Cheshire Independent Issue 193

NOVEMBER 2024 2 EDITOR: GedHenderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING: RobinAtkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CLASSIFIED: JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2024. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 01204 478812 A MAN was convicted of ‘plying for hire’ as a result of intervention from two licensed Cheshire East taxi drivers. Majid Mahmood,43, of Williamson Street, Stoke-on-Trent, was approached by a customer in February for a ride outside Crewe railway station after the customer had initially approached the two licensed drivers. A court heard Mahmood was chal- lenged and warned that what he was doing was against the law, but he refused to give up his fare and drove off with his passenger at high speed. Mahmood pleaded guilty at Crewe Magistrates Court to the offence and was ordered to pay a total of £546 in fines, a victim surcharge and legal and investigation costs. Speaking after the case Mick War- ren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities com- mittee, said: “I sincerely hope that this sends out a very clear message that we will not tolerate drivers illegally collecting fares in our borough. “There’s also another very important message here on public safety. If you need to book a taxi in the borough, you will always be better served looking for a vehicle that has been licensed to work in the borough. “Any vehicle licensed by Cheshire East Council displays a Cheshire East licence plate on the front and rear of the vehicle”. Cheshire East says this is the second recent successful prosecution for ‘plying for trade’ brought by the council, after a similar case in August. COMPANIES are being stopped from advertising unhealthy food and drinks on land, buildings and vehi- cles owned by Cheshire East Council. It says the “bold move” is part of attempts to reduce obesity and improve children’s health in the borough. Councillors have approved a ‘Healthier Food and Drink Adver- tising Policy’ that will switch the spotlight away from unhealthy foods and drinks on council-owned advertising spaces. The new policy, which is one of the first of its kind in the North West, will classify food and drink products based on their nutri- tional content. It has worked with Sustain, an organisation campaigning for bet- ter food and farming, to draw up the policy. Fran Bernhardt, Sus- tain’s commercial determinants coordinator, said: “This policy is a bold step in the right direction: pri- oritising not just health but equal- ity and sustainability too. “Evidence shows that putting the spotlight on unhealthy food increases the risk of food related ill health like diabetes, heart dis- ease and tooth decay. Companies target low-income areas, resulting in people living there being more likely to experience poor health. “Additionally, many of the restricted products are unsustain- able containing climate damaging ingredients, such as sugar, cocoa and palm oil, as well as requiring lots of energy to process them. “We hope the terrific news from Cheshire East will inspire even more councils to take this important step for their residents’ health.” Advertisements for products high in fat, salt, and/or sugar will be restricted, setting the stage for healthier options. Jill Rhodes, who chairs the coun- cil’s adults and health committee, said: “We recognise the significant impact that exposure to unhealthy food advertising can have on the health and well-being of our resi- dents, particularly children. “By taking this proactive step, we are prioritising the health of every- one in Cheshire East and demon- strating the council’s commitment to reducing health inequalities.” The council says its decision to restrict unhealthy food advertising aligns with the growing national movement towards healthier com- munities. Similar policies have been adopted by other Cheshire and Merseyside local authorities. Have your say on plan CHESHIRE East’s old Sandbach headquarters Westfields is set to become a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to reports. The cash-strapped council took the decision to shut the building in November last year and move staff to offices inMacclesfield and Crewe. Now, according to the BBC, its preferred option for the site would be to create a SEND free school, which would be funded by theDepartment for Education. Cheshire East has revealed that much of the finan- cial pressure it has been facing has been linked to an increase in the number of children needing special educational support. NEWS IN BRIEF INDEPENDENT charity Everybody Health and Leisure will take over the delivery of the One You programme across Cheshire East for an initial three- year period with three optional extension years. One You is a funded service offering support with weight management, smoking cessation, falls prevention and physical activity programmes. ALDERLEY Edge Methodist Church is celebrating 20 years of hosting lunchtime concerts which have raised tens of thousands of pounds for a range of good causes. ALDERLEY Edge’s Christmas lights switch on will take place on Saturday November 23 on London Road. The Christmas market will open from 4pm with the grand switching on ceremony taking place at 7pm. PEOPLE and businesses in Congleton are being urged to take part in a consul- tation and give their views on the town’s draft Neighbourhood Plan. The town council aims for the plan to be adopted as an official planning document to guide future development within the area. The public consultation exercise is now underway and will run until Monday Decem- ber 9. The draft plan, which includes 28 poli- cies, focuses on key issues including protect- ing the town’s heritage and enhancing its green spaces. Congleton’s chief officer David McGifford said: “We believe the policies in this draft Neighbourhood Plan will benefit Congleton, but it is vital that we now engage with as many people as possible. “We want to ensure that local people, organ- isations, and stakeholders agree that this is the right vision for Congleton. T “he Neighbourhood Plan Working Group will consider all feedback and, where appro- priate, make amendments before passing it to Cheshire East Council for further for- mal stages.” Councillors have also approved a detailed communications plan, to ensure maximum participation with people living, working or interested in the future of Congleton. Consultation activities will include infor- mation stalls, face-to-face meetings, school assemblies, leaflets, banners, questionnaires, and social media posts. For more information and to view the draft Neighbourhood Plan, including its policies, justifications, and evidence base, visit www. CongletonNeighbourhoodPlan .co.uk Council takes a stand on ‘unhealthy’ adverts CLAMPDOWN ON ‘PLYING FOR HIRE’ SCHOOL ROLE FOR OLD HQ Farms in the frontline livelihoods. The theft of essential equipment not only disrupts the work we do, but also poses signifi- cant financial challenges. “It’s crucial that meas- ures such as the Equip- ment Theft (Prevention) Bill are extended to pro- vide greater protection for farmers, so we can better safeguard our farm busi- nesses and enable farmers to continue our vital role in food production.” Congleton MP Sarah Russell added: “The per- ception of our Cheshire rolling fields as idyllic and crime-free, is sadly outdated. Crime in rural areas skyrocketed by nearly a third from 2011-2024.” Alongside local farm- ers, the NFU, NRCU and Dan Price, the MPs who signed the letter were; Andrew Cooper MP, Connor Naismith MP, Sarah Russell MP, TimRoca MP and Aphra Brandreth MP. The Home Office said in a statement it was introducing “tougher measures” to tackle rural crime including strength- ened neighbourhood polic- ing and “stronger laws” to prevent farm theft and fly tippers. It said: “New laws will also aim to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting.” A NEW bus ticket for young people aged 16-19 has been launched in Cheshire East. offering signifi- cant discounted fares across the borough. The 16-19 bus saver card offers a third off the standard adult fare and is valid on local bus services for journeys that start and/or finish within Cheshire East at any time. Care leavers aged 16-22 are also entitled to the pass, which will pro- vide themwith free travel on local bus services. The scheme is sup- ported by the gov- ernment-funded Bus ● Cont frompage one food supply and protect the livelihoods of rural communities, not only locally but across the UK.” NFU Cheshire county president Stuart Yarwood said: “Farmers across Cheshire are feeling the devastating impact of GPS thefts on our Just the ticket for young people Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which has come from the Depart- ment for Transport (DfT), to support increased bus service provision and passenger numbers within Cheshire East. To receive their pass, young people will be able to apply online through a portal on the Cheshire East Council website, to confirm proof of identity and age. The only quali- fier other than age is that they are a Cheshire East resident. All borough bus oper- ators are taking part in the two year trial.