

The matter of the open spaces ie Primrose Avenue walkway, behind Asquith Close and Shelburne Drive was still ongoing and the Chairman was urged to keep pressure on Cheshire East to enable the Parish Council to take ownership of the land behind Shelburne Drive.

Councillors Lee Allen and Alan Casey had given an interview on Radio Stoke about the village ie shops and community happenings.  It was reported that the Women Institute is going from strength to strength with a strong membership.  They meet in the Cosey Club on a Tuesday evening and anyone wishing to know more about this can contact;  Secretary: Rachel Hughes

email: HaslingtonWI@googlemail.com

Phone: 01270 585623

Discussions are still ongoing regarding providing changing facilities for teams playing on the Clay Lane football field with an input from various organisations.

Although the haslington.org website had asked if anyone had land to let for allotments or if anyone wished to share their garden for vegetable growing there had been a nil response.  Until a suitable site is found for allotments this matter will lie dormant.

Councillor D Farrall

He said that again there had been no residents attending his surgery which takes place before each Parish Council Meeting.  He said that he would have to look at other ways of contacting people if this trend continues.  The message is “if you don’t use it you will lose it”.

The potholes in the surrounding area are a cause of concern and Councillor Hammond said that anyone observing potholes that were deemed to be dangerous to ring East Cheshire Council on 0300 123 5500 to report this matter.

Various street lights particularly in the Winterley area were reported to be out even though they had been reported at previous meetings.  The Clerk was to contact the relevant authority once more.

There is great interest shown in obtaining allotments but the Parish Council have not been successful in obtaining suitable plots.  One idea put forward was if anyone has a large garden they can no longer manage this can be shared by someone keen to have an allotment.  Of course this would be a private matter between the householder and the person requiring an allotment regarding cost etc.

The seats have not been installed in the bus shelters yet but the Clerk had an assurance from the company responsible that installation was imminent.

It was reported that the contents of the dog bin nearest to the Gutterscroft Centre were being thrown into the compound. A request for resiting this bin was made and PC Moore was to be contacted regarding this matter.

The planning application by WRG that was on display in the Gutterscroft Centre was discussed and Councillors who attended this public consultation said that it seemed to be an extension of the life Maw Green tip with no further land being required.

Councillor Hovey informed the Parish Council of a number of buildings that had been listed throughout the Parish.

Councillor Casey asked if any reports had been received about the Youth Bus visiting Haslington and the response was rather negative.  He is to look into this matter.

The state of the bye-roads and pavements was of concern but it was appreciated that in these very cold conditions the grit was needed to keep main roads open.  It was thought that when the cold snap had abated there would be a real problem with potholes.  It was reported that Primrose Avenue was already in dire need of repair and we should push for this road to be repaired.  Next year hopefully there will be grit for everyone!

Councillor Hammond had been to the football field in Maw Lane/Clay Lane along with Chairman Councillor Bill Herrriman and an official from Cheshire East.  It was envisaged that funding would be available for new changing rooms which were very badly needed. It was planned to put them at the Clay Lane end of the field where there were more residencies.  Hopefully this will go some way  to protect them from vandalism.

Councillor Chris Betts reported that the Village Plan was and was nearing the previewing stage. Unfortunately there had been a  hold up because Councillor Richard Hovey had broken his foot and had not been available to help with this project for a little while.

Repairs to the road leading to the Gutterscroft Centre been delayed because of the adverse weather condition, however planings for this road had been received and it was hoped to start the work in the very near future.

The Primrose Avenue walkway sign had been damaged and had been taken away for safety.  It was suggested the Conservation Group may be able to reinstate it.

The transfer of land from East Cheshire Council to Haslington Parish Council had not yet been completed and councillors urged that this matter be dealt with forthwith.  Councillor Herriman said he was in contact with the relevant people to ensure this transfer went ahead forthwith.

Councillor D Farrall

There had been a request for a Youth Bus to visit the village and although these had not been successful ventures in the past it was thought it was worth trying again.  It was suggested that it could park on the entrance to St Matthews Close opposite the back of the Red Cross Station.

A residence in the Dingle had repeatedly had the posts at the entrance to the drive knocked down by cars coming out of Primrose Avenue. A resident had pointed out that there were no Give Way signs in Primrose Avenue adjacent to the Dingle and the PSCO Threadgod who was in attendance promised to take this information back to PC Nick Moore who would take the matter up with Highways.

The Chairman Bill Herriman along with Councillor Richard Hovey and Councillor John Hammond had attended a meeting with representatives from East Cheshire Council regarding the matter of the ownership of Shelburne Drive.  It was agreed that Haslington Parish Council take over this land from East Cheshire and maintain it.

The Chairman had had a brief meeting with East Cheshire Board Members regarding matters of concern regarding Haslington Parish.  The main concern is that the site for the tip at Clayhanger had not yet been taken out of the Waste Plan for the area.  It was promised that although it could not happen immediately they would be sympathetic to Haslington Parish on this matter.  It was suggested that the Waste Tip be on the agenda for the foreseeable future so that it stays in the foreground.

The Village Green Carol Service will take place on Friday 18 December beginning at 7pm and Father Christmas would be in attendance distributing sweets to the children.  Mince pies and refreshments would be served after the service.

It was reported that seats would be installed in the bus shelters within the next fortnight.

D Farrall

PC Nick Moore reported that a young man from Crewe had been apprehended after burglary and he had admitted incidents involving attempted burglary from cars in Haslington.  He also said that there had been anti-social behaviour in the village especially on the Gutterscroft playing field.  It was reported to him that bottles had been set alight on the playing field and had subsequently exploded.  This is a very serious activity as it could result in serious injury or death.  He asked that anyone with concerns over the drinking and anti-social behaviour ring the police early in the evening as if complaints were left until late officers would be deployed in the towns.  He said if notified early they could confiscate the drink and take the offenders off the playing field, if the offenders are youngsters under 16 he could take them home to their parents.

It was reported that the repairs to the road were far more satisfactory; it emerged that the contract for road repairs had been awarded to a different contractor who is using a better repair method.

There were a number of street lights still not working in spite of PC Moore reporting them to the Street Lighting  Department and the Clerk was asked to write to the relevant person responsible for street lighting.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Mrs Farrall for the excellent Best Kept Gardens Awards evening held recently at which he and Mrs Herriman had presented the prizes.

A letter of thanks had been sent to the Parish Council from one of the prize winners and Councillor Mrs Farrall asked that letters of thanks be sent to various people who had helped in any way in the organisation of this event; appreciation was due also to Lesley Green for writing all the many certificates in such a special way, thanks were extended to the councillors who had attended and helped to make the evening such a success and to Mrs Adams for her invaluable support.

The Chairman reported on the purchase of the land at Shelburne Drive.  It was not clear if Cheshire East would continue maintenance of the land but it was decided to go ahead with payment to Cheshire East to secure the land for the Parish.

We still await a response from Cheshire East regarding the possibility of land being available for allotments. Their report has been hastened but unfortunately was not received in time for the meeting. It was agreed that the Parish Council will now write directly to some of the main local land owners to ask if any have suitable areas of land which they would be prepared to make available for allotments under appropriate terms.

The Parish Council gave a grant to the Haslington Red Cross to ease the cost to them of the annual Flower and Craft Show.

Councillors had been asked repeatedly when the seats were going to be installed in the new bus shelters and the Clerk was asked to write to the relevant authority regarding this as a matter of urgency. The elderly were finding difficulty in standing for any length of time if waiting for a bus.

The Christmas Tree was to be ordered for the beginning of December and the Millennium Stone and War Memorial to planted up for Remembrance Sunday along with the baskets and planters.  There had been many compliments received about the beds at Oakland Avenue/Primrose Avenue, it was felt they were a vast improvement.  Although Haslington nor Winterley received a prize from North West in Bloom it was felt that the floral display had been better than ever and the Parish Council could take pride in the results.

Councillor Chris Betts asked if St Matthews Church could book the Village Green for 10 July 2010 for a Summer Fair to enable parishioners to celebrate 200 years of the present Church.  This idea was welcomed.

Remembrance Sunday  will take place at St Matthews Church and will be led by Ruth Allen from the URC, this will be her last opportunity as she retires next year.

Councillor Mrs D Farrall

Councillors Betts and Casey have assured councillors that they have insurance to cover walkers taking part in the Tuesday walks when being some walkers are accompanied by dogs on leads. 

PC Nick Moore introduced new PCSO Colin Charlesworth who works jointly in Haslington and Waldron areas.  PC Moore stated that there were 13 crimes committed in July and 20 in August, he stated that residents must be aware of security, making sure all gates, doors and windows are locked.  They had had problems with youths on the Gutterscroft once more and youngsters drinking on the Village Green.  He asked for more volunteers for the Speed Watch project.  If anyone is interested in helping to alleviate the speeding of vehicles in the Parish by joining the Speed Watch team would they please contact PC Moore on 0845 458 6370 and leave a voice mail message for PC Moore leaving your details and telephone number and he will get back to you asap.

The Parish Councillor vacancy that was advertised recently was filled by Mrs S P Gorman of Winterley.  She was co-opted by written Ballot.

Councillor Hammond provided Members with a list of proposed Highway Improvement Schemes for the Parish.  Councillors discussed the following: Primrose Avenue road calming;  Crewe Green roundabout improvements; Pool Lane/Hassall Road junction; interactive speed signs, Speed Watch signs and proposed footpath along the Dingle to the skate park.

Complaints about the small gate at Haslington Primary School were received as this gate is not adjacent to the Crossing Patrol.  In the interests of safety PC Nick Moore agreed to speak to the Head Teacher.

During the month Cheshire East Council had agreed to replace the existing bus shelters throughout Haslington and Winterley.  They will take full responsibility for their maintenance and cleanliness in the future.

Councillor J Hammond reported that land at Shelburne Drive is in the ownership of Cheshire East Council.  The matter of maintenance and ownership is ongoing.

There had been an enquiry about the possibility of a mobile youth bus; the youth bus that had been attending Haslington in the past was abused by the youths and so had been discontinued.

Councillor Casey outlined problems being experienced by residents when gaining access to the car park adjoining Bagain Booze.  The Clerk was to write to the Business Manager for Car parking requesting that yellow hatchings be provided.

It was reported that The Dingle School had won first prize in the Vegetable Garden for Schools and Councillor Mrs Farrall requested that a letter of congratulations be sent to the School.   This was the first time the school had entered this competition and they were to be commended.

The Red Cross had asked for sponsorship of some classes in the Haslington Flower and Vegetable Show.  Although the Show had taken place before the Parish Council meeting it was felt that this should be given due consideration and was put on the agenda for the October meeting.

The signs for Crewe Golf Club had been removed and visitors were finding it extremely difficult to access this venue causing problems for residents in Waterloo Road .  The Clerk was to write to Cheshire East Council asking that they replace the signs urgently.

The Best Kept Gardens Awards will take place on Friday 25 September in the Church Hall beginning at 8pm.  All winners have been notified.

It was reported that Mr and Mrs L Jones had retired from the Red Cross after many many years.  It was resolved that a letter go to Mr & Mrs Jones thanking them for all their hard work and efforts in the past years.

Cheshire East Councillor David Brickhill had asked whether Haslington Parish Council are interested in Interactive Speed Signs which can be match funded by Cheshire East Council. Cheshire East Councillor R Walker referred to operation of signs, – Goostrey have two such systems which they move around the area.  Smiley Sid will be used in the Doddington Area.

Cheshire East Councillor David Brickhill was to be asked to look at the Crewe Green Roundabout with its junction with Haslington Bypass to ask if filter lane could be provided onto the bypass.

The Chairman extended a vote of thanks to Councillor Miss L Allen for all her efforts towards the organisation of the Village Fun Day.

The judging for the North West in Bloom will take place on 27 July. Winterley and Haslington are to be judged separately this year. The flower tubs and the beds in between Oakland Avenue and Primrose Avenue would be planted up at the beginning of June as hopefully would the flower baskets.

Councillor Hovey reported that he and Councillor Betts had a lengthy meeting regarding the Parish Plan and the decision made to re-design the Plan.

Information regarding any village activity can be found on the website www.haslington.org

Please note PC Nick Moore will be holding a police surgery at 6.30pm on Monday 6 July prior to the Parish Council meeting.  Residents are urged to go along to voice any concerns they have to PC Moore. He is getting very little response at the moment and it is disappointing that this facility not being used more fully.