NEWS RELEASE

May 15, 2012

Statement: East Cheshire Community Transport  (providers of Dial-a-Ride in Crewe)

A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “We are disappointed to hear that East Cheshire Community Transport can no longer sustain Dial-a-Ride in Crewe.

“The service has been provided by a charity that has always had the customers’ welfare at heart”.

“But unfortunately, despite our continued financial support, this independent operator has been unable to sustain this operation so that it is viable in this tough economic climate where fuel and other costs are rising”.

“Despite our generous grant of £81,000 on April 1, the operators have informed us that they will cease trading as from 6pm today (May15)”.

“Our main concern now is the individuals who rely on the charity to access day care and schools. We can confirm that we have swiftly sought other providers to ensure that schoolchildren affected will receive home-to-school transport immediately”.

“Around 60 adults, who rely on the transport to access social care establishments, will be catered for in the short term by our own fleet of buses”.

“Disappointingly, any Dial-a-Ride customers who have booked a journey for this week will have to make other arrangements.  We are urgently seeking alternative providers and the charity’s current membership will be contacted immediately, once new arrangements have been secured”.

“We are informed that the charity’s trustees are talking to professional advisers about the current financial position and only then will we be able to glean a better picture of why the situation.  The council will continue to work closely with them to offer whatever assistance we can.”

Introduction

People of all ages use their libraries in many different ways, to learn new things, take part in activities and enjoy the many books, DVDs and other resources available.

Cheshire East provides Mobile Libraries as part of its provision to people living in more rural areas which are not directly served by a static (building based) library.

However, the Council has to make significant savings over the coming years and therefore we need to find different ways of delivering services in more cost effective ways.

The mobile library service

There are currently three mobile libraries in the fleet. Between them they make 254 stops at 130 communities, calling at each stop fortnightly. This does not take into account stops at pre-school settings and elderly people’s homes. The duration of stops ranges from 10 minutes to 4 hours.

Proposal for the future

To help meet required savings the council has to make, it is proposed that mobile library stops are removed from locations that are within 2 miles of a static library.

For all remaining stops, we propose to reduce the frequency of mobile library visits from two weekly to three weekly and select a central location for the stop in each village.

The Mobile Library would visit each stop on a regular day and time, once every three weeks in line with the three week loan period operating in Cheshire East static libraries.

In order for the new schedules to work most efficiently the current day, time and location of mobile stops in any village may need to change.

The proposal would reduce the fleet of operational mobile library vehicles from three to one.

We would aim to offer the Books on Wheels service that currently supports individuals who cannot get to a library to those residents who can no longer physically access library services.

We will be contacting all Elderly Persons Homes (EPHs) and pre-school settings that will be affected by this proposal to discuss alternative provision.

An annual financial saving of £95,000 would be achieved by this proposal.

Details of the proposed stops and routes can be found here. Full details of all current mobile library stops in Cheshire East can be found at http://apps.cheshireeast.gov.uk/mobilelibraries/

We would also like to hear your ideas for alternative or additional ways in which the mobile library service could be managed to achieve significant savings.

How to have your say

Please fill out the questionnaire on our website at: http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/libraries.aspx

Alternatively, complete the printed questionnaire in this booklet and return it to any mobile or static library in Cheshire East.

If you need further information please email libraries@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk or telephone 0300 123 5018

All information relating to this consultation is on the council’s website: http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/libraries/latest_library_news.aspx

All responses must be received no later than Wednesday 23rd May 2012.

What happens next?

All responses received during the consultation period will be analysed.

New routes will be communicated during the first week of June.

New routes will start from the 2^nd July.

Starts at 11am

Opened by Lady Delves-Broughton

HOG ROAST

BEER TENT

OVER 40 STALLS

PRIZE DOG SHOW

Refreshments Marquee

*** Evening Ceilidh in Marquee with 2 Bands***

Dancing to HOBNAIL ROOTS Ceilidh Band

____________________________________________

Sunday June 3rd

Street Parties Day

Street Parties All Over Haslington

and

6:30pm United Churches Songs of Praise

(In Marquee on the Village Green)

]]> http://www.haslington.org/news/whats-on/3810.html/feed 0 http://www.haslington.org/news/whats-on/public-transport-consultation.html http://www.haslington.org/news/whats-on/public-transport-consultation.html#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:38:26 +0000 Alan Casey http://www.haslington.org/?p=3803 Have your say on the future of transport

An eight-week public consultation is being launched to gain the views and ideas of people who use public transport.

Starting this Friday, the public will be consulted on proposals to review the bus services, which Cheshire East Council subsidises.

The consultation will look at those routes that are under-used, and see if flexible and community transport can better meet their needs.

The responses will be used to shape the Council’s future decisions on how the available budget is spent and which services the council should continue to subsidise.

Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “This review is all about looking at our public transport network with fresh eyes and with a reduced budget in mind.

“We want to hear all about how we can modernise the network, so that people in rural areas that don’t currently have access can tell us what their needs are.

“It’s also about looking at under-used bus routes and tapping into those communities to see if other forms of transport, such as community car schemes, could work more effectively.”

The review of the Council’s support for public transport has been triggered by recent changes in central government allocation of funding, which has increased pressure on local authority budgets.

The Council needs to reduce the amount it spends on public transport by approximately 18 per cent over the next twelve months.

Despite a challenging budget position and the need to reduce spending on public transport, the Council is still committed to spending £1.8m per year on supporting public transport.

The consultation provides the opportunity for local people and partner organisations to have their say on how the Council should support public transport in future and this will shape the Council’s future plans.

Further details about the consultation and how to take part will be available on the Council’s website (www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/travel) from Friday, April 27, 2012. The consultation ends on Friday, June 22, 2012.

Alternatively, the consultation material will be made available in local customer contact centres and libraries. A number of drop-in sessions are being held in towns across the borough during the consultation period.

For further information please contact:

Beverley Walkden

Communications Officer (Media Relations)

Cheshire East Council

Direct: 01270 686576

Mobile: 07533 873 778

Email: beverley.walkden@cheshireeast.gov.uk

The dates and locations for the consultations are listed as follows:

The issue of the speed watch was ongoing and the Chairman of Goostrey Parish Council was coming to the June meeting to give feedback on the result of the speeding awareness signs employed by his Parish Council.

The lack of  appropriate fencing along the bridge over the brook opposite the Dingle School had been brought to the attention of the Parish Council and the Clerk was to write to the appropriate authority to get this problem resolved.  It was pointed out some of the fencing had been removed and children could easily fall into the brook.  This matter needed to be resolved with some urgency.

Some street signs in the village were in need of upgrading and this was being looked into.

The problem of finding suitable land for allotments was proving very difficult but Haslington Parish Council were aware of their obligations to provide this facility.  However it is very difficult if no such land is made available to them.  If anyone knows of anyone willing to rent or sell land which would be suitable please contact the Clerk with this information

The Chairman was accompanying Parish and Borough Councillors to see the new Waste Disposal site at Shotton.  This is apparently a very good new recycling plant.

The road hatching along Crewe Road near to Mere Street was to be removed to provide parking spaces nearer to the shops.  Hopefully this will alleviate the illegal parking in the narrow part of the Crewe Road.

The Diamond Jubilee Celebrations were on track and Councillor Lightfoot gave Councillor Hovey information regarding provision of security which will be needed from Friday to Monday to protect the facilities which were being provided on the Village Green.  The evening entertainment would be provided from 7.30pm to 11pm

Mention was made regarding the smell of the fertiliser being used to spread on the fields.  This had been particularly pungent during the last week or so, resulting in windows in houses being closed because of the invading smell.  There is a limit to the smell allowed in the area and anyone having any concerns should ring  the Environment Agency on 08708 506506.  Oakhanger and the surrounding areas have had experience of this problem in the past.

The AGM pf Haslington Parish Council will be held on 14 May beginning at 7.30m and will be held in the small hall of Yoxall Village Hall.

Councillor Doris Farrall

Christian Aid Week will soon be here….May 13th -19th

Collectors are needed for the following areas:

• Park Road
• Chatham Way
• Grenville Close
• Kingsley Road
• Crewe Road 1-49 (odd numbers only)
• Crewe Road 63-85 (odd nos)  50-94 (even numbers) Crewe Road 101-157 (odd) Church farm-148 (even)

We try to cover all the houses in the village but it is difficult to find enough people.

If you have a couple of hours to spare in that week, please contact:

Christine Howarth

01270 583301

chris.pizaz@uwclub.net

Thank you so much. We usually raise about £2,500.00 in Haslington and Winterley.

Let’s try to maintain this total in 2012

On the morning of May 31, the streets of Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and Knutsford will be thronged with people as the Olympic flame passes through the Borough and excitement builds ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

People will get the best opportunity to see the flame as it is carried through these towns by the local torchbearers. The details of those who have been selected as torchbearers will be released at a later date.

The flame will be transported between the towns in the torch convoy – made up of several vehicles – but the flame will not be visible.

The route has been published two months in advance to give local communities time to plan activities and celebrations around the relay.

The specific routes and timings are:

Crewe: 8am-8.30am

At approximately 8am the torch convoy will change into torchbearer mode from the junction of Hungerford Road with Coleridge Way. The torch will then travel along Hungerford Road into Earle Street and past the Municipal Buildings, turning left into the Market Street pedestrian area. From here it will continue onto Edleston Road, and then turn left onto Nantwich Road and past Crewe railway station. It will then travel past the roundabout onto Crewe Road past MMU Cheshire, and then revert into torch convoy mode at Springfield School at approximately 8.30am. Here is a map of the route:

Further details can be found here